Tuesday, March 18, 2008

USED CAR SCAMS


PROTECT YOURSELF FROM
USED CAR FRAUDS
Over the past several weeks I have been following the used car ads on several online classified sites. One of them is the KiJiJi classifieds for Nanaimo.
I have come across several ads offering car deals which are simply too good to be true. Of course that is how they get your interest.
I have followed up on several of them to see how they operate and this is what I have found.
They will offer you a car to be shipped after payment, which you can not view until purchased. They say the sale will go through eBay Motors and suggest this will somehow protect you from fraud. This is simply one big lie, once you have sent them your money via wire transfer to their bank account, you will find eBay can be of no help whatsoever.
So be warned, if it seems too good to be true, it most likely is, so don't let your greed get the best of you.
The above ad and picture is a current example of just such an ad. I have reported it to the site and am waiting to see what they will do about it.
I am also building a file of emails from these con artists which may or may not be of any use to local law enforcement.
In the meantime be very aware of any car deal online. Especially when asked to prepay for something you have not even seen.


allvoices

8 comments:

  1. Hello, I was on ebay and won the auction of a 1958 Cadillac Fleetwood... the username was: annodomini (EBAY) - they wanted a bank wire only transfer. They faxed a title over to me that had the name and address of the owner whited out and then got mad at me for wanted a third party to view the car and paper work to make sure it was for real... of course they got mad and said they will not sell the car to me... I think it was a scam

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have been trying to buy a vehcile for my 16 year old when I came across a "great buy" on Kijiji. Am thinking its a scam. This is the email I got.
    Hi

    My 2000 Chevy Silverado 1500 4X4 V8 with 116200kms is in great shape, no engine problems, damages or hidden defects.The price is $2,950.00.The only reason for selling the truck so cheap is because I recently divorced my husband and I am a single mother with 2 children and I don`t need it and i want to sell it fast, because i`m so busy with the children and my job and i don`t have time to stay and meet with all my potential buyers i gave the truck to a shipping company that will ship it to the next owner.I want to tell you that the delivery process is payed by me and I want to finish this deal through eBay because they are a biggest company and we can both be protected and insured.

    If you're interested to purchase just email me with your full name ,shipping address and your phone number , so I can notify eBay that you are selected as my buyer and they will contact you to explain the entire procedure.

    Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Typical scam. Don't go near it with a ten foot pole.
    By the time you are sure you've been had they will have your money and be long gone!
    Stick to local only, where you can actually see the car, drive it and have your own mechanic look at it.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks so much. I was almost ready to send the money until I read your blog. I thought I had to act fast so I didn't miss out on such a "good deal" I don't understand how these people get away with this. Can they not be caught?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Here is the 2nd email I received from the "seller"

    The truck is now located in Churchill Manitoba in a container at the shipping company with all papers.As you can see, you will receive the truck in max 2-3 days and you will get the chance to inspect it 5 days , test drive it and everything you like.The truck will be delivered directly to your requested address as soon as I will have the payment confirmation from eBay. eBay will hold the money until you will receive , inspect and decide if you want to keep the truck.

    If you're interested to purchase just email me with your full name ,shipping address and your phone number , so I can notify eBay that you are selected as my buyer and they will contact you to explain the entire procedure.

    ReplyDelete
  6. In the age of the computer and the internet, it is next to impossible to actually locate these guys.
    They could be running their computer from a computer cafe anywhere.
    Glad to hear you didn't get burned.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Here is the 2nd email I received from the "seller"

    The truck is now located in Churchill Manitoba in a container at the shipping company with all papers.As you can see, you will receive the truck in max 2-3 days and you will get the chance to inspect it 5 days , test drive it and everything you like.The truck will be delivered directly to your requested address as soon as I will have the payment confirmation from eBay. eBay will hold the money until you will receive , inspect and decide if you want to keep the truck.

    If you're interested to purchase just email me with your full name ,shipping address and your phone number , so I can notify eBay that you are selected as my buyer and they will contact you to explain the entire procedure.

    ReplyDelete
  8. They use eBay to make themselves sound honest. In fact eBay does NOT hold funds in any accounts.
    Once you have sent your money, it is GONE!!!

    ReplyDelete

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