What are the consequences of selling my junk car to a scammer?

You’ve been looking for weeks and can’t find a decent car that won’t break down on you. You’ve been searching Craigslist and newspaper ads, but everything seems sketchy and too good to be true. You’ve been tempted by offers of cash for your old clunker, but you’re not sure if they’re legitimate. If you’ve been searching for a way to get rid of an old car that’s been sitting around, but no longer works for you, you may have been tempted by offers of cash for your car. Unfortunately, these are almost always scams. Here is what you need to know about selling your car to a scammer before it’s too late…

What is a Scam?

A scam is a fraudulent scheme that has no intention of following through on their promise. Scammers may tell you that they will pay you cash for your car, but they don’t have any intention of paying you anything. Instead, they will take your car and keep it until they find someone else to scam.If you are looking for a way to sell your car, you may receive an offer from someone who says they will pay you cash for your car. While this may seem like a good idea at first glance, there are a few red flags that you should look out for. If the person you are speaking with is asking you for money up front, they are almost certainly a scammer. They don’t want to buy your car; they want to steal it.

How to avoid falling for a scam

If you receive an offer for cash for your car, here are a few red flags that may indicate that the offer is a scam:

  • You have never seen the car before. - If you have seen the car in person before, there is a chance that it is stolen. If the seller has a photograph of the car, but you have never seen it in person, there is a high chance that it is stolen.
  • You feel pressured into selling your car. - If the person offering to buy your car is pressuring you to sell it, they are almost certainly a scammer. If you feel pressured into selling your car, you are likely dealing with a scammer who wants your car out of their possession as quickly as possible.
  • The offer is too good to be true. - If the offer is too good to be true, it almost certainly is. If you receive an offer for more than your car is worth, the person is trying to take advantage of you.
  • The person is not who they say they are. - You can Google the name and phone number of the person you are speaking with. If they don’t have a public presence, they are almost certainly a scammer.

Check the car’s VIN number

If you are having trouble finding your car’s VIN number, you can use a website like Carfax to find out more information about your car. If you don’t have access to a computer, you can also visit a local repair shop and ask them to look up the VIN number for your car.If the VIN number for your car is not listed on the website or in the repair shop, it is almost certainly a scam. Scammers will steal your car and replace your VIN number with one from another car.

Don’t fall for offers of cash for your car.

If you receive an offer for cash for your car, here are a few red flags that may indicate that the offer is a scam:

  • You have never seen the car before. - If you have seen the car in person before, there is a chance that it is stolen. If the seller has a photograph of the car, but you have never seen it in person, there is a high chance that it is stolen.
  • You feel pressured into selling your car. - If the person offering to buy your car is pressuring you to sell it, they are almost certainly a scammer. If you feel pressured into selling your car, you are likely dealing with a scammer who wants your car out of their possession as quickly as possible.
  • The offer is too good to be true. - If the offer is too good to be true, it almost certainly is. If you receive an offer for more than your car is worth, the person is trying to take advantage of you.
  • The person is not who they say they are. - You can Google the name and phone number of the person you are speaking with. If they don’t have a public presence, they are almost certainly a scammer.

Conclusion

Selling your car to a scammer is almost always a bad idea. If you receive an offer for cash for your car, here are a few red flags that may indicate that the offer is a scam:

  • You have never seen the car before. - If you have seen the car in person before, there is a chance that it is stolen. If the seller has a photograph of the car, but you have never seen it in person, there is a high chance that it is stolen.
  • You feel pressured into selling your car. - If the person offering to buy your car is pressuring you to sell it, they are almost certainly a scammer. If you feel pressured into selling your car, you are likely dealing with a scammer who wants your car out of their possession as quickly as possible.
  • The offer is too good to be true. - If the offer is too good to be true, it almost certainly is. If you receive an offer for more than your car is worth, the person is trying to take advantage of you.
  • The person is not who they say they are. - You can Google the name and phone number of the person you are speaking with. If they don’t have a public presence, they are almost certainly a scammer.

Frequently Asked Question

Do you buy cars without Titles?
Yes, we can buy a car without a Title as long as you have a Florida registration in your name and matching ID
Will I be paid in cash or check?
It depends, sometimes we pay in cash, other times we pay in check. Generally, larger amounts we’ll pay in check due to the fact we’ve had drivers get robbed with cash. So, for the safety of our drivers we’ll pay in check most of the time unless otherwise requested by the customer within reason.
Can you pickup my car same day?
It’s possible, but we do not do any of the scheduling on our end. We do know pick up is typically about a day or two out.
Do you buy shells?
If it’s just a frame, then we’ll most likely offer a free removal on it. But if it’s just missing a lot of parts, then it’s possible we will pay something for it. We would need to know what parts are missing to give an accurate offer.
Do you buy fire damage?
Yes, we buy fire damage vehicles. If the fire damage has completely engulfed the entire vehicle, then we may only offer a free removal.
Do you buy flood damage cars?
Yes, we buy vehicles with flood damage. Depending on the severity of the flood damage would dictate what we can offer, or only could provide a free removal.
Do you tow on weekends? Yes,we do pick up on Satur
Do I have to be there when they pick it up?    Anyone over the age of 18 can be available for the pickup.
I have the Title, but it’s not in my name. Can you
Yes, we can take the Title if it’s not in your name as long as it’s signed by the previous owner and there are no liens or loans on it.