April 18, 2018 — Many people looking to buy or sell items often turn to online listing sites like Craigslist or social media pages. Better Business Bureau serving Nebraska, South Dakota, The Kansas Plains and Southwest Iowa warns buyers to watch out for scams. BBB President and CEO Jim Hegarty stated, “One common scenario involves vehicles listed for sale at an exceptionally good price.” “The potential buyer reaches out to the ‘seller,’ expressing their interest. The ‘seller’ says the vehicle is available, and explains they can have the vehicle shipped to the buyer. The ‘seller’ might even offer a period of time the buyer can ‘change their mind’ and get their money back. Because the buyers are out of the area, the ‘seller’ asks for payment via wire transfer or prepaid card. Those forms of payment are as untraceable as cash. So as soon as the scammers get the payment, they disappear, and your purchase never arrives,” explained Hegarty.

BBB and BBB Scam Tracker have received numerous inquiries and complaints from consumers across the U.S. reporting that they had responded to Craigslist or Facebook ads for motor vehicles including cars, trucks, semi-trucks, recreational vehicles, motorcycles, boats, skid loaders, etc. at “too good to be true” prices. Many of the potential buyers were told by the “seller” that the reason the vehicle was priced so low was because their husband had died 3 months ago of a heart attack and the vehicle brings them bad memories. Other buyers were told that the seller had gotten a new job and moved back to their hometown and because of new priorities, “the vehicle has to go.”

In some cases, potential buyers were informed that the vehicles were located in Omaha, and the sale and transport of the vehicles would be handled by either: DPS Auto Shippers, DVS Auto Shippers, DVA Auto Shippers or Omaha Shippers of Omaha. They all claimed to be located at 4480 S. 90th St, Omaha, NE 68127.  The buyers were told to make their payments by wire transfer within the U.S., and their money would be held in escrow until the sale was final. They were also informed that they would be allowed to keep the vehicle for a specific time period, and, if not satisfied, they could return it for a refund. All communications to the buyers were done via text messaging or email. One victim from Michigan reported that she had wired $4,000 of her fiancée’s money for a 2004 Impala LTZ. She never received the car.

A BBB investigation has verified that that DPS Auto Shippers and its affiliated names are not located at the Omaha address stated in the online ads.  The actual physical location of this company is unknown. BBB has also confirmed that this company is not licensed as an auto dealer in Nebraska. Hegarty said, “Shoppers should never trust sales ads for vehicles or other expensive items on Craigslist without thoroughly checking out the seller and the vehicle. If the seller’s identity cannot be verified, don’t send money.”

“Paying someone you do not know – especially using difficult-to-trace payments like wire services or loadable cards – can be a huge mistake. If the seller’s story seems suspect, or the price tag seems unusually low, you could be asking for trouble. When shopping on Craigslist, always meet the seller in a public place and see the item for sale before purchasing. Following this one rule will help you avoid most scams on Craigslist.” BBB offers the following advice for persons shopping for vehicles online:

• Try to deal only with established businesses when looking for a vehicle online. Verify that a business is legitimate and has a physical address. Never send money in advance for a car or truck unless you have thoroughly checked out the seller and are convinced the offer is real.
• Be especially wary about paying for vehicles being sold online using wire transfers or by giving a seller the access code to a Green Dot Moneypak or similar loadable card. Such money transfers are very difficult to trace.
• If the seller suggests going through a third party, like eBay, to secure the transaction, make certain that you have confirmed the sale through the third party.
• Never trust that a phone number belongs to a business without verifying it independently. This usually can be done by researching the business’ phone number online and calling it to confirm.
• Scammers use low prices to lure victims. If the price of a vehicle seems unusually low, it likely is a scheme to steal your money.
• Pay by credit card whenever possible in the event you need to challenge the charge.
• Be cautious of purchasing any vehicle without a full inspection.
• Ask that the seller supply information about the vehicle in writing, including mileage, history and any warranty.

Contact BBB at 402-391-7612 or 800-649-6814 for more advice on how to determine whether you are being scammed.