The fake shipping company scam.

The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center reported about 26,967 complaints of fraudulent online vehicle sales from May 2014 through December 2017, with losses of more than $54 million. The criminals post cars they do not have, often with a sad story that explains the low price, and close the deal with a fake “buyer protection” program or shipping arrangement.

1. 01

   The bait

   A car listed well below market value. The FBI says the usual story is that the seller is being deployed by the military, is going through a divorce, or inherited the car from a relative who died.

2. 02

   The setup

   The seller cannot meet in person but says shipping is handled. They point you to a shipping company or an “escrow” or “buyer protection” service, often borrowing a big name like eBay that has nothing to do with it.

3. 03

   The payment

   You are told to pay the fake service by gift card, wire or a payment app. It promises the car will arrive in a few days.

4. 04

   The disappearance

   No car arrives. Calls and emails go unanswered, or they ask for more money for “insurance” or “customs.”

The Minnesota Attorney General describes the mirror image. A “buyer” sends a check or money order for more than your asking price and asks you to pay the extra to their shipping company. You deposit the check, pay the shipper, and days later the check bounces. The shipping company was the scammer all along, and the money you sent is gone. The Attorney General's advice is plain: if someone really owes a shipping fee, their own customer pays it, not you. And do not sign over the title until the payment has fully cleared with your bank.

• They choose the shipperAnd they will not use one you pick. A real buyer or seller does not care who hauls the car, as long as it is legitimate.
• They will not meet or let you see the carThe FBI advises avoiding sellers who refuse to meet or refuse an inspection. For a big purchase, insist on a phone call at the very least.
• The price is too goodA car priced far below market with a long story attached is the classic opening.
• Gift cards, wires or overpaymentGift cards are never a real way to pay for a car or for shipping. An overpayment with a request to send back the difference is always a scam.
• The shipper does not check outNo USDOT or MC number, or numbers that do not come back on FMCSA's SAFER site, or a phone number that does not match the federal record. How to check: How to check a DOT and MC number
• The website is new and genericLookalike names, stock photos, no physical presence and no record anywhere except the site itself.

You choose the carrier. You find the company yourself, check its number on FMCSA's SAFER site, call the phone number listed there, and pay that company directly under a written quote. If the other side of the deal will not accept a carrier you picked, the deal was never real.