The used car market in Germany is much larger than that of new cars.
For some time now, the police have been watching with concern an ever increasing number of frauds.
Cologne / Munich - In 2020, around seven million second-hand vehicles were bought in Germany.
However, anyone looking for a new used car could fall into the trap.
A scam has spread in Germany that lures car buyers with strikingly cheap offers.
Especially in the west of the republic, the evil trick has recently been observed frequently.
The ADAC Nordrhein and the Cologne police warn of the fraud cases that come about through used car advertisements on the Internet.
This is how the scam, with which numerous people have already lost a lot of money, works: When searching the net, you come across the unbeatable range of used cars and agree on a meeting point.
However, when the viewing appointment comes, a surprise follows - the car is under pretext in a different location.
Scam when buying a used car: Rude awakening at the registration office
The police warn that the seller will be late at the agreed time, while the buyer is secretly observed on arrival: For example, a hiding place is being scouted out to see whether it is possibly a police officer and the interested party appears harmless.
If the seller then feels safe, the used vehicle is presented and after a test drive it is handed over.
The sales contract will be signed and the money will be handed over.
The rude awakening follows for the used car owner when visiting the registration office: the car and vehicle documents have been stolen!
As a rule, consumers can no longer retrieve the payment they have made and the money disappears, because: "Identifying the seller is usually difficult due to the lack of traces and incorrect contact details," says a spokesman for the Cologne police.
The car is then of course also gone, because it is ensured: “You cannot acquire ownership of stolen things - even if you did not know that the car was stolen.
So the buyer is left empty-handed, ”warns legal expert Gabriele Schön from ADAC Nordrhein.
Used Car Buying: Suspicious Signs of New Scam
Due to the increase in this scam, the ADAC warns of typical identifiers when buying a used car on the Internet:
In the case of supposed bargains, ask why the coveted car could be offered so much cheaper.
Why do you get the contract yourself, even though you may live hundreds of kilometers away?
Why is no one else interested in the used car range and why did no dealer choose?
In addition, things like misspellings in government documents are a suspicious trait.
In the western German cities of Cologne and Leverkusen alone, over 100 cases have been registered since the beginning of last year, where used cars turned out to be stolen when they were registered.
A particularly devious scam has been circulating on WhatsApp for some time.
Cyber experts now explain how the scam works and what to look out for.
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