You’ve probably seen the viral clips. A frantic luxury car dealer, George Saliba of JS Autohaus, realizing in real-time that his newest hire wasn't just a bad salesman—he was a "mole."
The name Brett Holmes car dealer started trending not because of a grand opening or a record-breaking sales month, but because of a sophisticated internal scam that allegedly cost a New Jersey dealership nearly $80,000. It's the kind of story that makes every small business owner check their bank statements twice.
But who is Brett Holmes, and how did a "nice, smooth guy" manage to infiltrate a high-end dealership and start selling 2024 Ford F-150 Shelbys for $20,000 under wholesale price?
Honestly, the reality is a mix of digital-age deception and old-school "trust-me" charisma.
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The "Mole" Inside the Dealership
The story broke wide open in early 2025 when George Saliba, a well-known figure in the exotic car world and owner of JS Autohaus, began documenting the fallout of an employee-driven fraud.
According to Saliba’s accounts on YouTube and across various automotive news outlets, Brett Holmes (sometimes referred to as "Brett Holm" or "Bret Holm" in police reports and social media comments) didn't just walk in off the street. He spent three weeks grooming Saliba via Instagram and FaceTime.
He played the part of the hungry, knowledgeable car guy perfectly.
Once hired, he didn't just slack off. He actively worked the phones, but not for the dealership's benefit. He was allegedly acting as an "auto broker" from the inside, reaching out to other dealers and private buyers to sell JS Autohaus's inventory at impossible prices.
How the $80,000 Scam Worked
The mechanics of the scam were surprisingly simple but effective.
- The Price Cut: Holmes allegedly offered a 2024 Ford F-150 Shelby—a truck with a wholesale value around $76,000—to another dealer for just $59,000.
- The Wire Trick: He attempted to redirect the wire transfer information to his own accounts or those of accomplices.
- The Sob Story: He even managed to get customers to pay for his Airbnb for several nights, claiming his wallet had been stolen.
It was a bold move. Most scammers stay in the shadows, but Brett Holmes was sitting in a physical office, using a real desk, and greeting real people while allegedly dismantling the business's margins.
A Trail of Victims Across the Industry
This wasn't a one-off mistake. As soon as Saliba posted his "My Own Employee Scammed Me" video, the floodgates opened.
Another dealership came forward claiming a salesman matching Holmes's description and name had previously scammed a father and son out of $115,000. The pattern was identical: a smooth-talking representative who seemed to have access to high-end inventory but was actually just a middleman for a fraud.
The Identity Confusion: Brett Holmes vs. Bret Holmes
We need to clear something up because the internet is a messy place.
If you search for "Brett Holmes" in the context of cars, you’ll find two very different people. One is the subject of the recent dealership scandals. The other is Bret Holmes, the 2020 ARCA Menards Series Champion and former NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver.
The racer Bret Holmes is a legitimate professional athlete and team owner from Alabama. He has nothing to do with the New Jersey dealership fraud. It's an unfortunate coincidence of names that has led to some serious confusion on social media.
Why the Brett Holmes Case Matters for Car Buyers
Most of us think of car scams as "curbstoning"—someone selling a salvaged title car in a Walmart parking lot. This case is different. It happened inside a brick-and-mortar luxury dealership.
Basically, the scammer leveraged the reputation of the business to bypass the victim's natural skepticism. If you're standing in a showroom surrounded by McLarens and G-Wagons, you don't expect the guy in the polo shirt to be a "mole."
Red Flags That Were Overlooked
In hindsight, the signs were there.
- The "Too Good to Be True" Price: A Shelby F-150 for $20,000 under wholesale? That's not a deal; that's a red flag.
- Unusual Payment Requests: Asking a customer to cover an Airbnb or personal expenses is a massive breach of professional boundaries.
- Communication Gaps: When the "salesman" becomes dismissive or avoids putting the owner on the phone, the deal is likely sour.
What Happened to Brett Holmes?
The fallout has been public and messy. George Saliba has posted updates involving police calls and legal filings. Reports indicate that when the heat got too high, Holmes reportedly grabbed his backpack and took an Uber away from the dealership, never to return.
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Since then, the automotive community has been on high alert. The "Brett Holmes car dealer" situation has become a case study in internal theft and the dangers of hiring via social media without exhaustive, multi-layered background checks.
Actionable Steps to Protect Yourself
Whether you're a dealer or a buyer, the "Brett Holmes" saga offers some harsh but necessary lessons.
For Buyers:
- Verify the Wire: Never send a wire transfer based on an email or a single phone call from a new salesperson. Always call the dealership's main landline and speak to a manager or the finance department to verify the banking details.
- Check the Invoice: Look for inconsistencies. In the Holmes case, he sent a wholesale invoice that looked "fishy" to the buyers, yet they almost went through with it because they wanted to believe the price.
For Dealership Owners:
- Social Media Isn't a Resume: FaceTime calls are great, but they don't replace a formal background check and calls to previous employers.
- Monitor Outbound Leads: Use a CRM that tracks every communication. If a new hire is talking to high-value leads on their personal Instagram instead of the company platform, that’s a problem.
The "Brett Holmes" story is still developing as more victims potentially come forward. It serves as a reminder that in the world of luxury cars, the most dangerous part of the vehicle might just be the person holding the keys.
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Verify every deal. If the price seems like robbery, you might be the one getting robbed.