Aussies trying to sell their cars online are being swindled by seemingly eager buyers
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Exclusive: Jessica Maree was bombarded by messages from eager buyers the day she listed her car for sale online, but some weren’t what they seemed.
A number of the supposed buyers were actually trying to scam the Canberra local out of her money and personal details.
Screenshots from a chat with a prospective buyer Jessica Maree believed was legitimate at first. Jessica Maree
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Jessica didn’t realise until it was almost too late.
“They were asking a lot of the right questions, ‘When was it serviced? When was this or that done?’, sometimes about the engine,” she told nine.com.au.
“In the past when I’ve come across scams, they won’t ask very relevant questions, but they were asking quite a lot of relevant questions this time.”
She didn’t think anything was amiss when one buyer asked her for a vehicle history report.
Nor when the buyer insisted she pay for the report on a website she’d never heard of.
The alarm bells didn’t start ringing until Jessica hit the checkout page and saw the report was going to cost much more than the $2 Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) buyers usually pay for themselves before purchasing a used car.
Scams of this nature usually charge up to $100 for an illegitimate report.
When Jessica raised concerns with the buyer, they got pushy.
“They even went so far as to organise a time to meet, to come look at the car, and were like, ‘Before I get there, can you please just get the report done?’” she said.
“The more that they started to push for it, I just had this gut feeling ... that’s when I knew it was wrong.”
Jessica has experience in the car industry, so when the buyer started claiming the report they wanted could give them details about all of a used car’s past owners, she knew it was a scam.
She also knew not to bother with other supposed buyers who tried the same thing in the days that followed.
But not all Australians have her background, and many have been tricked out of money and personal details by this ploy.
Selling a used car online could open Aussies up to scams. LazingBee
How the ‘vehicle history report’ scam works
The National Anti-Scam Centre told nine.com.au it is aware of the vehicle history report scam, and Reddit threads are overflowing with Aussies claiming to have been targeted by it.
It usually targets normal Aussies trying to sell their used cars on online marketplaces like Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace.
A seemingly eager buyer will message the seller saying they’re keen on the car and will buy it as soon as the seller provides a vehicle history report.
“The ‘buyer’ will often ask questions about the car that make the enquiry feel authentic,” a National Anti-Scam Centre spokesperson told nine.com.au.
They will then direct the seller to purchase one through a third-party website.
“The website is often controlled by scammers and set up to steal money, personal information or both,” the spokesperson said.
“[They] will rush the seller to organise the vehicle check by promising they’ll buy the car today and will reimburse the seller for the cost of the vehicle check.”
The more supposed buyers pushed for these reports, the more suspicious Jessica became. Jessica Maree
The supposed buyer will usually cease contact or vanish once the seller realises they’ve been scammed.
When Jessica confronted her supposed buyer with her suspicions that they were trying to scam her, they cut contact.
Now she’s extra careful about selling cars online and urges other Aussies to do the same.
“They almost got me because they were asking the right questions,” she said.
“Now I’ll double-check their profile to see if it’s been recently created, if the website [the buyer directs her to] is a legitimate Australian business.
“Anyone can open a .com website. Anything with .au at the end, you have to have an ABN, you have to have a proof of you are a registered business.”
Individuals who think they have been scammed should contact their bank immediately.
“If they’ve shared personal information, they should take steps to secure their accounts and be wary of follow-up scams that reach them through the details they’ve provided (phone number, email address),” the spokesperson said.
Scams should also be reported to the National Anti-Scam Centre, and reports with financial losses should be made to Cyber.gov.au.
What is a vehicle history report?
A vehicle history report is a record of a used car’s history, often including details like if it has been written off or stolen, if there’s money owing on it, its safety rating, and more.
These reports help buyers ensure a used car is safe and reliable before they purchase it.
In Australia, buyers can do a registration check on a vehicle for free online through the state or territory road authority.
Genuine vehicle history reports are also available for a fee (usually between $10 and $50) through legitimate channels, including state or territory road authorities, and platforms like carsales.
Some sellers choose to include a vehicle history report when they list a used car online, but it’s not mandatory or even expected.
Nor is it common for buyers to ask sellers to purchase one on their behalf.
“Sellers should be cautious if a buyer insists on using a particular report provider, especially one they have not heard of before or one that costs more that other well-known providers,” the National Anti-Scam Centre spokesperson said.
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