Online car shopping scams you need to be aware of

Sunday, March 24, 2019
NORTH CAROLINA (WPVI) -- Car buyers beware! An online vehicle sale scam continues to cost some shoppers thousands of dollars.

The used car advertisements often appear on social media and online marketplace sites.
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They offer what appear to be nice vehicles for unbelievably low prices and that is one of the big red flags.

One ad for a car in North Carolina claimed the seller wanted to make a deal quickly because they are in the military and are being deployed.

The seller made it appear the purchase was protected because they claimed to be part of a "buyer protection" program that came with a free trial period before the payment would be finalized.

Another red flag is the type of payment requested. If a seller asks for payment via gift cards, it is likely a scam.
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Those buying a car online, need to take extra precautions to ensure the sale is real.



Sites like eBay, Google, and Facebook all offer warnings and information about vehicle sales; the FBI has also issued a warning.

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