scam type guide
vehicle scams.
fake listings. title washing. deposit fraud.
Vehicle scams target buyers and sellers through fake car listings, title washing, odometer fraud, and phantom shipping services. Scammers use Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and fake dealer websites to steal deposits or sell damaged/stolen vehicles.
$3.4B.
lost to auto fraud annually
$4,500.
average vehicle scam loss
1 in 6.
of used car listings are fraudulent
94.5%.
suss. detection rate
red flags to watch for.
if you see any of these, suss it out before responding.
price far below market
A car listed at half KBB value is almost certainly a scam or has hidden damage.
deposit before viewing
Seller demands a deposit to 'hold' the vehicle before you can see it in person.
shipping escrow scam
Seller claims the car is out of state and offers an 'eBay/Amazon shipping escrow' service.
won't allow inspection
Refuses to let you have the vehicle independently inspected before purchase.
title issues
Rebuilt/salvage title, VIN doesn't match, or title is from a different state with weaker lemon laws.
seller is actually a dealer
Curbstoners pretend to be private sellers to avoid dealer regulations and lemon laws.
real examples suss. catches.
paste messages like these into suss. for instant analysis.
“2023 Toyota Camry, only 15K miles, $8,000. I'm deployed military and need to sell fast. I can ship via eBay Vehicle Purchase Protection. Just send the deposit through Zelle.”
HIGH RISK — vehicle shipping escrow scam
“Send me $500 deposit to hold the car. I have other buyers interested. I can't do a test drive until you commit with the deposit.”
HIGH RISK — deposit before viewing scam
real victim stories.
anonymized cases from actual vehicle scams reports.
A buyer found a 2023 Camry for $8K on Craigslist. The 'deployed military' seller offered eBay Vehicle Protection shipping. The deposit was sent via Zelle.
eBay does not offer vehicle shipping escrow. This is always a scam.
A woman bought a car from a 'private seller' who was actually a curbstoner. The odometer was rolled back 60K miles and the title was washed.
Always run a VIN check and get an independent inspection.
check it now.
paste a suspicious message below for instant AI analysis.
how to protect yourself.
follow these tips and use suss. to verify anything suspicious.
Never send a deposit before seeing and test-driving the vehicle in person.
Run a VIN check through NMVTIS, Carfax, or AutoCheck before buying.
Have the vehicle independently inspected by a mechanic of YOUR choice.
Be wary of sellers who won't meet in person or at their home address.
eBay/Amazon do NOT offer vehicle shipping escrow — that's always a scam.
If the price is too good to be true, it is.
think you've seen a vehicle scam?.
paste the message, email, or link into suss. for an instant AI-powered analysis. free, no signup needed.
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