How to avoid scams when buying or selling a vehicle

Scammers pose as both buyers and sellers. They rely on two things: a deal that looks too good to pass up, and a reason you must act now. Removing either one usually ends the scam.

Warning signs when you are buying

• The price is far below what similar vehicles are listed for.
• The seller cannot or will not meet in person or show you the vehicle.
• You are asked for a deposit, a holding fee or a transport fee before you have seen it.
• You are pushed to pay quickly because "someone else is interested".
• You are asked to pay in an unusual way, such as a money order, a pre-loaded card, or into several different accounts.
• The name on the account is not the name of the person you have been dealing with.

Warning signs when you are selling

• A buyer is willing to pay for an expensive vehicle without seeing it.
• The buyer sends a payment, or a screenshot of one, for more than the agreed price and asks you to refund the difference.
• You are asked to pay money yourself, for any reason, before you receive the buyer's payment.
• The buyer insists on moving the conversation off the platform immediately and avoids a phone call.

How to protect yourself

As a buyer

1. See the vehicle in person before paying anything. Do not pay for a big-ticket item before inspecting it.
2. Run a PPSR check on the VIN. It can show whether the vehicle is recorded as stolen or written off, and whether money is owing on it.
3. Check that the seller is the person named on the registration papers.
4. When you pay by bank transfer or PayID, make sure the account name matches the person you think you are paying.
5. Meet in a public place, in daylight, and take someone with you.

As a seller

1. Meet in a public place and do not hand over the vehicle, the keys or signed paperwork until the money is in your account.
2. Never refund an overpayment. Ask the buyer to cancel it and pay the correct amount.
3. Never pay anything in order to be paid.
4. On a test drive, go with the buyer, and check their driver licence first.
5. Keep personal documents out of your photos, and cover your address on any paperwork you show.

Why messages on Australia Motors help

When a buyer contacts you through a listing, the conversation happens in your Australia Motors inbox, and your phone number and email address stay private until you choose to share them. Keeping the first contact there gives you a record of what was said. If a listing or a message looks wrong, use the report link on the listing so our team can look at it. Our safety guide has more.

If you think you have been scammed

Act quickly. Speed matters more than certainty.

1. Contact your bank or card provider immediately. Report the scam and ask them to stop any transactions.
2. Change your passwords on your banking, email and other important accounts.
3. Get support. IDCARE is Australia and New Zealand's national identity and cyber support service and can help you make a plan for free. Call 1800 595 160.
4. Report it to Scamwatch at scamwatch.gov.au so that others can be warned, and report the listing or user on the site where it happened.
5. If a vehicle has been stolen or you are in danger, contact the police.