Online buyers urged to be cautious

Police in the Tshwane district have warned members of the public against online buying scams following the arrest of two wanted suspects last week.

“We urge the public to refrain from contacting online sellers without validating the advertisement,” police spokesperson Captain Augustinah Selepe said.

Last week, two suspects were arrested in connection with online buying scams in the Loate area, north of Pretoria.

Selepe said interested or potential buyers would be attacked or ambushed by the scammers and hijacked of their vehicles upon their arrival at the agreed-upon location.

“In some unfortunate instances, the person will be killed,” she said.

First-time car buyers were urged to also remain vigilant when they bought the vehicle of their choice online to avoid falling victim to potential scams.

“Knowing how to spot faulty vehicles is difficult, especially when you’re not an expert,” a spokesperson for StressFreeCarRental.com said.

“It is important to not be afraid to ask seemingly uncomfortable questions about a particular vehicle.”

The spokesperson further advised first-time car buyers to look elsewhere if they found that their questions were met with a defensive or hostile answer.

One of the top tips the car rental company offered was conducting a background check.

“Cars will typically come with a service plan and a guarantee which does provide some peace of mind. However, it is advisable to have the vehicle’s serial number cross-reference to see if it has previously been involved in an accident,” the spokesperson said.

If the first-time car buyer was considering a newer car, they were advised to ensure it had a protective film on the windscreen.

“This is present on most new cars and absence of this film could indicate the vehicle may have been subject to a smash-and-grab theft.”

Potential car buyers were advised to be cautious when it came to the pricing of the vehicle they were considering.

“When searching for cars online, you can stumble across a deal that seems too good to be true and more often than not, it is. Just because a car looks good aesthetically doesn’t mean it has not got any problems and the listing price will often reflect this.”

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Instead, first-time car buyers were urged to check around online to see what the average price of the vehicle they were considering was.

Another tip potential car buyers were offered was related to identity.

“Confirming the seller’s identity is one way that you can validate their legitimacy. Most scammers will try and stick to a message-based form of communication, such as email, and they will directly avoid phone conversations.

The spokesperson advised first-time car buyers to get to speak to the seller early on to establish a better relationship with them.

Potential first-time car buyers were also urged to use safer methods such as a credit card or cheque if they had to send money.

“Payment is arguably the riskiest part about buying a car online is the payment. Many fraudulent sellers will ask for payment upfront very soon into any initial talks.”

The methods of payment potential scammers were said to be likely to use included international bank transfers, PayPal F&F or other methods which would make it difficult for the first-time car buyer to get their money back.

First-time car buyers were also urged to inspect the car in real life to make sure it matched up to the specifications given in the listing.

“It is also a good time to ask the seller if you can test drive the car. Spending money is a big commitment so there must be no faults where they’re not specified.”

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