Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced a major consumer protection lawsuit on Tuesday against a Fridley-based used-car dealership.

The Midwest Car Search dealer cheated thousands of Minnesotans out of millions of dollars from 2017 to 2022, according to Ellison’s office.

Officials say from 2020 to 2022, Midwest Car Search charged more than 99% of buyers who needed financing for a vehicle at an average of more than $1,800 for the vehicle service contract. These vehicle service contracts account for $4.5 million that Minnesotans were cheated out of.

Additionally, AG Ellison said Midwest Car Search primarily targeted Spanish-speaking people through social media advertisements. According to Ellison’s office, Midwest Car Search would broker a deal with a buyer in Spanish, but make them sign a contract in English.

“Affording your life is tough enough without bad actors taking advantage of you. A car is a necessity for many, and Minnesotans should be able to shop for cars without having to worry about being decided or defrauded,” Attorney General Ellison said. “But that’s what Midwest Car Search did. They broke the law and violated consumers’ trust by misrepresenting the nature and quality of the cars it was selling, while also illegally including expensive add-on products in purchases without disclosing them. Equally appalling is that Midwest Car Search aggressively targeted Spanish speakers through widespread advertising campaigns in Spanish and conducted sales in Spanish, only to have those speakers sign documents in English that bore no relation to the promises Midwest Car Search made to them. I look forward to holding these bad actors accountable for cheating Minnesota consumers.”