Need a car?? National car shortage sparks spike in fake car sales advertisement

We know finding a new or used car for sale is particularly tough in this market, but please be careful as many of our clients are being caught out in fake car scams.

Our National Case Management Centre has dealt with multiple complaints in one day from people lured into buying a car from sites like Facebook Marketplace.

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Not only are the clients losing money putting down deposits on cars that don’t exist, they’re also required to provide scanned copies of identity documents to complete the purchase.

These documents, which can include driver licence, passports and utility bills, are often used to open an account on various cryptocurrency trading platforms in the client’s name.

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Here’s an easy guide to spot a fake car advertisement from the real deal:

• The car is offered for sale below market value.
• The person selling the car is often listed as being in the military.
• The seller asks to communicate with the client directly via email or WhatsApp, instead of through Facebook messaging.  Often the scammer will place their preferred contact email over one of the advertisement photographs.
• They’re in a hurry to sell and will pressurise you for a quick transaction.

You can always do a reverse image check on the photos listed with advertisements to determine whether they’ve been used elsewhere.  

Remember, do your research first and ask to speak to the seller in person.