Hi–

Brian from AutoTrader.com here. We’re not associated with AutoTrader.ca in any form, despite the fact that we share a name, but since I saw the post talking about AutoTrader in a generic way, I wanted to jump in and let folks know what we’re doing on our side to fight scam ads.

AutoTrader.com and all on-line shopping sites (including AutoTrader.ca) take a variety of steps -– from technology filters to human review of suspicious ads -– to keep fraudulent listings off the web. However with millions of cars advertised on our site and fraudsters on-line every day with nothing better to do but post and repost phony ads, some still slip through. Below are our top 5 tips on making sure you’re not being scammed when buying on-line:

– If the deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. Research the prices of cars you want and if you see one at a dramatically lower price than the average, be suspicious. Don’t let your desire to get a good deal cloud your judgment.

– If you can’t contact the seller by phone, that should be a red flag. Most of these fraudulent ads come from overseas. Criminals can hide their location and the fact that they don’t speak English with an email. They can’t do it by phone. If you can’t have at least one phone conversation with this person, be suspicious.

– Don’t let a seller rush you. With scams, there’s usually a story about why this deal must close quickly and you shouldn’t wait (or a sob story pulling on your heart strings). Don’t let a seller with a great deal and a great story push you into doing something you shouldn’t. If you feel rushed or uncomfortable, take a step back and assess the situation.

– If you do engage with a seller via email and they send you a link to what supposedly is a reputable web site that will help facilitate the transaction, don’t follow those link. It’s very easy for criminals to build web sites that look exactly like sites from reputable companies. Rather, go to that company’s home page and try to find that functionality on their site. If you can’t find it, call customer service and ask where it is. More likely than not, that functionality won’t exist and the site – and the ad – are fraudulent.

— Review major web sites for their fraud tips. At AutoTrader.com, you can find a link to tips, information about common scams and more right on our home page. I’m guessing AutoTrader.ca has something similar. Check these out before you start shopping and arm yourself information that can help you avoid being taken advantage of.

Scam ads are a pain for both the consumers and for us, so we’ve been working on improving our own scam detection systems, and even teaming up efforts with some of our US competitors to do a better job recognizing and fighting these things. In the end, we all want to do everything we can to stop these ads from ever being placed at all.

Thanks!

Brian Gluckman
Manager, Media Relations
AutoTrader.com

“I don’t want to offend you but the car is priced for a fast sale so please if you intend to apply for a loan or financing do not reply.”

I recieved that EXACT SAME sentence in an email regarding an extremely cheap car I wanted to buy.

If you really want to see how many scam cars are on Autotrader.ca just do an advanced search for all cars between 2006 and 2009 and listed for less than 10,000 dollars. List only private listings with a price. At any given time there are about 300 cars listed which are scams. You will see the same picture for a car located in up to 6 cities across Canada all with the same info. Yes the deals are too good to be true. Autotrader.ca should be doing the same thing to find these. Or just charge a nominal fee to list the add.

here is an example

Hi,
I`m located in Montreal(the truck is here with me) right now at Hospital with my daughter,the thing is i have to stay here with her and i don`t have time to stay and meet with all my potential buyers, that is why i gave to a shipping company that will ship it to the next owner(on my cost), it is sealed in container, so i’m trying to sell it online under eBay`s protection.You will have 5 days from the time you receive to inspect it and decide if you want to keep it or not, if by any reason, you will not be satisfied, you will return the truck to shipping company with no expense.Don`t worry you won`t have to pay any taxes,everything is included.
Please reply with your complete name and shipping address in your next email and let me know if you are interested in knowing more details about this purchase so that I can open a transaction at eBay and to move forward with this deal.After that they will contact you with all necessary information about this transaction(terms,buyer protection,payment instructions,invoice,etc.).
P.S. Please don`t forget to send me your full name and address.

