A news report this morning covered a car dealer in Chattanooga, Tennessee who has been targeted by a scammer. It seems that a scam artist has set up an elaborate website and been selling cars to people and he knows nothing about it. The dealership has a good record with the BBB and the scammers have been using that to get money from those wanting to buy a car at a good price. The problem is that this dealer only sells wholesale to other car dealers. The authorities have advised anyone buying a car online to use a credit card instead of a debit card. A debit card will pull money out of your account immediately with no recourse. A credit card may have limited liability and the user may have recourse and be able to get their money back. So far, this scammer has not been found. There have been victims from different parts of the country who have been taken by this scam. I would not buy something so expensive without seeing it in person. I feel for the victims. There could be other car dealers that have had their identity stolen, so beware of buying online from those whom you are not familiar.
No doubt. I have heard of a lot of people who have been scammed using Craigslist. There was an incident in Chattanooga recently where a man and his wife met a black guy at a Dollar type of store to buy an IPad. They were robbed at gun point. Too bad he didn't meet the guy at a police station or somewhere there were camera's. There was another incident somewhere in Georgia where a guy met someone whom he was supposed to buy a Mustang. He and his wife were robbed and murdered. I would be very cautious about buying anything over the internet from anyone that I was not familiar. The incident with the car dealer that I mentioned in my first post has been threatened and gotten a lot of flack over this, but he apparently had nothing to do with the scam.
Its scary out there! I sold a couple of items on CL a few years back......stopped doing it after getting stood up on one. Lady wanted her money back after claiming I wasn't clear enough in my description......you never asked I never told, I can't read your mind! Plus she never showed to look at it herself before buying it from me, sent her husband who didn't know jack about it. My dad gives out fake addresses so if a bad person wants to come do something, they at the wrong place! My bro only meets people at the local Sheetz, cameras galore, the workers know him, and all lit up at night.
I have a trucker friend who has had good luck using Craig's List. But, I keep hearing about more things that happen to people who use it. I think it was last year when a man drove to south Georgia somewhere to meet a seller who was supposed to have his dream car, a vintage Mustang. The guy took his wife and cash to meet the seller. Both he and his wife were robbed and murdered. There was obviously no car. The scammer used a picture he got somewhere and posted it on Craig's List. I believe they did catch the murderer. Such a waste. Another instance, a buyer was supposed to meet a seller who had a car for sale. The scammer knew what this guy looked like, but the buyer did not know much about the seller. The buyer did take his gun with him. When they met he was suspicious and told the scammer he did not bring the cash with him. When they found he was armed and did not have cash, they left in haste. It was several black men who tried to rob him. You have to be very careful.
