Beware of used car sellers online
“Specialised security services have been inundated with cases regarding the public scammed when buying second-hand cars via social media platforms.”
Do not fall for second-hand motor sales scams on social media, Pretoria private investigator Mike Bolhuis has warned.
A woman in the north of Pretoria who wanted to remain anonymous claimed she almost became the victim of a car sale scam, after browsing online for a car for her daughter.
“I googled for used cars and came across the one site that advertised the perfect and affordable vehicle,” the woman said.
“When I called the private owner he was very polite at first and said we could meet so I can see the car.
“The second time we spoke, a day before I was to meet him at a car testing centre, he told me he was in Bloemfontein. He said there was another prospective buyer and if I wanted the car, I’d have to pay the deposit.”
The woman said she was then immediately aware that it could be a scam.
“He started hounding me over WhatsApp to pay the deposit and I had to eventually block him.
“I’m quite upset that I wasted my time and airtime on someone that thought he could make a quick buck. I would advise all people out there looking for cars not to waste their time with private sellers online.”
Bolhuis said not only was buying from private car owners a bad idea but there have been scams wherein con artists stole the identity of car dealerships.
“Specialised security services have been inundated with cases regarding the public scammed when buying second-hand cars via social media platforms,” he said.
These scams have several variants:
– Scammers using current cars which are really available for sale.
– Using the details of actual vehicle dealerships which amounts to identity theft.
– Using the actual photos and registration details of the cars.
– They might even use the exact advertisement with only a slightly cheaper selling price.
Bolhuis said the innocent victim would be lured to pay a deposit.
“When the victim goes to collect the vehicle at the dealership, they are told that no such sale was made through the dealership.
“The deposit is lost and almost untraceable and the buyer has no vehicle.
“Or the buyer is told that the vehicle will be delivered after the deposit is paid with an additional fee for petrol. The vehicle is then never delivered, and the deposit and petrol fee is lost,” Bolhuis concluded.
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
