The fraudsters use advertisements on common sales platforms such as eBay, eBay classifieds, mobile.de or autoscout24.de.
A common scam
Fraudsters use classified ads to “sell” items that they don’t even own. The buyer is asked to pay the purchase price via the uninsured Paypal-Friends payment system - and does not receive any goods. The money is usually lost for potential buyers.
When selling a vehicle, all alarm bells should ring if a supposed interested party contacts you with the following or a similar message, also in German:
This is attractive fine and adorable looking good and I will like to know more about the health of this and condition for this and I will like to know more about the reason why you are selling this pls write to me on lutzkirst01@gmail.com for further conversation hope to hear from you soon thanks.
The fraudsters use this to lure the seller from mobile.de's secure messaging system into open email communication. There you can then communicate undisturbed and avoid all possible pitfalls, from fake sales contracts with down payments to supposed foreign purchases via a shipping company. If the seller then makes an advance payment, the money is usually gone. Of course he doesn't get anything in return.
How can you protect yourself?
The scams are diverse and sophisticated. That's why the police crime prevention department at www.polizei-beratung.de valuable tips and tricks on how to protect yourself from the above-mentioned and other scams.
Information on buying and selling a car safely can be found here: www.polizei-beratung.extrapol.de/themen-und-tipps/sicherer-autokauf/
Source:
Press portal
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