We have been alerted to a scam targeting private car sellers.
In these scenarios, the scammer poses as a buyer and asks the seller to purchase a vehicle history report from a specific third-party website. If the seller complies, the scammer obtains the funds through the third-party site, but often no legitimate vehicle history report is supplied.
If you are selling a car, please be wary of any buyer asking you to purchase a vehicle history report from a nominated site. Some sellers choose to include a car history report on their listing, but it is not common practice for a seller to purchase a vehicle history report on a buyer’s behalf. This is usually done directly by the buyer as part of their due diligence when purchasing a car.
There are legitimate sites where you can purchase a vehicle history report, which include carsales and other services. To find out more about our service click here.
If you receive a message that you think is suspicious or doesn't feel right, you can report a buyer or seller directly from your conversation. You can also contact us via email or call us to review the communication for you. Reports are confidential, reviewed by our team, and help us keep the carsales community safe.
If you think you have seen a scam or have been scammed you can also contact the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission:
• by phone on 1300 302 502; or
• by completing an online report at https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/report-a-scam.
You can also report online cybercrimes or incidents to the Australian Government via https://www.cyber.gov.au/report-and-recover/report
We also recommend that you sign up for the (Australian Cyber Security Centre) ACSC Alert Service at https://www.cyber.gov.au/acsc/register.
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Any information on this page is provided as a guide only. It is not professional or expert advice and is not a substitute for such advice. The content may not be appropriate, correct or sufficient for your circumstances and should not be relied on as the only reason you do or don’t do anything.