Consumer Fraud Alert

If a price is amazing, an old car looks perfect, or a rare vehicle seems cheap, there’s a good chance it’s a scam.

Wire transfer requests are a hallmark of many commonly used car scams. The point is the same to get their victims to submit a hard-to-trace payment without having received a vehicle. You can avoid this and most other scams by not paying for a car that you don’t have in your possession. Scammers will offer all kinds of reasons why they cannot deliver the vehicle or allow you to pick it up until they receive a wire transfer. Don't fall for it. In fact, there's no reason you should have to pay via wire transfer. In the first place, doing so makes it easier for scammers to take the money and run and harder for you to ever track them down or get your money back. Wire transfers are only for people you know and trust.

Some scammers use the same photo on different apps or websites, with different prices and contact information each time. You can avoid this scam with a “reverse image search” to see if the same photo appears in many places. Look up “reverse search” in your favorite search engine to learn how.

There’s no substitute for seeing the real thing. Scammers can easily post fake photos and safety reports. Don’t send money until you’ve seen the vehicle in real life.

• Verify with our office that the used car dealer is a valid dealer, verify the license number, owner name, and business phone number. Call the dealer with the phone number that is listed with our office.
• Use common sense and listen to your gut, if something feels off or if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.
• Deal with local dealers only, and never deal with a seller who refuses to meet in person.
• Research the seller, including their name, email address, and phone number.
• Research the car, including a Carfax report and trace on the NMVTIS database.
• Be leery of sellers who try to rush the sale.
• Never trust a seller who claims a vehicle is guaranteed by eBay Motors, PayPal, or any other online marketplace.
• Never pay in advance, and never send money through a bank-to-bank or wire service transaction.