SCAM ALERT if you're selling a car or motorcycle. Vehicle history report and link to a SPECIFIC site by alleged "buyer"

[biomedtechguy]

Scamming THIEVES..If they put as much thought and effort into a legitimate job, they would make a honest income. Scamming must pay really well.
So I posted our 2 V-Rod motorcycles for free on a couple of websites. The morning of the first day, I got text messages from "interested buyers" but after a few questions, some already answered if they actually read the ad, they "demanded" a vehicle history report from a specific site they sent a link to, and a report from any other site was unacceptable.
So I thought this was odd, and I checked out the sites through scam searches and found both were scams or so new that their status was unknown but caution was recommended. Basically they use this to either make $15 to $25 or more, or steal credit card or debit card information. When I said they could run a report, they insisted I do it and they would pay me back.
One last note: Another "buyer" wanted to use PayPal, but I looked that up and that's possible to get scammed and lose the payment from your account as well.
The 2 sites I was directed to are:
instantreport.us
AND
verifiedmotor(.com)
BUT there are others. The only time I got robbed online was a bogus ammo site. The prices were so good I should have known, but the unforgivable mistake I made was sending the payment via PayPal "friends and family"..you know, to keep their prices low. THAT eliminates ALL RECOURSE via PayPal, I may as well have burned the money or wiped my butt and flushed it.

 

[MIKESPOLARA]

Can you elaborate on this: One last note: Another "buyer" wanted to use PayPal, but I looked that up and that's possible to get scammed and lose the payment from your account as well.

 

[biomedtechguy]

Can you elaborate on this: One last note: Another "buyer" wanted to use PayPal, but I looked that up and that's possible to get scammed and lose the payment from your account as well.

Yes. I did a web search and found that PayPal accounts can be hacked and the funds transferred, but PayPal will remove the money from your account, even if it makes a negative balance, and you are responsible for the balance. Also motorcycles are NOT covered by any protection normally offered.
If you want to know more, I would suggest you do your own research.

 

[YY1]

Any buyer that makes any demands of me.....gets ignored, or blocked.

Cash, or cashier's check drawn on and cashed at your bank before keys and title change hands.

2 copies of state bill of sale to include the buyers address and DL#.

 

[haywire 440]

Another thing the “buyer” might ask is for them to send a 5 digit number to your cellphone and ask for you to send it back. They say it’s to verify you are not a scam.

I had given them my number because of a lawn tractor I had for sale on Facebook marketplace and figured it was a local person. I told them to bug off.

I did get one strange text the next day but didn’t answer it and it came from a 5 digit number.

Scammers are always poking around, the scumbags!

 

[YY1]

Common now to see "I won't send code" in ads.

 

[XS22J8R]

I had that happen when I was trying to sell my 09 Challenger last year. Some guy called interested in the car, then got very insistent I get a carfax type report on it from some company I’d never hear of before. I didn’t bite, but googled the name later and found out about the scam. If ever I encounter that situation again I’ll tell the buyer he can run the VIN and do it himself, I’ll deduct the price of the “check” off the sale price of the car and then sit back and listen to his excuses why he won’t do that.

 

[biomedtechguy]

Something else that I found strange, and became a red flag once "regular work hours" had passed.
I was a late adopter for text messaging. I always thought "You have a phone in your hand, CALL me" Anyway, I wanted to talk with the people who were texting me, inflection of voice tells a lot in some cases. None of the people involved EVER called, and had "generic" voice mail messages.

 

[biomedtechguy]

I’ll tell the buyer he can run the VIN and do it himself

Yeah, I did that yesterday before I was certain of the scam. Now I wouldn't give them the VIN.

 

[Rusty knuckles]

Had the same thing happen while trying to sell my charger. Scammer wanted a vehicle history report. I ran vin on their website and it came up as a 35 plymouth. The actual vin is state issued. I had been refusing to buy the report anyway so wasn't really a problem.

 

[biomedtechguy]

So the first scammer, again-that never spoke with me on the phone-but is the only one with an area code location close to me (2 hours away) got back with me today. They had the VIN to get a report, I told them if they wanted one they could run it themselves. They replied if I wouldn't do it we were done, so I replied "We are done. Number blocked"
Thieves and Liars...

