How to spot a crooked car deal and what to do if you’ve been scammed as probe reveals fake online dealers

AN INCREASE in fake car dealers targeting unsuspecting consumers has been uncovered by a leading UK car dealership website.

Car Dealer Magazine has been investigating the rise of fake car dealers since September 2022 and, with the support of national media, is exposing these criminals.

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Auto dealers claim they are regularly contacted by consumers and concerned members of the auto trade to alert them to new suspicious dealers – and that they follow up on every report.

If you’ve spotted a suspicious dealer website, we recommend sending a tip to the Car Dealership team and their investigation team will take care of it and add it to a growing list of known cons.

Useful information has also been provided by the car dealer team to prevent the public from being misled by these lawbreakers.

The investigation is broken down into key areas, but for the full report see cardealermagazine.com

Here are some of the key points raised:

How do criminal car dealers work?

It seems scammers have set up a legit looking website with cars at suspiciously low prices. The websites look professional, with contact details, fake customer reviews, and lots of stock on display.

How can you spot a fake car dealer trying to scam you?

The Car Dealer investigations on these pages have uncovered some similar themes that they betray – but you’ll have to dig deep. First, checking their name in Companies House isn’t a foolproof way to protect yourself, as every Contra car dealer seen so far has cloned an existing company

Are the cars really cheap? Ask yourself why

Used cars will find a natural price plus or minus a few hundred euros. Compare the price of the used car you suspect is a fake to the prices on Auto Trader for similarly priced models. When it’s a lot cheaper, this should raise your eyebrows.

What precautions can you take to avoid being scammed by a fake car dealer?

First, visit the dealership, do your due diligence, and pay with a credit card.

If it looks too good to be true, it probably is — if it feels questionable, walk away

What can you do if you spot a fake car dealership?

If you think you’ve spotted a fake dealership, then your first step is to contact the police. Dial 101 and contact the car dealer’s team via email – they will add it to a list of suspicious websites to help protect others from scams and report the crime.

What to do if you have been scammed by a fake car dealer

If you have been scammed by one of these car dealers, the first thing to do is contact your bank. They may be able to help stop payments from your account. They can offer support and investigate the incident.

For full and complete details as well as a regularly updated list of shady traders go to cardealermagazine.com