— On Tue, 11/3/09, rob m> wrote:

From: rob
Subject: Re: 1995 TOYOTA LAND CRUISER
To: “mery Rusell”
Received: Tuesday, November 3, 2009, 5:58 PM

Thank You For Getting Back to Me I’m located In Kenora ON. I’m willing to travel for the right vehicle. Where are you located? The vehicle sounds to be in good shape is there a # I can call you at I have a few more questions.
Sorry to here about your daughter hopefully we can help each other out.

Thank You

Rob
— On Sat, 10/31/09, mery Rusell wrote:

From: mery Rusell
Subject: Re: 1995 TOYOTA LAND CRUISER
To: a
Received: Saturday, October 31, 2009, 7:05 PM

Hello there,
I appreciate that you contacted me. First let me say that the 1995 TOYOTA LAND CRUISER is available for $4,000CAD (final price).
It is in good condition, there’s no scratches or any dents on it,very well maintained,please check the pictures, I have a clear title for it, no liens or loans.
Never been in any accidents.Where are you located?
The reason why I’m selling it so cheap (it`s real value is much higher) is because my 8 year old daughter is very sick and we need those money as soon as possible to pay her medicine,right now i don`t care about money,my daughter`s health comes first…..
If you have any further questions please do not hesitate ask.Where are you located?
Best Regards

All new Yahoo! Mail – Get a sneak peak at messages with a handy reading pane.

Here are two winners from Classic Auto Trader online. They have real names and msn email addresses. One admitted she is in the UK. What I don’t understand is HOW do they scam the people? If one was to pay through paypal, who holds the money in escrow, and have the car delivered to a business location, how would one be scammed? I am not going to pursue these seeming scams, but I just wonder how they get people to send money? Who would??
Hello there and thanks for your interest,
The car is in perfect working condition. It has no scratches on and hasn’t been involved in an accident, no rust. The motor runs very well. The car was always garaged and never been smoked in.
The interior is very clean and the title is clear.I decided to sell the car at this price $8,500 because i need the money urgently. I attached some pics for you.
Where are you located? because I have list the car on many web site so I can sell it asap.
If you have any further question please do not hesitate to ask in order to make this a successful deal.
Here are some info about it:
1962 Jaguar E-Type
Miles: 7,430 Doors: 2 doors
VIN – 876784
Transmission: Manual
Exterior: Red – Interior: Tan
Engine: 8 – Cyl. Title: Clear
Fuel Type: Gasoline
THIS 1962 E-TYPE SERIES I THIS GORGEOUS NUMBERS-MATCHING 1962 3.8L E-TYPE ROADSTER. THIS RARE SERIES 1 IS CONSIDERED BY JAGUAR COLLECTORS AS THE MOST PURE SPORTS CAR OF THE ENTIRE 14 YEAR RUN OF THIS BREED.THIS VERY EARLY PRODUCTION MODEL IS ONE OF THE FIRST FEW ROADSTERS BUILT IN EARLY 1962 WITH THE SUNKEN FOOT WELLS IN THE FLOORS. AN ORIGINAL JAGUAR HERITAGE
TRUST CERTIFICATE ACCOMPANIES ENGINE RUNS EXTREMELY WELL. DOES NOT SMOKE OR BURN OIL.EXHAUST MANIFOLDS WERE RECENTLY REMOVED AND CERAMIC COATED. THIS BEAUTY AND CONFIRMS ALL THE MATCHING NUMBERED COMPONENTS THROUGHOUT THE VEHICLE.ALUMINUM FINNED RADIATOR REPLACED WITH A CORRECT BRASS UNIT.NEW MASTER CLUTCH CYLINDER. ALL NEW HOSES AND HEADER TANK.NEW MASTER BRAKE CYLINDERS.NEW FUEL LINES AND NEW FUEL TANK SUMP.SEAT BELTS USING FACTORY ANCHORING POINTS.AFTERMARKET AM/FM/CD PLAYER. NO ORIGINAL RADIO.WINDSHIELD & GLASS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. ALL RUBBER MOLDINGS VERY SUPPLE. EXCELLENT CHROME & TRIM. GOODYEAR BROADWAY WHITEWALL TIRES WITH SPARE.
Here is the second car…different person, sounds the same:
more pics

On Sun, Dec 6, 2009 at 7:19 AM, Linda Shannon wrote:

Hello there and thanks for your interest,
The car is in perfect working condition.It has no scratches on and hasn’t been involved in an accident, no rust.
The motor runs very well.The car was always garaged and never been smoked in.The interior is very clean.
Also I want you to know that the car is fully paid off, it’s not under leasing or bank liabilities.
I decided to sell the car at this price $10,000 because i need the money urgently.
I hope to find a buyer as soon as possible.I attached some pics for you.
Where are you located? because I have listed the car on many web sites so I can sell it asap.
If you have any further question please do not hesitate to ask in order to make this a successful deal.
Best Regards
Linda
and more from same seller:
Hello again.
I would like to thank you for your interest in buying my car and also to clearly some things first of all.
Right now I am located in London, United Kingdom and the car is located in Miami,FL .I would like to know from the beginning if you are really interested in purchase, so i can stop negotiating with potential buyers.
My final price is $10,000 with shipping/handling included and it is not negotiable because the car is perfect condition. The transaction will be processed through eBay as I had the car listed on their site for a while and they provide the most reliable and secure services in which concerns the on line sales.
You will pay eBay the required amount, and they will secure it until you get the car. You will be given a 5 days inspection period during so you can make sure that it is the car that you saw in the pictures.The final decision to buy or not the car will be after the 5 days with the car at your home.
If you find the car unsatisfactory at the end of the 5 days inspection period, you have the option to return it to me at my expense and get a refund from eBay in 24 hours after they are notified about your decision.
If you are satisfied with it, you will confirm that to eBay so that they can unblock the funds and send it to me and the transaction will be completed.
So if you agree with what i stated above and you have the funds, i am ready to explain to you all the details regarding the payment method, the shipping process and the paperwork.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Linda

I have been shopping for a late model BMW with less than 100k. I went to Autotrader.com to search within 100 miles of my residence. A listing for a 2003 Black BMW Cic came up with 71k and only $6000. It listed the place of origin, which was about 45 minutes from our home. Of course I immediately called and an automatic answer told me mailbox was disengaged. I emailed the seller requesting to see the car. Answered in a lengthy email that he supposed to have sold the car to someone in Florida, but financing fell through. Now he was screening all the inquiries.

He signed his name as Sargeant _____ and proceeded to say he was getting deployed to Afghanistan. Giving him benefit of doubt, but he does not answer his phone and if he really wants to sell it, I could just look at it decide and since I will pay cash, it will be an easy transaction.

It’s to good to be real.

Recently received following emails:

Hello,

Sorry for my little delayed response, but I’m in United States right now and I have been very busy. Anyway, thank you for your interest in buying the car. The price is low because I am a professional hockey player and i have been transfered to a team in United States , and I had to move in U.S. So all that I want to do now is to sell the car at this price, because I need to sell it fast (I’ve already made a deposit here to buy me another). The title is clean and you will have absolutely no problems to register the car. It is in immaculate condition, rust free, no scratch and hasn’t been involved in any accident. The mileage is : 34,500. The motor runs very well.. The interior looks great(NO SMOKING). This car needs nothing. I want this transaction to go smoothly enough as I am caught in the middle of some very important events and have little time at my disposal.
The price is $4999,00 CAD and I’ll take in consideration only those buyers who are really interested in buying the car, to be sure that I don’t waste my time with endless discussions. This way, I shall be assured of the serious intentions.
So if you are interested please email me.

Thank you!

