Do not hand income on a plate to second-hand auto scammers

It’s a busy time of year for the utilised automobile market. The new number plate came out on March 1, and that always supplies a increase for second-hand automobile sales as individuals trade up their old car for a new model.

It is also a busy time of year for second-hand automobile scammers – the sorts of folks who will attempt and flog you a dodgy used motor.

Roger Powell of MyCarCheck, a firm which supplies vehicle data to shoppers, says we need to be alert: “When acquiring a secondhand vehicle it is critical to be conscious of the risks. Numerous cars supplied for sale will have a far from ideal history. Others will be outright crooked.”

It doesn’t precisely inspire you with self-assurance, does it?

Verification approach

MyCarCheck is one of those firms you can ask to verify regardless of whether a second-hand auto has actually been scrapped, written-off or stolen.

It can also delve into a car’s finance history – and in February 32% of the firm’s finance checks flagged up a prospective difficulty – typically outstanding finance getting secured against the car.

This is serious simply because, in such a case, the auto does not in fact belong to the particular person selling it, but to the economic institution which has extended the original loan.

So you, as the buyer, could end up seriously out of pocket – and possibly with no a auto – if you shake on the deal, because the lender would be within its rights to claim the automobile to cover its position.

MyCarCheck has identified the 5 other common employed vehicle scams. (Bear in thoughts that most concern private sales. There is greater protection if you buy your automobile from a registered dealer.)

Sub hiring

Here’s how this scam works…

The seller admits there is outstanding finance on the vehicle but promises to keep up the payments.

It sounds reasonable, but the purchaser does not have a legal leg to stand on. If the seller stops the payments, the finance company could seize the car.

[embedded content]

Deposit safety

Some fraudsters con purchasers into handing more than a big deposit to secure the vehicle. They may possibly tell you of a “definite buyer” who’s coming in an hour, or warn that the vehicle is advertised cheaply for a fast sale.

Do not fall for such pressure tactics. The seller could simply disappear, along with your deposit.

Hire cars

Demands for a deposit also feature in the growing quantity of scams that offer hire automobiles for sale.

The fraudster will hire a automobile and then ‘sell’ it to as several buyers as possible within a short time period and pocket all the deposits. He’ll then return the auto to the employ firm and never be noticed again.

Escrow

Escrow fraud is one of the oldest scams in the book.

It can take many diverse guises, but it generally involves a UK automobile being provided for sale from abroad, or the promise to ship a automobile into the UK from abroad after the funds are paid into a holding account (from whence they disappear in thin air).

Escrow fraud is usually committed on-line, so watch out for suspicious emails.

Swaps

Swap scams are increasingly common, and once again are usually perpetrated on the internet.

Let’s say you place your car up for sale on the net. A fraudster will express an interest in the vehicle and recommend a tempting swap.

Sadly, the vehicle will typically come with outstanding finance or it may even be stolen, leaving you sorely out of pocket.

Data checks

Organizations such as MyCarCheck can confirm a car’s credentials making use of police information and details from the DVLA, insurers and finance firms. Such services are not cost-free, but they could avert a far more expensive mistake.

The most critical message is that you must maintain your wits about you, also. The secondhand vehicle market is a scammer’s paradise.

So trust your gut feeling – if a deal looks too excellent to be accurate, guess what?

Oh, and in no way spend money. That just producing life easy for the crooks.

Ever fallen victim to a second-hand vehicle scam? Let us know in the box beneath – you could help somebody else stay away from falling victim…

Do not hand income on a plate to second-hand auto scammers