Claire Evans claire.evans@haymarket.com
IN THE FIRST half of 2023, criminals stole £580 million from consumers through scams and fraud, and a growing number of those fraudulent transactions were for second-hand cars or car parts.
Automotive scams are proving highly lucrative for fraudsters. And the worrying news for car owners and buyers is that scams such as these increased by 74% between January and June 2023, compared with the same period the previous year, according to data released by Lloyds Banking Group.
The most costly vehicle scams are ones where criminals advertise fake cars for sale at temptingly low prices, get buyers to pay for them up front and then disappear with the money. The used Ford Fiesta is the model most commonly reported as being the subject of a scam, followed by second-hand examples of the BMW 1 Series and Volkswagen Transporter van. The Fiesta is also the UK’s most stolen car.
Fake car sales websites try to get you to pay up front, then fail to deliver
There’s a thriving trade in fake ads for car parts and accessories, too, and the average loss to consumers for vehicle-related scams is £998. So, what are the most common car scams, and how can you avoid falling victim to them?
Fake car sales websites
WHAT ARE THEY? Online scammers set up fake car sales websites for dealerships that don’t exist, and populate them with extremely cheap cars to lure buyers into paying for them, thinking they’re getting a bargain.