Car Shipping Scam
Since the massive growth in car transactions over the internet, car shipping companies have been thriving because of this. Unfortunately the world is as it is and people based only on “get rich fast” plots and malicious intents feel the need to steal in order to get to their goal. This is how the online scam is born. Here we’re going to make reference to one scam in particular, the car shipping scam.
The shipping scam target in particular sellers of cars or boats, motorcycles RVs and many other valuable items. They advertise with various methods, for example one report says that a car dealer from Australia has been redirected to a website that advertised shipping for free.
Car Shipping Scam
Many fraudsters have attempted to copy as many aspects as possible from true car shipping sites trying to make their websites as legit as possible. The idea was that they were contacting potential victims that they were interested in buying their vehicle and take care of the shipping themselves via the so called “honest and approved” shippers. The victim would enter the website that they made themselves. In most cases victims don’t possess that much experience or knowledge to detect a professionally made website or the potential threats hidden under it.
Once the victim’s interest was caught they knew they had a very good chance to pull it off. Than the con man would send a check to the seller containing the cost of the vehicle plus enough to cover the fees for overseas transport (how kind of them).
Now what was really happening? Let’s assume that you had a car that was worth $5000 and you want to sell it. Let’s consider that the shipment fee was of $1000. For all this you receive a check that is worth no less than $6000 thus kindly covering the transport fee and the car’s value. You take the check and go to the bank and are informed that it’s all right. The funds are in your account, cleared and safe for keeping.
A few days pass and you will be required to send a little part of the money to the shipping agent that will contact you in order to make payments for the shipping. Keep in mind that the shipping costs are of $1000. You will be requested to send the money via Western Union or other instant transport like Moneygram which you will do in order to faithfully supply the transportation. This type of transfer is untraceable and can be picked up at the other end in less than 2 minutes. After the fee has been paid you are notified by the bank that your check has bounced and automatically takes money from your personal account. Like this you have just lost $1000.
Here are several tips that will help you avoid situations like this. For example, whatever transaction you decide to go for, the golden rule is the same as in everything: keep it simple. Stay away from complicated transactions that involve contacting a whole lot of agents and whatever companies, middle men and others that you cannot see face to face. The entire thing is designed to make you dizzy and leave you with a serious hole in your pocket.
As with every transaction you’re about to make, firstly go right ahead and check the credentials for it so that you know the kind of company you’re dealing with. In case you feel its way too good, than your instincts will probably be right: it’s fake. You just head on to work with proper people
Post tags: Tags: car shipping, Car Shipping Scam, car transport
