Fake Vehicle Sale Scam
FFWD a few days, he buys the car without seeing it, sends the money to a 3rd party escrow site. But behind this site, which looked really good, was a scam: Another person was representing the "Escrow" company, and he convinced him to dump his money into it. It was alot of money.
These scammers were so good, they even kept him on the hook after they took his money, kept calling him, re-assuring the car was on the way. But the car never came, it was all a scam, and these scumbags are the lowest assholes on the face of this Earth.
How Does It Work?
The scammers put ads online to many free sites like Kijiji, Craigs list, and other off-the-shelf "for sale" sites. They steal pictures of real cars from auction sites or collectors who own the cars. They may add fancy graphics or custom titles to the picture, and some of it is really well done.
The Lure
They'll entice you to buy the car sight unseen (crazy, I know) and TRUST them they'll ship you the vehicle. I should have told him to fly out, but in hindsight, I figured he had it under control and had vetted the seller using techniques found on many car buying web sites. Unfortunately he did not, and there is no way to get his money back.
The scammers often promise low shipping fees, really low car prices, and add really over-the-top embellished stories to their sale. "My wife is in the Army on deployment, I am selling this car as I am living in Germany doing a tour of duty also. This is the reason we are selling the car so cheap"
But these motherfuckers are all scamming liars. There never was a car. This scam is so successful because there is no vetting on online ads. Ebay may be the only site that actually vets ads online, but even then, scammers can infiltrate the site and manage to list vehicles that are non-existent.
How Do You Protect Yourself?
First off, never send money to anyone without actually viewing and checking the car out in person. Here are the rules I use when I check a used car:
1. Gather the VIN number and run a carfax
2. Run a lein check on the car to check for loans
3. Run a title check and verify the owner is who they say they are
4. Have the vehicle inspected by a 3rd party trusted mechanic unknown to the seller
5. Run an insurance check and verify the vehicle has never been written off or stolen
6. Have the owner provide proof of ownership (title or legal letter) and have it verified by a 3rd party unknown to the seller
7. Never trust an escrow service suggested by the seller. Instead, use the phone book or internet and search for a legitimate escrow service that is highly suggested by many people. Search for reviews that can be vetted by multiple people. Do not trust online "reviews" - most are bullshit.
8. Perform a reverse image check on all pictures provided by the seller. Do they show up on other websites? Big clue.
9. Use your own shipping company or transport the vehicle yourself. NEVER use any suggested by the seller, even if it's a legit deal.
10. Get the drivers license and address & insurance information from the seller & verify it
I feel terrible for him, he's a great guy and got caught up in this scam so easily. He is not stupid, but sometimes when you get enamored with a vehicle you think all is going to be OK. Sadly, in this instance, it was a nightmare.
TL/DR: People are scamming assholes; don't trust anyone.
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