If you receive an email with subject: "Cars.com Transaction xxxxxx confirmed!," this is NOT an email from Cars.com. Cars.com does not have a safe transaction program.
Cars.com provides an environment to bring car sellers and buyers in contact with each other. We do not have any involvement or influence in the actual vehicle transaction.
Example Email:
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.
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.
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.
Scam Alert!
A recent fraud tactic being used by many fraudsters is asking potential buyers to contact him or her (the seller/fraudster) directly by e-mail, not through Cars.com. A lot of times the fraudster will explain in the additional selling points that his or her e-mail inbox will mark Cars.com e-mails as "spam" or "junk", resulting in a message about their vehicle that this seller/fraudster won't receive. These type of comments are considered to be suspicious and are associated with fraudulent activity.
An honest Cars.com seller is expecting to be contacted by us when a buyer shows interest in their vehicle. If you have contacted somebody recently that has included these type of comments within their ad, stop further conversation with this individual as a typical e-mail response from the seller/fraudster requests that the potential buyer engages in transactions through Money Gram or Western Union. Money transfers using Money Gram or Western Union are HIGHLY REGARDED as FRAUDULENT transactions. Cars.com advises buyers to NEVER engage in a Wire/Money Transfer before meeting with the seller of the vehicle.
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Here is an actual example of a response from a fraudster after contacting him or her directly about purchasing his or her vehicle:
From: (fraudster's email address)
To: (your email address)
Sent: (Date)
Subject: Re: (Your subject-- Example: I'm interested in your car!)
Ok
So we have to options:
1: You must find the nearest Money Gram agency and you will go there with a relative, best friend, someone you trust.
Her comes the best part: your friend or relative will be the Sender and you will be the Receiver in Houston,TX.
This way you will have total control of your money, since you are the Receiver you are the only one that can pick them up!
I will be 100 % sure that you are a serious buyer, and that you will be in Houston,TX. because once the money is sent to you, you have to be in Houston,TX to pick them up.
Once you show me a photo or a scan copy of the receipt from Money Gram in the amount of $2,900 in your name, i will fly back home and meet with you and make the deal in person,then you will pick up the money from Money Gram and pay me cash in hand.
2: Go to Money Gram or Western Union and your dad,mom,best friend you name it,one of them will be the Sender and you will be the Receiver in Houston, TX!
Once you e-mail me a scan copy of the Money Gram/ Western Union (as proof that you have the money) i will buy a plain ticket and fly to Houston, TX to ship the car to your address, you will also receive the title, you will have 3 days to inspect, test drive it, take it to a mechanic, after 3 days you have to decide if you will keep it or not! If you will keep it (witch i am 100% you will)
then you will go at Money Gram/ Western Union and change the Receiver's name with my name so i can pick up the money!
If for some reason you wont like it, then i will ship the car back on my expense and you will get your money back from Money Gram/ Western Union. I am risking here a: plain ticket and shipping fees,
you will risk only $100 Western Union fees!
So what do you say?
You will inspect the car in person before i get paid, i cannot do more than this...
Please let me know witch one is better for you?
Thanks...
Anthony & Amber Watson
Houston, TX
(713) 568-2857
watson.amber79@Safe-mail.net
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Again, Cars.com reminds all of our buyers and sellers never to engage in a wire or money transfer with somebody that they themselves have never met!
Any e-mail received with the subject: “Update for Transaction #2994075813” and that lists the toll free number (800) 817-3531 should be regarded as fraudulent. Cars.com would never ask a buyer to send a money transfer or be a part of the transaction process for a seller's vehicle (whether purchase, verification, shipping, etc.) Any e-mail or phone service line that states otherwise is fraudulent.
Cars.com simply provides an environment to bring car sellers and buyers in contact with each other. We do not have any involvement or influence in the actual vehicle transaction.
********************************************************
Example E-mail with Toll-Free Number
From: Cars Customer Support <support@online-truste.com>
Subject: Update for Transaction #2994075813
To: xxxxxx@yahoo.com
Date: Wednesday, September 3, 2008, 7:07 PM
Dear xxxxx,
We are informing you that our service has been updated and we are providing you the new bank account details where you should make your transfer.
