Online scammers are taking advantage of the ULEZ expansion on Facebook to scam victims out of money for luxury cars they will never receive. These fraudsters are copying photos and details from real car advertisements on popular sites like Auto Trader, Gumtree, and eBay, and posting them on Facebook Marketplace. The scam listings promise high-end cars such as BMWs, Audis, and Mercedes at incredibly low prices, usually around £5,000. The scammers claim to have acquired the vehicles through auctions, specifically targeting Londoners looking for ULEZ compliant cars to avoid the daily fee.
While the cars themselves are real and can be found on MOT-checking databases, the scammers’ listings are fake. They disappear after receiving the payment from their victims. The scammers attempt to move the conversation away from Facebook to avoid detection by the platform’s scam-detecting filters. They use stolen photos and descriptions from legitimate adverts, which adds to their credibility. The scam adverts often label the cars as Euro 6 and ULEZ compliant to specifically target buyers looking for ULEZ bargains.
Buyers looking for ULEZ-compliant cars are warned to avoid these scam adverts. It has been revealed that real businesses are having their names dragged through the mud by these scammers. When contacting the sellers on Facebook Marketplace, they responded quickly and requested emails for further information, which is against Marketplace rules. The responses received were nearly identical, claiming that the cars were in great condition and located in remote warehouses. Viewing the cars in person was consistently avoided. Ultimately, when confronted with evidence that their listings were stolen, the scammers stopped responding.
The fake ads are designed to appear legitimate, providing detailed information such as mileage and MOT expiry dates that correspond to the real cars in the pictures. The scammers even appropriate legitimate company names in their email correspondence. The Facebook profiles used to post the listings appear real, complete with family pictures and comments. However, cybersecurity experts believe these profiles are real but have had their passwords stolen by the scammers.
The scammers continuously adapt their tactics to make their cons more appealing. They send professional-sounding emails offering guarantees and assurances to build trust with potential victims. The cars themselves are real and can be checked against MOT and car history databases, but the scammers do not actually own them and disappear once they receive payment.
To spot a fake car advert on Facebook, look out for deceptively low prices compared to market value, demands to move conversations off of Facebook, claims that the cars are stored in remote warehouses and cannot be viewed, and demands for upfront payment. Scammers may promise money-back guarantees and inspection periods to appear trustworthy. Check the seller’s other Facebook Marketplace listings to see if they have suspiciously low prices on multiple cars.
Facebook Marketplace has been criticized for its lack of action in addressing these scams. Banks are calling on Facebook to take responsibility for enabling online scammers and provide compensation to victims. It is essential for users to be cautious and report any suspicious listings, although scammers are becoming more skilled at circumventing Facebook’s scam-detecting tools. The social media giant could be doing more to combat fake listings, but its reluctance might be due to the impact it could have on their advertising revenues.
Overall, individuals must remain vigilant and do thorough research before making any transactions online. Avoiding deals that seem too good to be true and reporting suspicious listings can help protect against falling victim to these scams.
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