The ability to purchase goods and services online has permanently changed how countless industries conduct business. The days of high-pressure sales tactics and price haggling are largely in the past, as online marketplaces allow buyers to comparatively shop for the best deal on the product they want across hundreds or thousands of sellers. Particularly when purchasing expensive items, such as automobiles, online marketplaces allow buyers to carefully evaluate advertised prices and compare them to other dealers.
However, interacting with an online marketplace does come with inherent risks, especially when dealing with a private seller. BBB Scam Tracker receives multiple reports of misrepresentative or fraudulent car purchasing scams every year, with often disastrous results for the victim.
In October, one active-duty military member stationed at Fort Hood reported encountering an online seller who claimed their husband had passed away and was selling his truck for $24,500. All transactions for the purchase would go through a provided shipping company. The first red flags began to appear when the company would not provide any requested information such as VIN numbers, accident reports, owner history and would only communicate via email and wire transfers. Suspicions raised, the buyer stated they, “called the office number attached to the…
