Welcome to Cars.com's SAFE Blog for Buyers & Sellers!

Thanks for finding us! We're here to help you shop for and sell cars safely. We do our best to eliminate fraud from Cars.com before it gets to you, but unfortunately, it sometimes slips through. In this forum we'll let you know how to recognize some tactics scammers use and what to do when they're being used on you.

A few general ground rules for safe selling and buying:
1) If a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is -- trust your instinct.
2) If your communication with a buyer or seller makes you suspicious, cease all communication with that individual.
3) Report any activity that makes you suspicious to reportascam@cars.com.
4) NEVER, EVER wire money to a buyer or seller.
5) NEVER, EVER accept a check for more than the value of the vehicle.

Following these tips will help protect you from most scams. Search through our categories to find information pertaining to your situation.
Thanks, and good luck.
-The Cars.com Team

Questions or concerns? Call (888) 780-1286 or email us.

Cars.com Private Seller Survey Scam

Please do not respond to an e-mail that asks you to fill out a web-based survey. This e-mail is sent from a fraudster and is not associated with Cars.com.

If you do enter any credit card information on the survey, then please immediately cancel your credit card.

Check out AutoConsign.com with additional fraud tips

AutoConsign Fraud Tips

AutoConsign.com is the premier online location for buyers and sellers of privately owned vehicles.

AutoConsign.com has a significant experience in the listing and pricing of vehicles and the paperwork required with selling or purchasing a vehicle.

The value that AutoConsign.com can add is in their experience – they give you every tool you will need in order to buy or sell a vehicle on your own.

Seller Asking Price Scam

The newest fraud scam is when a fraudster is placing a legit ad with realistic asking price, but putting a lower price on the photos or in the additional selling points. 

Always make sure all pricing information within the ad is the same.  It is very common for a fraudster to ask for a down payment or a lesser amount of the value of the car to entice unexpected buyers.

Remember if the price looks too good to be true, then it is probably a scam. See image below.

CARFAX Buyback Guarantee SCAM

Recently, we have seen a new scam geared around a fake “CARFAX Buyback Guarantee Program.” Below is a description of the scam and an example of what you should beware of!

The SCAM

The “seller” claims to use the “CARFAX Buyback Guarantee Program” as a means of holding a deposit (made by the buyer) that will allow the buyer to inspect the vehicle during a grace period after it is shipped from the “seller” (sometimes referred to as an “escrow” service).  This is a scam.  Once you send your deposit, you will never hear from the “seller” again. 

The TRUTH

The actual CARFAX Buyback Guarantee comes with the CARFAX Vehicle History Report and does not require payment from you.   The CARFAX Buyback Guarantee protects consumers from unknowingly buying a used car with a branded title issued by a Department of Motor Vehicles. The CARFAX Buyback Guarantee is not an escrow service.  For more information on the CARFAX Buyback Guarantee, go to http://www.carfax.com/cfm/helpcenter.cfm.  If anybody asks you for money associated with the CARFAX Buyback Guarantee – it’s a scam!  Before sending money to any seller, check to make sure the seller is legitimate and ask for a copy of the vehicle title.

SCAM EXAMPLE

Here is an example of the CARFAX Buyback Guarantee Scam. The “seller” will send you an email with the following message or something similar to it:

The financial part of our transaction is going through CARFAX Buyback Guarantee Program and here are the steps:
- I need your full name and address to put on the title.
- I will forward our information to CARFAX Buyback Guarantee Program to register the transaction.
- CARFAX Buyback Guarantee Program sends you the invoice and the CARFAX Buyback Guarantee certificate.
- you will have to send a 20% refundable deposit to CARFAX BuyBack Guarantee Program to start the procedure..
- after they secure the deposit , they will notify me and I will start shipping.
- shipping will take no more than 10 days depending on your location.
- after you receive the vehicle you will have another 5 days to inspect it.
- when the inspection period ends CARFAX BuyBack Guarantee Program contacts you and if there are any issues with the car, they will fully refund you within 3 business days and the car will be shipped back at my expense. If all is good with the car, which I'm sure it will be, they will assist you with the title transfer and release the payment to me.