“Buyer Beware” is a common cliché in the world of used car sales – but today, the Sheriff’s Office wants to share “Seller Beware!” to warn the public of a scam we are seeing that is targeting sellers in private party car sales. Several sellers have contacted the Sheriff’s Office in the past few months after realizing they may have been duped. And it turns out they aren’t the only ones. Research has revealed similar scams elsewhere (http://tinyurl.com/3d262c9p)
The basics of the ruse are that a potential buyer contacts a seller (i.e. Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace) and arranges to meet the seller to inspect and test drive the vehicle for sale. The “Buyer” arrives with at least one other person, sometimes two, and proceeds to examine the vehicle and request to test drive. At some point, either during the test drive or inspection, the seller is distracted away from the vehicle while one of the people in the buyer’s group is looking under the hood. The buyer then tells the seller that they have detected a mechanical problem with the vehicle and shows the seller, who is often shocked by the discovery. The buyer subsequently offers a much lower purchase price to buy the vehicle as-is. The seller then accepts a much lower cash purchase price, and the buyer leaves with the “mechanically troubled” vehicle, which was not evident prior to the sale. After the transaction, the seller begins to question the sudden mechanical problem and realizes that someone in the buyer’s group had the opportunity to tamper with the vehicle, tricking the seller into accepting significantly less than the asking price.
If you are selling a private vehicle, the Sheriff’s Office recommends the following tips to protect yourself and your property:
1. Meet potential buyers in a public area, such as a grocery store parking lot.
2. Don’t go alone; have a friend or family member with you during the meeting.
3. Do not leave the potential buyer alone with your vehicle (this includes the test drive)
4. If a mechanical issue is suspected, do not succumb to the pressure to drastically reduce the price until you have the vehicle inspected by a trusted mechanic. Pause the transaction until the defect can be confirmed, corrected, and/or accepted by both parties.
5. Be wary of significant “low ball” offers.
6. Complete all required DMV paperwork at the time of the transaction.
As always, if you have a safety concern or believe you have been the victim of a crime in unincorporated Nevada County, please call our Sheriff’s Office at 530-265-1471 (business line) or 911 in an emergency.
