WESLACO – The Texas Attorney General’s Office is warning others of “title washing” following Hurricane Harvey, which left an estimated 500,000 to 1 million vehicles submerged in water.

Title washing is the practice of leaving out a vehicle’s flood damage history on its title.  

In Texas, sellers are required by law to tell buyers about flood damage.

Officials said the words “flood damage” should be on a vehicle’s title. Failure to include it would be a violation of the state’s Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act.

The DA issues the following statement, which reads in part:

“While most Texas businesses and individuals are law-abiding, there are always those looking to take advantage of consumers by selling them flood-damaged vehicles in the months following a hurricane. A cleaned-up vehicle could be a ticking time bomb with unseen damage, posing mechanical and safety risks to the buyer.”

Signs of a flood-damaged vehicle include rust on the inside of the car and a musty odor in the upholstery.

You can check a vehicle’s history by choosing from a list of private service on vehiclehistory.com.

If you believe you may be the victim of fraud, you can contact the AG’s office by calling 1-800-621-0508.