Warning Of Scottish Used Car Scam

Sunday, 6. November 2011

If you are about to buy a used car beware of Thurso in Scotland, as reported in AutoExpress. Apparently there has been a spike of scams in this area of the country according to vehicle finance and history checker, HPI. The scam isn’t new but it’s caught out several people because the scammers sound so believable. It involves a non existent car being advertised for well under half its normal asking price. The seller gives the buyer a story that he needs to shift the car quickly. As the car is so far away from the buyer the seller agrees to ship the car down at his own expense.

Then the seller explains how the money should be paid first before he releases the car to the delivery company through an elaborate arrangement involving Western Union money transfer.

Of course the car never turns up. As HPI explain you should never part with money until you have seen the car and know it exists, check that it’s not on HPI as an insurance write off or been subject to substantial repairs or indeed already on finance.

If you are asked to pay before seeing the car that’s the time to walk away. Have you ever been caught with this or similar scam? By Graham Hill