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Criminal gangs target car buyers Criminal gangs target car buyers
(about 3 hours later)
Criminal gangs are duping car buyers out of millions of pounds each year by using adverts on reputable trade websites, the BBC has learned.Criminal gangs are duping car buyers out of millions of pounds each year by using adverts on reputable trade websites, the BBC has learned.
The "virtual vehicle" scam also involves fake shipping websites that promise to safeguard the buyer's money.The "virtual vehicle" scam also involves fake shipping websites that promise to safeguard the buyer's money.
The Metropolitan Police say 21,000 fraudulent sites were shut down in the UK last year.The Metropolitan Police say 21,000 fraudulent sites were shut down in the UK last year.
The Met warn that unless buyers see the car for themselves, it is likely to be an offer that is too good to be true. The Vehicle Safe Trading Advisory Group said leading used car advertisers were working hard to combat such crime.
According to BBC correspondent Fiona Trott, criminals will place an advert on a reputable website, like Auto Trader or E-Bay, but for a vehicle that does not belong to them. BBC correspondent Fiona Trott said criminals were placing adverts on reputable websites, such as Auto Trader or E-Bay, for vehicles that did not belong to them.
But the ad looks legitimate and the websites themselves are none the wiser. It made last year one of the worst years of my life NickVictim of fraud
Then, the fraudsters direct you to another website that is supposed to look after your cash until the car is shipped to you. The adverts looked legitimate, but once customers confirmed their interest they were directed to a fake website that was supposed to look after their cash until the car was shipped, she said.
But this one is fake and the money goes straight into their bank accounts, our correspondent added. However, buyers never received a car and the money went straight into the bank accounts of the fraudsters, our correspondent added.
The Met Police confirmed a total of 200 people had reported being defrauded by such sites in 2008 - and the force estimates criminals made an estimated £150m through them that year.
Action 'needed'
Nick, from London, lost £15,000 when he tried to buy a car online from a man who claimed to be a businessman in Spain who no longer needed his vehicle.
When he asked why the bank account details were not in the name of the company named on the website, he was told in Spain it was "very expensive to set up corporate bank accounts".
"They spend their entire lives doing it, so they know exactly how to get it through as easy as possible," said Nick. "It made last year one of the worst years of my life."
Keiren Puffett, editor of car trade journal Parkers, told the BBC he felt more should be done to protect consumers like Nick.
"I would love to see far more warnings directly by the actual classified ads, warning people that there are some scam adverts about and here's how you report it," he said.
"But of course, for these classified ad operators, they just want the ads, they don't want to go into that kind of detail - it's more work and hassle."
But Adrian Black, chairman of the Vehicle Safe Trading Advisory Group, said companies were trying to combat fraud.
"I would like to reassure everyone that the leading players in used car advertising work very closely both with each other and with the police and the Office of Fair Trading to ensure we identify and stop as many of these scams as possible."
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