A growing wave of odometer rollback fraud is hitting used car buyers across the tri-state, costing victims thousands of dollars.

A new "Turn to Tara" investigation shows that new and inexpensive technology is making it easier for criminals to alter mileage readings in seconds.

A professional mechanic demonstrated to the Turn To Tara investigated team how a $200 device can erase 200,000 miles from a 2023 Dodge Ram in real time.

That fraudulent reading could inflate the truck's value by more than $4,000.

Carfax estimates around 2 million vehicles on the road may have had their odometers rolled back, an 18% jump since 2021.

New York, New Jersey and Connecticut top the list of states with the most rollback cases.

Experts say the fraud is hard to detect but recommend checking Carfax reports and consulting trusted mechanics before buying. They warn the trend is growing and unlikely to go away.