Police warn against online car purchase scams
The police are urging people to be cautious when buying used cars online, as fraudsters often use attractive offers, demand upfront payments, forge documents, and send phishing links. Law enforcement officials advise inspecting vehicles and documents in person, avoiding suspicious links, and using only official government online resources.
The police are warning citizens about an increase in scams involving the sale of used cars through online advertisements.
Typically, fraudsters use phrases such as "cars at a low price," "urgent sale," and "quick document verification" to attract potential buyers. Criminals may offer cars that do not exist, forge documents, or use other fraudulent schemes.
Specifically, scammers demand an upfront payment for a car that doesn't actually exist, create artificial hype by claiming that there are other buyers interested in the vehicle, offer "quick processing" through intermediaries, and promise to send documents by mail. They may also send phishing links purportedly for booking a car or confirming payment, as well as offer to "verify" the car using all databases, although information about arrests or encumbrances is not available in public sources.
To protect themselves from fraud, the police advise against sending money to unknown accounts or cards, personally inspecting the vehicle and documents before purchase, not clicking on suspicious links, and only using official government online resources.