Be wary of a perfect internet auto scam: Blount County police
Photo by: Olivier Bareau
Blount County Police is warning residents to stay away from an internet auto scam that has already scammed thousands of dollars from unsuspecting residents. More so, police forewarn, because the fraudster has shown uncommon cunning in covering all his tracks.
The fraudster for most parts follows a well-trodden path. He scans classified vehicle ads in sites like eBay and Yahoo looking for vehicles he can falsely feature on his own website. He lifts photographs and details of vehicles from these sites for the purpose. He also takes down forms and agreements required for the sale to appear more genuine.
Interested buyers, after finalizing a deal, are asked to wire the money to the seller using Western Union. Buyers making the payment receive more requests for money stating such ruses as transportation charges, insurance costs and shipping fee. This goes on until buyers become suspicious and inquire about their cars at which time the fraudsters go missing.
Buyers fall for the scam mostly because the vehicles are offered at throwaway prices as compared to prevailing market rates.
After investigating into the scam, Police say they are clueless about the fraudster as yet. Apparently, he sends his messages using a stolen email-id from a computer he successfully hacked. Moreover, while receiving the wire transfer, he uses a false ID to claim the money. The two practices ensure pursuers reach a dead-end when tailing the fraudster.
Source: TheDailyTimes.com
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