In a recent example, a Brisbane woman was contacted by a person in the UK after putting her car for sale online. The purchaser offered to buy her car for almost $6000 over the asking price, claiming they were buying the car for a friend in New Zealand and would need to have the car shipped.
The purchaser then advised the seller they would send a cheque and would need the shipping agent to be paid in cash. The cheque ended up being false and it is believed the “overpayment” shipping fee would have ended up in the pocket of the fraudster.
Another recent example involved a seller placing their car online for sale. A few days later they happened to see their car advertised on a different site. Investigations revealed the offenders had copied the car image and details and placed an entirely new advertisement. Had the scam have worked, the buyer would have seen the car, conducted checks on the registration and VIN detail (which would have been correct) and sent money for what they believed to be a legitimate car.
Detective Superintendent Brian Hay of the State Crime Operations Command Fraud and Corporate Crime Group says scams don’t always need to be sophisticated, just convincing.
“Every day we are seeing new scams around the world. While we are definitely seeing an increase in sophisticated scams, there are still scams out there which rely on the basic principles of fraud. They certainly don’t need to be hi-tech to fleece you of money,” he said.
“The most important piece of advice I can give you is to check, check, and re-check. Do as many checks as you need to ensure what you are buying is legitimate. If you’re about to purchase a car that is the deal of a lifetime – there’s a reason for it – it isn’t. Take a safe line - If it seems too good to be true, then it’s a scam. If you are ever asked to send money in cash, don’t do it, get independent advice.” Detective Superintendent Hay said.
For more information on fraud prevention, visit the police website at www.police.qld.gov.au Victims of advance fee fraud can also report the matter directly online at this site.
Source: Qld Police press release
