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Cloned Cars Sold in Greater Manchester Ebay Scam

posted by cmn32480 on Tuesday May 09 2017, @12:46PM   Printer-friendly
from the buyer-beware dept.

Phoenix666 writes:

Criminals are using eBay to sell stolen and cloned cars, a BBC investigation has revealed.

The vehicles were being sold in Greater Manchester via at least three accounts after having their details switched with legitimate cars.

Among the victims was a retired police officer who lost £17,000 buying a Mercedes from a seller in Rochdale.

He said he reported the incident to the police, but no action was taken. Police said the decision is being reviewed.

Former police officer Graham Murray lost his money after buying a Mercedes C-class in Rochdale two months ago, leaving him "devastated".

He said he reported the case to police and has questioned why the fraudulent eBay sellers have not yet been caught.

It's safer to buy used Yugos.

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  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by Arik on Tuesday May 09 2017, @02:05PM (1 child)

    by Arik (4543) on Tuesday May 09 2017, @02:05PM (#506908) Journal
    It's not just Europe, in my experience this is common in the US too. I've done it. Not like these folks did though. It's important to inspect the car properly before handing over the money, obviously, and did you say 'meet on a road with the money?' - aw hell no. Take no cash to the meeting. Test out the car and if you're satisfied, you go to the bank, go inside, withdraw the cash, and exchange it for the title right there in the bank under their cameras with their guards on duty.
    --
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  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by inertnet on Tuesday May 09 2017, @03:42PM

    by inertnet (4071) on Tuesday May 09 2017, @03:42PM (#506946) Journal

    Right, what I do i when I want to buy a used car after initial inspection, is make a small down payment and agree to have the car inspected by a specialized organization (e.g. DEKRA in Germany). The agreement is written down and signed by both parties. If the inspection is successful, I return to the seller (not alone) to transfer the car to my name and make the payment. This process can take several weeks. This also gives me time to let the bank know that I'm planning a sizable withdrawal.