Beware of Scam Postings
As we all know, and as some of us have personally experienced, the internet has completely revolutionized the way business is done worldwide. Transactions are now reduced to button clicks, and you can have a cartful of stuff delivered to you without you having to even leave your house. The internet’s earning potential is enormous, and we at Autoworld also make our living from online businesses.
However, alongside the many legitimate businesses (like us) that currently populate the web, there are equally many confidence tricksters out there prowling in cyberspace looking for the next victim. Scores of people have received emails from anonymous overseas sources saying that they have won some massive lottery, but need to pay a ‘small fee’ before the money can be moved into their accounts. The ‘small fee’ goes, but the money does not arrive. Bad news, you’ve been had.
Recently, at Autoworld and also a number of other reputable online car classifieds listings, we have found a number of suspicious looking postings which, in our eyes, have the words ‘con job’ stamped all over them. A colleague of ours from parent company Jobstreet.com recently took the initiative to engage one such advertisement in another website – a 2002 BMW 325i (E46) selling for RM68,500.
At the time of writing, market value for the E46 3-series is only just touching the RM70k mark for the 318i. A 325i going for RM68.5k is simply too good to be true. If it isn’t a scam, the owner must be really desperate to get rid of the car, which is also a reason for concern. Our colleague sent a message to the ‘seller’, requesting to have a look at the car, and also its service record.
The story coming back in the reply was most interesting. Apparently, our friend is an Italian who worked a few years in our shores and bought a BMW while he was here. Upon his return, he had the car shipped home, but found that the costs (he didn’t mention what sort of cost) were too high for him, hence, he’s selling the car. Of course, it goes without saying that the car is in ‘perfect condition’, and is ‘100% accident free’.
In the following correspondence, our colleague was then further informed that the car still has Malaysian registration papers, but that it is in Italy in the custody of his escrow company. The seller further affirmed that the same escrow company will need to be engaged to see the deal through, with shipping, documentation and bureaucracy charges to be borne by the seller. At this point, our colleague was also prompted to pay a ‘small advance’ of the car’s money. Oh, the price is now slashed to RM65k – without any haggling!
The initial price of RM68.5k for an E46 325i was already a steal, lowering it to RM65k now makes it a ‘must buy’. Our colleague sent another positive reply, requesting for ownership documents, and also confirming his interest by volunteering to pay the full amount to the escrow account should everything check out.
At this point, we must note that besides being very obvious about his intentions, our confidence trickster also writes in crap grammar. He refuses to send over copies of the car’s registration documents on the basis of him having a ‘very bad experience in the paste[sic] by doing that when (he) sold another car’. Now, we’re not trying to be a language critic here as well, but he did leave us a little confused with what he meant in his emails.
However, what was not confusing was his request for a 7% advance of the car’s price to be paid to the escrow company. How things go after that 7% is paid is open for debate, as our colleague was told that ‘the shipping procedure will not start until you will not pay the money to the escrow service company’.
That last line left us cracking our heads for a while, until we read on and was told that after the payment is verified the car will be shipped to our location in a maximum of 12 working days! From Italy! If you haven’t figured it out by now, this is the dead giveaway that this whole hocus-pocus deal is a scam. From experience in my previous employment, I know for a fact that things from that part of the world need at least four weeks to reach Malaysia by ship. Twelve working days stretches credibility to breaking point.
Our colleague was also told, in the same email, that he can have the car in his custody for 10 days to test it (with a mileage limit of 300km), and that he has the option of returning the car for a refund if it does not meet his satisfaction. Our heads were shaking with so much incredulity, that we decided not to proceed further.
At Autoworld, we do our utmost best to ensure a painless car shopping experience for you. Our colleagues continuously monitor the in-flux of used car postings to filter out such scams, and believe me, we have found quite a few. Nevertheless, we do need to put our hands up and admit that on occasion, one or two of these things do escape our eyes.
We therefore advise all users to exercise utmost caution when browsing through used car listings, be it from Autoworld or other sources. Deals that appear too good to be true should be approached with caution, if at all. Do not commit to any deals without having a chance to properly inspect the car and examine its documents.
Examine posted pictures of the car closely, some conmen simply post pictures of cars from abroad which have minor but visible differences compared to local cars. Noticeable differences include rims, bumper mouldings, and the number plates, which should be the easiest difference to spot. Pay attention also to the background of the pictures. Some pictures have backdrops that feature building architecture or even plants that are very obviously un-Malaysian.
Finally, we also appreciate that you report the sightings of any such scam postings to us immediately. You might actually save someone from being scammed. Email us at support@autoworld.com.my