ANOTHER EMAIL

Hello,

Sorry for my little delayed response, but I’m in United States right now and I have been very busy. Anyway, thank you for your interest in buying the car. The price is low because I am a professional hockey player and i have been transfered to a team in United States , and I had to move in U.S. So all that I want to do now is to sell the car at this price, because I need to sell it fast (I’ve already made a deposit here to buy me another). The title is clean and you will have absolutely no problems to register the car. It is in immaculate condition, rust free, no scratch and hasn’t been involved in any accident. The mileage is: 53,770 The motor runs very well.. The interior looks great(NO SMOKING). This car needs nothing. I want this transaction to go smoothly enough as I am caught in the middle of some very important events and have little time at my disposal.
The price is $3700,00 CAD and I’ll take in consideration only those buyers who are really interested in buying the car, to be sure that I don’t waste my time with endless discussions. This way, I shall be assured of the serious intentions.
So if you are interested please email me.

Thank you!

ANOTHER EMAIL

Hi,
My name is Alexandra Turner and the car is still for sale.This 1997 Range Rover 4.6 HSE is in perfect working condition.
This car’s engine runs very, very smooth. No electrical or mechanical problems on this beauty. This detailed car makes the exterior looks like it just came off the assembly line. This car runs and drives excellent.Premium Sport Utility The 1997 Land Rover Range Rover 4.6 SE,Eaton Supercharger by Pete Cameron,Dash and Guages by Cameron,Interior design by “Chariots of Fire” including Alpine sound system with TV, 12 CD capacity changer, GPS, sunroof, and burl wood interior.Automatic Trans. Mileage : 65,000 miles
Full Leather Seating Surfaces, Wood Trimmed Interior Panels, Steering Wheel Audio Controls, Power Windows (with one touch down control), Four Wheel Anti-Lock Power Braking System, Passenger and Driver Front and Side Air Bags ,Cruise Control, Dual Zone Automatic Climate Control, Power Front Seats with Memory, Keyless Entry ,Anti-Theft System, Power Moon Roof, Harmon/Kardon Premium Audio System, CD Changer (6 disc),Heated Front Seats, Heated Side Mirrors, Headlamp Wipers and Washers, Factory Alloy Rims (16 inch), Michelin 4X4 Radial Tires 255/65/16 (good condition).

The price for the car is $2,850 with shipping included. I’m selling the car at this price because I can’t enjoy it due to my job (I work as a casino dealer on a cruise ship) and I left the car in Charlotte, North Carolina at the shipping company ( DAS Auto Shippers). I’m a single woman and I have nobody close who can use it.
I have to let you know that I want a fast deal so if you are really interested the transaction will be done only through eBay so we both will be protected.First of all, the vehicle will be insured during transit so no damage can occur. Don’t worry about that.
Secondly, you will receive all appropriate documents along with the vehicle. You will receive the title and all the papers signed by me so you can easily transfer the car into your name.
You will make the payment to eBay and they will hold the money until you receive the car. ONLY After you receive the car and you inspect it, eBay will release the payment to me, in this way we are both protected.
If you are really interested and want to buy it i only need your full name and full address so I can make the shipping reservation on your name and address.Hope to hear from you soon.
After that you will receive an invoice from Ebay with all the details and how to make the payment to them.
Thanks
Alexandra Turner

ANOTHER EMAIL

Hello,

The vehicle is still available for $4,450.00 with delivery fees included and it could be delivered to it’s new owner along with all the papers (including the vehicle ownership document ) required for transfer. I’m forced to sell it fast (below market value) in order to raise all the amount necessary to pay a mortgage. Due to my job (I work as a casino dealer on a cruise ship) I can’t conclude this transaction personally but all the sale details have been already arranged before I left home. So, if you are really interested and you don’t intend to apply for a loan get back and I will explain you all the terms of this transaction.

Thank you very much and God Bless !

Greetings! this is t off topic but I was wondering
if you knew where I could get captcha plugin for my comment

I’m using the same blog platform as yours and I’m having problems finding one?
Thanks a lot!