Online car shipping scams

Buyer beware! If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. With online car shipping booming, so too are online scams. Overseas or locally, more and more vehicle freight scams are making headlines every week. Read on to avoid being their next victim.

Online vehicle shipping scams People can get scammed anywhere. By anyone. The internet, however, opens this up to new breeds of scammers. Online scams are typically fraud driven and target online vehicle sellers.

Two main types of scams exist. Scammers copy advertisements and relist the vehicles for sale under their own name. The other involves vehicle buyers from overseas. These scammers offer to pay above the advertised price and promise to pay via cheque. But only once you pay the car shippers in cash - which is actually them!

With technology advancing and fraudsters becoming more professional, it's vital to spot the warning signs.

Avoiding local and overseas scams

Check, check, and re-check. That's the best piece of advice. Do as many checks as you need to ensure the vehicle you're buying is legitimate. Check the car details are legal. Check the car shipping company exists. If you're asked to send money in cash, don't do it. If you have any doubt, walk away.

Another tip is to insist on organising the vehicle shipping yourself. This way there can be no doubt. Remember, if you do spot a scam, always report it. You may have avoided it, but someone else might not.

Identify the warning signals, do your checks and you'll steer clear of online car shipping scams.

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