How do eBay and FbMarketplace car scams 'work'?

ThisIsWeird

Both sites are sprinkled with them. 

Similar modus - a registered user for a few years, on Fb showing as being local, and listing a good number of vehicles at prices that are not only stupidly cheap, but stupidly stupid - such as £6,290.

If I'm bored, I'll report them as 'scams', which is what they clearly are. I've once, on each site, enquired about an example, and both times I get a 'for more details please email....', with the addies weirdly always being 'shipping' companies.

How do they work? How do they 'scam'?

And why do they put in prices that are implausibly low? And weird figures?

Surely to successfully scam someone, the advert should be as 'normal' as possible? Or are they trying to attract the more stupid?

And how do they get the users who have seemingly been registered for a few years? Have they hacked the accounts, or are they playing a long game - be on for years to gain credibility?

Anyhoo, I'm def buying this one 'cos it would be rude not to: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1172040447522174/

Got meself a bit of a bargain, methinks :-)

to me

Hello,

My name is Robert, I am a co-representative dealer auto - SHIPPING DIRECT UK LIMITED. The 2019 Vauxhall Mokka is still for sale, here is some info that I pulled out from the user's manual: Mileage: 10,000, Gearbox: Automatic, Exterior colour: White, Engine Size: 1.4 L, Fuel type: Petrol, Doors: 5.
The vehicle is in very good condition inside-out, doesn't have any rust, it's like new and it comes with a clean title. Everything looks and works perfectly and the features are everything you can possibly want, so I'm selling it at the final price of £4,000

The vehicle is located at our warehouse from Cramlington NE23 1WG, ready to be transported. We acquired this vehicle from an auction, this is why the lower price. So if you would like to know more info about how it works,  please let me know asap. For a transport cost, reply with your postcode or full address.

Best regards,

Robert Walker
SHIPPING DIRECT UK LIMITED

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Robert Walker

Thu, 13 Jul, 21:51 (11 hours ago)

CKhalvashi

It's likely an advanced fee scam of some description (payment for car + delivery, no car shows up).

By the time you've realised, the money has already been forwarded outside of the UK leaving you (and likely a money mule) significantly out of pocket.

Shipping Direct UK Limited is a dormant company as of the most recent accounts. I could likely achieve the same for less than £100 (an aged, dormant company) and probably another £100 for an aged domain name over a few years.

ThisIsWeird

Thanks - that makes sense.

And the stupidly low prices are designed to pull in folks who let the desire overcome caution?

Do they hack existing accounts, or set up multiple eBay and Fb accounts with a long-term plan to exploit them, I wonder?

CKhalvashi

ThisIsWeird said:

Thanks - that makes sense.

And the stupidly low prices are designed to pull in folks who let the desire overcome caution?

Do they hack existing accounts, or set up multiple eBay and Fb accounts with a long-term plan to exploit them, I wonder?

I'm not a scammer, I have only a single Facebook account that I've used since about 2008, so I can't answer that one.

ThisIsWeird

They are still popping up, on a virtually daily basis, on the local Marketplace. Apart from reporting them as 'scam' to FB, is there anything else that can be done?

ClevorTrevor

Maybe lobby MP for social media companies to be held responsible for their content in the same way that traditional media would be......but don't hold your breath 

ThisIsWeird

BBC's 'You & Yours' (R4) had an article on this a few weeks back.
Yes, clone a FB account, pinch existing 'for sale' car details from the interweb, and price them so stupidly cheap that 'wishful thinking' overcomes caution. Get into an email conversation with potential buyers, and end up with a good few of them willing to send holding and transport deposits.
It works.

JetpackVelociraptor

The reason the prices are odd is that people are more likely to believe a low price if it looks "real" - they may be suspicious if it was a round £6000, but £6290 or whatever looks more like someone had costs etc to consider when putting the price together. The seller offers to transport, the buyer pays the seller in an unusual way at the request of the seller, the seller disappears with the money.

A couple of years ago I found my dad laughing at a whole rake of eBay listings for all kinds of implausibly cheap vehicles - classic cars, boats, even a couple of light aircraft. He showed me the list and then said "tell me when you see it.". It took me five minutes but then I started laughing too - they'd listed the Bluebird and the Golden Arrow, two unique and famous landspeed record winning cars. Alongside a bunch of other exhibits at various transport museums.