 

[Don Frelier]

If I'm selling something they can come over and look at it. But I'm not spending much time on the phone answering questions and I'm certainly not doing a search on my own vehicle.

 

[biomedtechguy]

Anyway, great information to know I hadn’t heard about.

Yeah Ron, that was a new one on me, but the very first one of two who did this had my "spider senses" tingling. When I got another "buyer" who did the same but a different site, that really set off alarms, as they each provided a link in the text.
Oh, and the "buyer" that wanted to pay via PayPal, and was ok with waiting to pick up the motorcycle until the funds were deposited?
Well, here's the texts: bolded by me
"I would love to assure you that the bike won't leave your possession until you receive the money and clears into your PayPal account. I will be patient with you as I am an honest woman and a woman of my word, so once the transaction is complete, then we can both schedule the hauler arrival time and date for the pickup of the V-Rod."
Hey, how can you get screwed that way, right? Well, from what I read, if, or more accurately SINCE it's a scam, it has to be a hacked account or some other form of thievery and while the funds may "clear into my PayPal account" and I withdraw the funds, PayPal can withdraw the amount and sue me for the negative balance.
I turned them down (I'd say "her" but at this point, who knows since it's been text only) and said certified check, cashier's check and the funds have to clear, or cash. They asked me to wait a day, and this is what I get after I texted them:
"I apologize for the delayed response. I should have texted this morning and let you know the check idea won't work out"
I'm already using time I should be doing other things with, so out of 3 people who texted me, 2 were "vehicle report link" scammers, and this PayPal scammer, and today I get another early text from a guy (I guess) who has an out of state area code, wants my name and address and is 5pm ok to come by. I reply at 8:09 AM that the area code is not familiar, is he coming in person.
9:38 I text Hello? 10 AM sorry I got busy and says he's in New Orleans (that's about an hour ride)...
At 3PM, I text back "It's been 5 hours, when can you talk?"
Now, 2+ hours later and still no reply.

 

[Ron H]

that was a new one on me,

For many years I’ve been wary of anyone coming to my house to look at vehicles and other stuff I’ve had for sale, unless it’s from a referral, you know, a friend or friend’s – friend/relative. I have a buddy who owns a car service shop in town along the main drag who has let me park my vehicles there to sell and it’s under camera surveillance. Worked great every time with and w/o ads.

Other times with stuff I’ve had for sale, have the lookers meet me at a busy service station not far from me, my meeting place, not theirs. Hoist it in the back of the pickup with a lift (when needed) and few minute ride. So far, the folks have been great, (well excluding one whacko I was glad didn’t come to my house) no scammers – but damn, how do you know? Just heard too many stories.

Again, found what info you shared good to know, as if I encounter this BS, not sure how I’d react; but I know now. Thanks

 

[Cranky]

Another thing the “buyer” might ask is for them to send a 5 digit number to your cellphone and ask for you to send it back. They say it’s to verify you are not a scam.

I had given them my number because of a lawn tractor I had for sale on Facebook marketplace and figured it was a local person. I told them to bug off.

I did get one strange text the next day but didn’t answer it and it came from a 5 digit number.

Scammers are always poking around, the scumbags!

Got that one several times within a couple of days. Told the first person that the number I sent them was my land line and did not accept text messages but they kept saying they sent the verification code again. After trying to tell them to just call, I called them a scammer and that was the last I heard from them.

 

[Ron H]

called them a scammer and that was the last I heard from them.

My BIL likes to keep telemarketers, some most likely scammers, on the phone for extended periods asking them truly weird questions, could offer more detail you might find just hilarious, and forcing them to keep repeating themselves. Lol, it always ends with THEM hanging up.

 

[haywire 440]

Got that one several times within a couple of days. Told the first person that the number I sent them was my land line and did not accept text messages but they kept saying they sent the verification code again. After trying to tell them to just call, I called them a scammer and that was the last I heard from them.

I decided to use my landline phone number for future sale endeavors.

 

[biomedtechguy]

The guy (or whatever) who texted me early with the out of state area code, Augusta Georgia, who asked for my address and a 5pm meeting, to which I replied "I don't recognize the area code, are you coming in person? and after a couple of hours when I checked back in I got an "I've been busy" excuse, and then 5 hours nothing and once again nothing.
I have no idea what that was about but there's no one going to steal anything here without taking a lead shower.