Online car shopping scams you need to be aware of

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Sunday, March 24, 2019
Online car shopping scams you need to be aware of
Car buyers beware! An online vehicle sale scam continues to cost some local shoppers thousands of dollars.

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.

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.

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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