Beware of car sale scam

College and university students are heading off to school next week with warnings from their parents to be careful. And here’s another warning; this one from police.

As Lauran Sabourin reports, they’re telling everyone to watch out for internet con artists preying on unsuspecting car buyers looking for a used vehicle.

Samantha Nicolas had been scouring the used car websites this summer looking for a vehicle that she could drive to school. She found a 2004 Mazda similar to this one on Auto Trader for $3,000.

“That’s what attracted me, was the price. And low kilometres.”

She started chatting with the seller online. She has a pile of emails to show for it.

“They said, they were from London, Ontario. And I said, I don’t mind doing the drive up to come and see. And do the final sale. And of course, that’s when the hiccup came.”

The seller said she couldn’t see the car. It was in possession of Google Wwallet. But that she should wire $4,500 to buy the car anyway. “By the time we sent the money, and realized the car didn’t exist or wasn’t coming, it
was too late.”

Samantha’s $4,500 was wired and gone.

Niagara Regional Police fraud unit Sergeant Paul Spiridi has heard of this scam before.

Trusting victims being preyed on by thieves who have the money sent out of country.

“And once it lands in another country, it’s hard for us to trace it”

Spiridi says these con artists are aggressive and smooth.

“And they will coach the people to say if you’re asked, why you’re sending the money, tell them you’re sending it to a relative because you’ll have to pay extra taxes if you tell them you’re buying a vehicle.”

Spiridi says you should always see the vehicle before you spend any money.

“As soon as they ask you to send money by wire transfer that should be a red flag right away.”

Police are also saying if you’re spending thousands of dollars to buy a car online without seeing it first, then that should be money you can afford to lose.