INDIANAPOLIS – Scammers love nothing more than to set up bogus, copycat websites designed to steal your money or information.
Now, they’re taking aim at car dealerships.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation recently sent out a warning about a newer kind of scam happening across the country in which scammers create a website for a dealership that doesn’t exist.
They’ll often use stock photos or pictures from other dealership websites that list vehicles well below their market value.
With the use of AI, the bogus sites can look very convincing, and the scammers often advertise on social media to reel in their victims.
According to Scamicide, here are some red flags to look for:
- Are all the prices on the website well below other dealers?
- Are you able to see the car in person before you buy it?
- Can you confirm the dealership’s actual phone number, email address and other contact information?
- Is the dealership requiring you to wire money for your purchase?
Wiring money is a favorite tactic among scammers because the transactions can be hard to reverse and make it easy for them to conceal their identities.
The Indiana Secretary of State’s Office has a website where you can search a database of legitimate, licenses car dealerships.
If you can’t locate a dealer on that website, it’s probably best to steer clear.
