Finance Fraud

[Eurostar]

A heads up to people trying to sell their car. I have just had a run-in with a guy pretending to want to buy my car who I subsequently found out used my car details to raise bogus finance from a car finance company.

He went quiet on me so I presumed he had pulled out of the transaction. However, I then got a call from my insurance company to say the police were trying to track down the car. I spoke to them and then to the finance company who lent the guy the money. Apparently the same guy had raised finance on another RS4 as well at the same time and then disappeared.

I also found out my car had finance listed against it - this was cleared up with the finance company but was a pain. I did not give more than the ususal details needed for a full car check.

Apparently this is not an isloated incident so please be aware it happens.

[W8PMC]

Cheers for the heads up & glad you were not implicated.

Any more info you can share would be useful, as i guess the crook was actually posing as you being the supplier (seller) of the car.

I hope they catch the ar$ehole, but my money's on he'll get away with it.

[Eurostar]

He posed as a car dealer that was intermediating for a client looking to buy the car. He said he was helping them raise finance through a broker - he had a website for sports cars (which apparently is common for these guys who do this full time) and a bonafide address that showed up a motor company on the web. To a novice at selling cars privately, like me, he ticked all the boxes.

I don't want to say too much as the police are still tracking him down but I must say that since advertising my car I do get mostly "broker" calls, which I am now very guarded about.

[W8PMC]

Thanks again, very useful info.

[TopBear]

I subsequently found out used my car details to raise bogus finance from a car finance company.

Can I ask what details you provided him with\ or was needed to do raise this finance, and we can all be cautious to giving this information forethwith?

[Eurostar]

I gave him reg, and may be naively a chassis #, but I checked that a finance company would need this and thought that he was doing what he said and helping raise finance (which he was but only for himself).

The area I personally felt most at risk from was him tracking down where the car was addressed (I note the other threads that talk about cars being stolen). He also wanted account details to wire the money to. I think it now unlikely he will steal the car given he has his money and is a fraudster rather than a car thief but it is not beyond possibility he works with other guys who are.