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OFT warns of £3m car-matching scam
The Office of Fair Trading has warned of a new car-matching scam, which is costing consumers nearly £3 million a year.
Private car sellers are contacted by a scammer after they have placed their ad in a newspaper or magazine and are promised that a buyer has been found for their vehicle.
The fraudster then demands a 'matcher's fee' upfront, but in many cases the buyer does not exist and the seller loses out on around £80 to £99.
Over 1,600 private sellers complained to advice service Consumer Direct about the scam last year, but the OFT suspects the number of victims may be much higher.
"High-pressure selling alongside cold calling makes this a very successful scam, often leaving the consumer with very little chance of obtaining redress," said Peter Stratton, motor trade lead officer for the Trading Standards Institute.
The Trading Standards Institute is now working in partnership with the police and the OFT to crack-down on the scammers.
Last September, two men were jailed for a similar scheme in Hertfordshire after they were found to be key players in a scam run by Waltham Cross-based Pro Ads Limited, trading as Proseller.