The big car con
Victims have been defrauded out of thousands of pounds, after they bought cars online that turned out to be fake.
Not long ago, it would have been unheard of to buy a used car without seeing it in-person first. But that’s all changed as more of us buy and sell online. Websites selling second-hand cars can offer a quick and easy way to buy a vehicle without travelling thousands of miles to see something you might not even buy. Many sites provide detailed information on a vehicle's history and condition.
But - there's a warning this practice is opening the door to more people getting scammed.
Action Fraud suggests there were almost 3,000 reports of online vehicle fraud in 2021, a rise of 21% on 2019. The ±«Óãtv has spoken to several people who've handed over large sums of money for vehicles that never arrived.
For 5 Minutes On, ±«Óãtv reporter Ashley John-Baptise has the details of an exclusive investigation exposing a fake car dealership website called Auto-Promotions, that defrauded victims out of thousands of pounds.
Image credit: Getty Images