Make the payment via Bank to Bank Wire Transfer using the following bank account details::
Bank name:
Account #:
Routing #:
Name of beneficiary:
Bank address:
Centennial Bank
022109351936
124303065
Marian Popa
Fountain Valley
, CA 92708
United States
E-mail us support@online-truste.com the scanned copy of the payment receipt Fax the receipt to : +1-877-640-4852 If you have any questions, please contact us at support@online-truste.com . When e-mail to us, please reference transaction# 2994075813.
Thanks for using cars.com, and best of luck with your purchase!
Sincerely,
Customer Service
Cars.com
8th Floor
Chicago
, IL 60604
Phone: (800) 817-3531
support@online-truste.com
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Attention: All buyers who have seen a car that is priced very low or have had a seller ask to wire money, to transfer money or to send any other type of payment without seeing the vehicle is highly regarded as fraud. Recently, there has been a fraudulent seller who has been posting ads with low prices and asking buyers to send payments immediately for the vehicle. The fraudulent seller has been trying to convince the buyer that he works with Cars.com and uses persuasion to make the buyer believe it will be a safe transaction monitored by cars.com . At Cars.com, we do not become involved in any transaction or payment with the buyer regardless what the circumstance may be.
Here are some examples how to spot these new fraudulent ads:
The example below shows some of the common text the fraudulent seller uses in his illegitimate ads:
"Please contact me directly at davidgarla222@gmail.com to buy it now. Please note if you will contact me through cars.com message system i will not be able to get your e-mail due my high junk protection. For a sure answer e-mail me directly at the above e-mail address. My phone number that i posted on cars.com is not working properly for moment so please e-mail me your number at davidgarla222@gmail.com and i will call you".
Warning to all buyers: He will change his e-mail and keep the description the same or he will say his phone number does not work and for you to e-mail him. Remember a person who is a legitimate seller would always be willing to share his phone number or post some type of phone number where it would allow the buyer to reach him/her to arrange specific times for test drives and viewing.
If you think you have seen these fraudulent ads recently, or if you think you may about to be the victim of a scam please contact us right away at Cars.com .
Any e-mail received with the header : “Payment Invoice for Transaction ID # CARS-23667670” should be deleted or dismissed, it is not a Cars.com e-mail despite any contrary appearances similar to it. Also, we do not offer “an online bank that is maintained by our cars.com employees for buyers to use in order to complete a transaction ”.
Cars.com does not have a "Financial Department for sellers nor do we provide sellers with a way to transfer funds for the sale of their vehicles. Cars.com plays no part in and can not be held responsible for any transaction between buyers and sellers, especially regarding financial transactions. If any e-mail or website address appears suspicious the safest approach to take is contact a representative from the cars.com site according to the subject matter.
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(Click image below to see Fraudulent Attachment in Email)
Sellers who require their vehicles to have money sent through Money Gram or any other wire transfer company are known to be fraudulent. Cars.com would never ask a buyer to send a money transfer or be part of the transaction process for the seller's vehicle (whether purchase, verification,shipping,etc). Cars.com highly recommends the buyer to meet the seller and to test drive the vehicle before any transaction takes place.
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Below is an example of a fraudulent email
Hello,
dear Mario Fuentes we received an email from the seller Gerard Graner regarding your concerne abouth the legitimacy of this purchase, for your security you will transfer the funds via money gram at one of our agents, untill you will receive the car.
Here are his information :
David Esperon, 12025 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025, United States After you complete the payment reply us at this email, and forward the payment details to the seller at his email address granerc4@hotmail.com, so he can verify the payment and release the car, after you will recieve the car we will release the funds to the seller.
Thank You
David Esperon
Cars.com staff member
Please be aware that the email screenshot below was not sent by Cars.com, even though the fraudster is using our Customer Service Representative's name in this fake email.
Cars.com DOES NOT have a "Cars.com Protection Program". We are not involved in the transaction or payment process between the buyer and seller. Cars.com also does not have an Escrow Department.
We encourage sellers to use Dependable Auto Shipping and Escrow.com for shipping and escrow services.
(Click image below to see Fraudulent Email)
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