A tempting offer

It is the dream of many adventure seekers: a perfectly equipped motorhome, ready for countless trips and adventures. But then it pops up on your Facebook feed - a supposed offer that's too good to be true and may be hiding a scam. A couple claims to be moving abroad and generously gives away a motorhome. Sounds like a wonderful opportunity, doesn't it?

But appearances are deceptive - it is a fraud

Such tempting posts have been flooding Facebook groups for months and captivating countless users. But behind this supposed act of generosity lurks an unscrupulous scam.

MIMIKAMA
Screenshots of such fake ads on Facebook

How the scam works

The fraudsters cleverly exploit the principle of classified ad fraud. The posts look professional, with similar copy and different RVs on offer. But if you look closer, there are warning signs: The providers' Facebook profiles are freshly created, without friends or activity, and comments are disabled on the posts.

The status post is:

“My husband and I would like to give away our motorhome to a family in need who can take good care of it in return. We left Europe for personal reasons and would like to give the motorhome away as we will no longer need it. As we often say: giving without return is a blessing. Please contact me by email if you are interested in this vehicle: (email address)”

Anyone who responds to this email address not only risks being bombarded spam messages The scammers try to ask for advance payment for transport or something similar .

The police are currently reporting on such a case:

“A 43-year-old woman found what she was looking for while browsing for a motorhome on an online marketplace. But the alleged seller had something else in mind: The unknown person offered a gift of 650,000 euros instead of the woman's camper - allegedly due to a serious illness. After repeated requests, the 43-year-old accepted the offer. She was then instructed to pay 1,075 euros in advance so that the donation could take place. The victim also followed this request. It was only after further demands for money that the woman became suspicious and informed the police. She fell for scammers.”  

How to protect yourself

To protect yourself from such scams, we give clear recommendations:

  • Be wary of offers that are significantly below market value. A high-quality vehicle is rarely given away at a bargain price for no apparent reason.
  • Avoid large cash transactions on the street.
  • Secure transactions via bank accounts enable the purchase price to be recalled in the event of problems.
  • Be careful when disclosing personal information.
  • To protect your identity, do not share copies of your ID card.
  • Insist on complete documentation and accessories.
  • When purchasing vehicles, original keys, service books and CoC papers should be handed over immediately.
  • Be alert to sudden changes.
  • Be suspicious if the delivery location changes shortly before the purchase. Scammers often make up maudlin stories of illness or family emergencies to manipulate you.
  • Don't hesitate to contact the police.
  • If you have any suspicions, you should go to the police and describe the situation before buying.

With these tips, you should be well-equipped to protect yourself from fraud when purchasing a vehicle. Always remember: If an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is . Stay vigilant and protect yourself from fraudsters in the digital age.


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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )