Car scams. They’re incredibly common at the minute. And, if you’re looking to buy a new car, you’ll likely come across them.
Given this thought, being aware of the most common car scams in the UK is vital. Luckily, we’ve outlined several key things you’ll need to know about common car scams in the UK. Hopefully, this will help you make a more informed choice.
The Most Common Car Scams in the UK Currently
There are countless different types of scams going around at any one time, and as people begin becoming aware of one scam, fraudsters are already working on the next ploy. These include the following common car scams, all of which could leave you in hot water!
Too Good to be True?
One of the most common car scams at present is also one of the most classic: the too good to be true offer. Indeed, if you’ve come across a car listing that seems like it’s incredibly cheap, it can be very tempting. However, these listings may often be fraudulent, with the low price being used to try and entice people. These classic scams will often ask for a deposit to secure the vehicle, but the car may not exist at all.
Buying Without Viewing
In some cases, the seller might genuinely own the car. However, if they won’t let you see it before you pay, you could end up in a tricky situation. Such scammers are often aware that the car has a possible fault. Given this, if a seller’s encouraging you to pay before you’ve seen it in person, don’t take the chance.
Changed Mileage
Did you know, it’s not actually illegal to change the mileage display on a car? In fact, you’re welcome to do so, provided you’re upfront about this when selling. However, this is a trick many scammers use when selling to make a car look better than it actually is. Given this, we strongly recommend running a car history check with online services such as Full Car Check to verify if the car’s mileage has ever suspiciously dropped on MOT records.
Cloned Cars
Have you ever heard of car cloning? It’s a relatively uncommon scam but one that can be incredibly difficult to identify. With cloned car scams, scammers create fake identity documents for a stolen vehicle. In turn, this makes it hard for a buyer to recognise that it’s stolen. Given this risk, we strongly recommend running a car history check to ensure the car’s details and VIN match the logbook and official registration details.
Fake MOT Certificates
Whether it’s to avoid putting the car through an MOT, to mask a serious issue, or to prevent a stolen car being detected, fake MOT certificates are used increasingly often by scammers. As the name would suggest, these fake certificates provide false MOT reports; this can leave you unknowingly buying a car with an out of date or failed MOT.
It’s important to view the MOT certificate online, check the details thoroughly, and doing so also gives you the option to enter the V5 logbook details and get the MOT information. This is another technique to ensure the MOT certificate and V5C align correctly without fraudulent documents.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve been planning to purchase a new car, it’s important to start by doing your research thoroughly. Indeed, there’s a lot to think about here. And, without taking the time to double-check, you could easily get caught by a scammer. Given this thought, we strongly recommend thinking about today’s common car scams to help. After all, by knowing the key warning signs, avoiding these traps becomes much easier.