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I have my car advertised on Pistonheads at the moment.

I've had a few enquiries but this one sounded the alarm bells.....

There's a long list of emails - the grammar started breaking down and the alarm bells started ringing when...

Don't forget this is after a long list of email traffic

Hello Ian,

Thank you for pictures. Can you please tell me:

1. Current mileage 48350
2. V5 registration document serial number (The V5 serial number should be 2 letters followed by 7 numbers on the front page) - I'll release this information to you if you email me the photo page of your passport
3. V5 registration document issue date - ditto
4. MOT certificate number -ditto
5. when was the car last serviced and where? Yeovil Audi on AVS - at 40,000 miles January 2012 - 6 months to go before next service
6 . which dealer you purchased the car from and are you the 1st owner - all as stated in the pistonheads advert

Let me know the payment method that you will accept - car would only be released on funds cleared in my account

Regards!

Strangely enough, I have not heard back from Leslie Wilson......

suppose he could use them to check previous mot history, but i would react as you are because i don't know what else they can be used for

I had loads of crap like that when selling my s4 around 2 years ago.

As in all the information you could get a duplicate a v5...

adsgreen wrote:As in all the information you could get a duplicate a v5...

That was my concern.

Before you know it they have a duplicate key on production of the V5 at an Audi dealer, and the car is gone?

I think you're right to be cautious. At the end of the day if the person is genuine they'll want to come and view it.

You make your judgment on an advert to view a car. What the hell is the point of asking for the V5 serial number? I wouldn't even pass that over with a copy of a passport - any good scammer can Photoshop one up - I could do a fake in minutes.

Stay clear mate, don't rise to it. Where there's smoke...(and all that).

Someone genuine will come along and it'll just feel right.

jaysrs4 wrote:I think you're right to be cautious. At the end of the day if the person is genuine they'll want to come and view it.

You make your judgment on an advert to view a car. What the hell is the point of asking for the V5 serial number? I wouldn't even pass that over with a copy of a passport - any good scammer can Photoshop one up - I could do a fake in minutes.

Stay clear mate, don't rise to it. Where there's smoke...(and all that).

Someone genuine will come along and it'll just feel right.

They've kept their heads below the parapet since I asked them for proof of who they were.
Remember they had not mentioned coming to see the car....
Feckers

The v5 serial number can be used to check the current MOT expiry and if there were any advisories on it here: https://www.gov.uk/browse/driving/mot-insurance

I have asked for this in the past before going to view a car but only after phoning the seller to get information. The same about giving it out when selling if I think the person is genuine.

I'd just ignore this email, it's definetly a dud. If they are keen they'll phone. Always found them to be fake when they ask how you want the money, and not how much you'll take for it!

Sadly just another example of scum trying to "trick" information out of people. I've had loads of e-mails in the past like this too. Anyone who is really serious asks for your phone number to chat in the first couple of e-mails and does not ask for that info

daveh wrote:The v5 serial number can be used to check the current MOT expiry and if there were any advisories on it here: https://www.gov.uk/browse/driving/mot-insurance

I have asked for this in the past before going to view a car but only after phoning the seller to get information. The same about giving it out when selling if I think the person is genuine.

I'd just ignore this email, it's definetly a dud. If they are keen they'll phone. Always found them to be fake when they ask how you want the money, and not how much you'll take for it!

All of the salient information is in the advert.....

Yeah but you have to be over conscious as a buyer and a seller nowadays. I wouldn't take a sellers word that the car was HPI clear and not do my own check. Same with MOT before wasting time and money going to view it. But yeah I always find people that ask for info that is already in the advert are timewasters or scammers and to be ignored.

As said above I don't think you are being over cautious, I'd be even more cautious, I'm not giving out any of that info passport or not. If they want to see the MOT advisories, I'll show them when they come ot see the car. If they don't like it, tough.

i would'nt be so hasty to dismiss it.
I've asked for v5 info before to check test data and advisories.
If you're uncomfortable with it, just say no

I know from bitter experience that selling a car is a nightmare...
I guess you've had all the foreign offers and paypal payment emails that you get when advertising on Autotrader......

You need all that info for a HPI check.
I request it each time when buying a car.
But the HPI is the last thing I do.

I think the consensus is that any prospective buyer would've made contact by 'phone first.

My suspicions arose when I had an email from "Ting Tong" who could barely string two words together.

Just feck off and leave me alone....