Live 5 Scambusters: Fake cars for sale

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - If you're in the market for a new car or truck, be careful where you shop because scammers are hiding online scams in plain sight.

A viewer looking for a new truck found what appeared to be a great deal on Facebook marketplace. The seller was offering a 2005 Ford 150 for only $1500. The truck is 15 years old but the listing also claims it only has 62,000 miles and is in excellent condition.

The Kelly Blue Book value for this truck in that condition with only 62,000 miles should sell for $9,000 to $12,000.

I reached out on Facebook and received an immediate response to email someone named Amanda. When I did, Amanda got right back to me and confirmed the price. She also explained her motivation to sell. Amanda said her son had recently died in a bike crash. She sais the truck was his and carried too many bad memories. She then explained the purchase would go through the eBay buyer protection program. This may seem legitimate but it has all the red flags of a scam.

When I asked to see the truck in person, Amanda told me it is stored in an eBay Motors warehouse in Nebraska. She assured me I have five days to inspect the truck before eBay releases my payment to her and if I’m not satisfied I can ask for a full refund. When I asked for eBay’s contact information so I could reach out to verify the sale, she stopped responding.

This scam has several warning signs including:

• Low Price - The vehicle will be priced much lower than the market value.
• Motivated seller - The seller will need to get rid of the vehicle soon and may try to rush the sale.
• Not allowed to see - The seller won’t meet in person or let you inspect the car.
• No credit cards - All payments will be made by gift card or wire transfer.

The Federal Trade Commission has a warning about this scam and so does eBay.

If you have a scam story to share, email Kyle Jordan at Scams@live5news.com.

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