Online vehicle scams (1 Viewer)

[Blanco Cruiser]

I was really looking forward to joining this community. I spent weeks searching for an FJ62 and decided on a white one in Montgomery, AL for $9,000 with 177K miles and no rust. It was all a scam. I wired money to a shipping company's escrow account which is a legitimate account at Chase Bank. After waiting 2 weeks for the arrival I tried contacting the company, SLK Transport LTD, to see what time I should be expecting it. That's when it got dodgy and I started seeing all of the red flags. I realize now that all 3 of the "private sellers" I contacted were scammers. One was in Kansas City but when I contacted her about a friend coming to see it it was conveniently in North Dakota. Another was in the town next door and I thought I'd go check it out and they would not respond to the many e-mails I sent. I found all of these vehicles on a used car consolidating website called Trovit. They seem pretty suspect now too. I hope I can recover emotionally from this and actually find an FJ62 someday and join all of you adventuring.

BBB offers the following tips:

• Avoid doing business with any company that wants your payment sent through a wire transfer service such as Western Union. Legitimate companies should accept credit cards or checks and paying by credit card gives added fraud protection.
• Carefully examine the company's website. Look for poor grammar and typographical errors. Websites with multiple spelling mistakes or grammatical errors were probably hastily put up by a fraudulent company. 
• Check their license. Auto shipping companies are regulated by the United States Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and cannot operate without a valid Motor Carrier Number (MC Number). Legitimate companies will provide consumers with this number through their websites or representatives, while frauds will either hide their number or pass off a fake or expired number. Investigate the company's credentials through the Better Business Bureau or the FMCSA's Safety and Fitness Electronic Records website. 

 

[vipergrhd]

That really sucks man! Is there a way to track them down or get your money back since it was in an escrow? I'm not too familiar with
wiring money unless it's family I'm sending it to. You should have ask one of the members here to check it for you and see the vehicle in person. Hope you get some of that money back and get your FJ62 and Welcome to Mud.

 

[Blanco Cruiser]

Thank you for the sympathy. I filed complaints with the BBB and the FBI. Tomorrow I’ll go to the bank. It’s been 2 weeks so I don’t think there is anything they can do. The money is out of the country now. But the bankers should be aware of the signs to save others from falling in the same trap.

 

[Blanco Cruiser]

I believe that all of these vehicles and more are a scam. Be sure to stay away. If it seems too good to be true...

 

[Godwin]

I was really looking forward to joining this community. I spent weeks searching for an FJ62 and decided on a white one in Montgomery, AL for $9,000 with 177K miles and no rust.

View attachment 2087682

Too late to help now. I live near Montgomery and the landscape in the photo through the windshield is nowhere near AL.

 

[Blanco Cruiser]

There is a red FJ62 listed as here in St. Louis but the pictures have trees with Spanish moss and palm trees.

 

[Godwin]

There is a red FJ62 listed as here in St. Louis but the pictures have trees with Spanish moss and palm trees.

Global warming has pushed subtropical flora northward