Vehicle buying

[mel-477203]

I am checking on a vehicle for sale on Marketplace through ebay to find out if it is real or a scam.

Item title is:

2004 Toyota Tacoma SR5 Seller is Shannon Darby from

Illinois.

VIN # 5TEHN72N34Z427748

[isatwin74]

It's a scam.

[klhmdg]

@mel-477203  IF you did not find it on eBay it is a scam.

eBay does not post on FB Marketplace or Craigslist or Offerup

eBay does not store or ship vehicles.

SCAM!!!

[kensgiftshop]

@mel-477203 

It's an old scam that we hear about almost daily.

Ebay doesn't handle transactions for items found on other sites.

[eburtonlab]

Beware scammers who advertise on other sites and tell you that the transaction will be handled through eBay.

That is not how eBay works. eBay does not rely on users finding ads on Facebook or other sites and sending contact information to a seller. Likely the seller will send a phony "invoice" that appears to be from eBay but is not, asking you to pay with gift cards to have the vehicle shipped to you for a free evaluation period.

eBay has no warehouse and does not ship vehicles. eBay does not handle such transactions or provide "vehicle protection orders". Scammers often promise those things, though. Any phone number you may receive on such an "invoice" does not connect to eBay, but to the scammer.

Anyone that asks you to purchase gift cards or to send card codes to them to complete a transaction is trying to take advantage of you. Anyone asking for a gift card is looking for a gift at your expense. Once anyone else knows the code, your money will be gone and you will have no recourse.

See here for some info about avoiding such scams (US links):

https://pages.motors.ebay.com/buy/security/index.html

https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-fraud-schemes/online-vehicle-sale-fraud

The only way to purchase a vehicle on eBay is to sign in to eBay, find the vehicle on eBay and complete the checkout process on eBay, so that the item appears in your Purchase History. Then you typically meet the seller to inspect the vehicle, pay the seller, and collect the keys, title and vehicle.

If you encountered an ad on another site, contact that site to have the ad removed. eBay is not involved with any ads listed on sites other than eBay itself.

[ypdc_dennis]

The VIN does match up with that vehicle type.

What makes you think it might be a scam?

[kensgiftshop]

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@ypdc_dennis wrote:

The VIN does match up with that vehicle type.

What makes you think it might be a scam?

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They found it on FaceBook but it'll go through Ebay.

[7606dennis]

It is a scam.  eBay doesn't work that way.

[southern*sweet*tea]

@mel-477203 

This is a SCAM. Period. Do not engage with the scammer and report them to Facebook.

eBay does not have anything to do with listings on other sites. If you see a listing on another website that says it's an eBay transaction, it's not. It's a big fat scam.

There is no warehouse. eBay Motors doesn't handle shipping. Vehicles can't be returned, thus there's no inspection period. There is no grieving widow, no deployed military member. There IS a scammer, most likely overseas in an internet cafe somewhere, trying to steal your money.

Don't give them your information, if you did you gave your information to a scammer who will send you a fake eBay invoice, probably wanting payment by gift cards. DEFINITELY a scam since eBay doesn't handle payments on vehicles. Forward the email to spoof <at> ebay.com and report the seller on Facebook.

[fab_finds4u]

This is what makes it a scam.

The OP said it was for sale on FB  through eBay.

eBay doesn't handle the sale of an item found on Facebook, Craigslist, OfferUp or any other non eBay site.

You don't find it at Target and pay for it at Walmart.

Scammers make fraudulent ads and they claim eBay is handling the sale and they say you get 5 days to inspect it before the seller gets paid. They get the prospective buyer's name and email address and send them a fake invoice.

FINALLY Google Shannon Darby Facebook eBay Truck scam.

This person who claims to be from Scott AFB IL has been using this same scam for years. Chevy trucks, Toyotas, $1000 trailers, etc.  No doubt there is a Shannon Darby but the scammer is using a stolen identity because if they used their own name and address they would be easy to find.

[soh.maryl]

No one has said that "it might be a scam".

Everyone has said that it IS a scam attempt and one we read about at least once a day here.

Also, not everyone asks about it BEFORE they follow through with it.  Some people come here after they have lost thousands of dollars, usually dollars that they cannot afford to lose.

1. Seller lists on FB Marketplace, CL etc and claims the sale will be covered by eBay for the buyer's protection.  eBay has NOTHING AT ALL EVER TO DO WITH ANYTHING LISTED ELSEWHERE.  Why would they?

2. It's always something listed at way below a reasonable price.  And the picture is stolen.

3. Always some sad story:  Military being deployed, wife selling late husband's ride etc.

4. Asked to buy gift cards and give seller card #s.  The minute the buyer does that, the cards are redeemed.

5. Gift cards are nontraceable and nonrefundable.

6. Seller will ship car, boat, bike, golf cart to the buyer for a trial period.  What person with any brains ships a valuable item to a total stranger for a trial period?

Need any further proof?  

[mudshark61369]

@ypdc_dennis,

 "The VIN does match up with that vehicle type.  What makes you think it might be a scam?"

You've been a member since 2004 and besides checking the VIN number, you do not know how to spot one of the oldest vehicle scams going?  Read the last reply.

[bearswatching]

Why would EBay advertise on a competitors website? You can Google this scam, it’s been around for years.

[ripsmc]

I would be willing to bet that if you dug around you would find that same scam ad on Craigslist, Offer Up, etc with the same vehicle being shown for sale in many other states.

Years ago when I was looking for a truck I saw those same scam ads in droves. One truck (Tacoma) shown for sale in my state was also shown to be for sale in UT, OR, AZ, WY, LA, TX, SC, and GA. No way I was falling for it but was just curious more than anything else. It may have been for sale in all 50 states and the Galapagos Islands too but the amusement had run out.

Offer Up had a Dodge Charger listed here for 800 dollars (ha) and that car was shown to be in a dozen locations within a 50 mile radius. Same pic, no description, and many of the ads with an "aunt" involved. The scam will never go away and why? Because even with the warnings and easily available info about this scam out there people still fall for en masse.

[stephenmorgan]

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@ypdc_dennis wrote:

The VIN does match up with that vehicle type.

What makes you think it might be a scam?

---

I have listed vehicles for sale on a local web site.  I do not include the VIN.  Every time some one will contact me asking for the VIN.  They always say they are in a town that is 60 to 90 miles from me. 

I tell them that they are not that far from me and when they come to look at vehicle they can get the VIN.  There is always some excuse why they can not come look at it.  I tell them I can bring it to them to look at, what would be a good day to bring it.  Usually this is the end of interest in vehicle.

I had one person said they wanted to get a CarFax Report before coming to look at vehicle.  I told them they should look at vehicle before they spend $20 for a CarFax Report.  They said they live in a city 90 miles away and did not want to spend money on gas if the CarFax did not check out.  I told them I could bring the vehicle to them so they did not spend on gas or a CarFax unless they really wanted vehicle.

They then responded their friend is a Car Dealer and would do the CarFax for free.  That is great, so I asked what is the name of their friend and the Car Dealer's address so I could bring the vehicle by.  Never heard from them again.

I have very nice pictures posted with my advertisements.  The scam is to get the VIN and then take my pictures and advertise on a different website stating the vehicle was in a different location then I.

With the VIN it makes the fake advertisement appear realistic.  If a person wanted to do a CarFax Report, the vehicle would check out clean and the potential buyer may be convinced to send an amount of money as a down payment.