Auto Transport & Car Shipping News

Lately, there has been a lot of news about different shipping scams going around online. Innocent and honest consumers are being taken advantage by these so called “car shipping companies” which give the actual legit shippers a bad name. We believe in honesty and trust and want to reveal these scam artists and how they operate so you can be aware the next time you buy or sell a vehicle online.

People who are selling their cars online through auction site such as eBay Motors or Craigslist should take cautious and be warned about a new scam that has recently surfaced.

This is how this scam works; once the vehicle you are auctioning off is listed you will get a great offer that might sound too good to be true. Let’s say you got an offer for your car for $5,000 and the seller wanted the car transported across country since it is more expensive. The buyer will notify the seller and say that they had put the money for the car into their Paypal account. However, the seller should pay the buyer the auto transport fees directly.

This is where the scam unfolds and becomes clearer.

The seller will receive a spoof/forged email that looks like it came from PayPal saying it has received the funds for the vehicle. However, the funds will not be released until the buyer receives money for the car shipping fees via Western Union money transfer.

Once you wire the buyer the finds via Western Union, they are gone.

99% of legit auto transport companies take orders over the phone, internet or by check. If you are sending money via Western Union to someone that you don’t know or to an unknown car shipper, it is most likely that it is a scam.

If similar situation occurs to you, we recommend you contact PayPal immediately and verify the transaction. It is also a good idea to check the auto transport company’s credentials’ before doing business with them. Always use shippers who are licensed, bonded and insured.