Desert Messenger

August 17, 2022 www.DesertMessenger.com 17 Avoid used car sales scams PUBLISHER'S NOTICE: All real estate advertised herein is sub- ject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise "any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national ori- gin, or intention to make any such pref- erence, limitation, or discrimination." BBB - Used cars are in high de- mand, and scammers know it. Con artists are taking advantage of shop- pers who turn to online platforms in search of a reasonably priced used vehicle. Be wary of this latest twist and too-good-to-be-true prices. How the scam works You are shopping for a used vehicle on Craigslist, Facebook Market- place, eBay, or another online plat- form. You find the make and mod- el you want at an excellent price. Amazing! However, when you contact the seller, you find out that the vehicle is in another city. Fortunately, the seller knows a transport company that can deliver it to you. All you need to do is pay the transport com- pany, which will hold the funds in escrow until the vehicle is delivered. Many scammers will add a sad story meant to tug on your heartstrings. For example, they may claim the car belonged to a relative who has passed away. In one example recent report, the scammer claimed to be selling a car on behalf of their aunt, who inher- ited it from her recently deceased father. "The 'Auntie' claimed she was a nurse and worked shifts, and that my daughter's original email had fallen into her junk folder. The 'Auntie' had moved to another prov- ince thousands of miles from us. But if my daughter wanted to purchase the car for the stated price (which was well under the going price for a vehicle of this type, year and mile- age), the Auntie had a contract with an automotive transport company." Once you've paid the third-party company, usually by a wire transfer or prepaid debit card, your vehicle won't be delivered. The sale was a scam, and the con artist was in ca- hoots with the third-party trans- port company. Unfortunately, your money is gone for good. How to avoid car sales scams Watch out for prices that are too good to be true. It's probably a scam. Scammers know that used cars are in high demand, and they will tempt shoppers with great deals. Contact the seller by phone. As ear- ly as possible, speak to the seller on the phone and ask plenty of ques- tions. If you get very vague answers, if the seller gets defensive or aggres- sive, or if they can't confirm their location or the location of the ve- hicle, you're probably dealing with a scammer. See the car before you buy it. Al- ways make an in-person inspection and take a test drive before you pur- chase a vehicle. Don't give in to threats or pressure. Resist the urge to act immediately. Always take time to consider a pur- chase, especially if it's a vehicle that costs thousands of dollars. Don't wire funds for a car. Scam- mers often ask for wired funds be- cause they are hard to track, and there's no way to get your money back. It's best to make large pur- chases by check or credit card. For more information See this BBB Investigation on vehi- cle shipper and escrow scams. You may also want to read the BBB Tips on buying a used car and buying a car online. If you see a car sales scam, report it at BBB.org/ScamTracker and to the online marketplace where you found it.

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