Sunday 19 April 2015

Car Shopping Online Still Dangerous Due To Used Car Scams

By Cornelius Nunev


Online shopping for automobiles can be an excellent thing and an excellent way to score a good deal. However, one needs to be careful, as there are a lot of used car cons going on.

Seeing used car scams more often

There are not a whole lot of crooks normally, except in Washington D.C. and Wall Street where there are a lot more crooks than not. No matter what the business is, there will always be crooks attempting to scam everyone who is susceptible.

A lot of eBay cons and Craigslist frauds are starting to show up for used car cons. Used car frauds are becoming more and more common and are much easier with the internet in place, according to USA Today. Between 2008 and 2010, there were 14,000 used car scam grievances to the ICCC, according to the Chicago Tribune, and there were 4,066 instances of the scam on the internet in 2011, according to the Internet Crime complaint Center. An estimated $8.3 million was lost.

This year, the ICCC registered 1,685 complaints of used car scams by the end of July, costing victims an estimated $4.9 million.

Problems with internet

Sometimes, used car dealers will use shady tricks such as the "the auto approval fell through" scam or trying to sell you a car that is completely wrecked. Most car dealers in Everett, WA to Florida are honest though, so you do not have to be too worried. Online frauds are not likely that though.

It is really tough to prove an online scam, and they are different. Generally, the car just never shows up after you pay an upfront, online payment to the person. If you see the car online and say you want to buy it without seeing it, you need to be very careful.

Scam things to look for

You should always know that getting rushed into purchasing something is generally a scam. Occasionally, scammers will put sob stories on their posts, including divorce, according to USA today, and military deployments, according to Daily Finance. Then, the buyer is emotionally manipulated into making the purchase easily.

Bankrate.com claims to view for prices that are too good to be true, but be careful, as, according to USA Today, scam artists will quote costs that are very low, but not outlandishly so. Late-model luxury car models are commonly used in scams, according to Daily Finance.

Another common red flag is for a seller asking for the money to be wired via Western Union or if the seller asks for the money to be put on a prepaid debit card. Any person who cannot be bothered to offer a test drive or to meet with a buyer is also likely operating a scam. Do not respond to emails saying how you've just won a free car in an auction.




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