We’ve heard from a couple people recently who thought they were getting a great deal on a used car online. But they ended up losing their money.
Taylor in San Francisco alerted us to one possible scam involving someone posing a member of the military selling a vehicle cheap – supposedly because they were being transferred. The catch: they wanted money wired to them up front.
Dallas told us his family fell for a scam. His son sent $3,000 to a person who posted a Ford Bronco for sale on Craigslist. They never got the car; but someone got their three grand.
Craigslist warns consumers -- rather bluntly -- with an entire page dedicated to scams and fraud.
“Deal locally, face-to-face,” the page reads. “Follow this one rule and avoid 99% of scam attempts.”
CRAIGSLIST WARNING: http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams
More pointers from Craigslist include:
- Beware of offers involving shipping
- Never wire funds
- Do not rent or purchase sight-unseen
Online scammers are rarely traceable, especially when money is wired. Craigslist is clear about those seller who want money wired to them.
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“Anyone who asks you to is a scammer,” the website says in its warning.
Other car buying resources:
- FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0055-buying-used-car
- KELLEY BLUE BOOK: http://www.kbb.com/car-advice/articles/protecting-yourself-from-online-fraud/
- BANKRATE: http://www.bankrate.com/finance/auto/guide-buying-car-online.aspx
