Folks Of Interest scam or not

so, besides info listed above what other info did possible buyer ask for? how did he find you. did not know that classic vehicle loans were approved without an appraisal first.

 

There are such things as fake cashiers checks and you wouldn't know until the bank charges it back to your account a week or 2 after you deposit the check.
Call your bank, explain the situation and ask how to do a transaction safely.
Personally I wouldn't go out of my way to cater to a buyer. For one thing there are too many time wasting flakes, for another thing if he wants the car he will meet your terms.

 

Nowhere did he ask for any personal info, VIN# is not giving up info that can be used to steal your identity.

 

I would be weary I guess.
I would definately feel better if the guy had come to actually view the car before he tried to get a bank loan. Just seems odd somehow.

This scam thing. How does it work?
I see people here all the time describing the nightmare they go thru because they don't have a title for a car, even if it has a clearly visible serial or VIN. They sometimes spend months and a lot of $$$ going thru the Government red tape to get a clear title...and they already own the car and have it physically in their driveway!

Just what can a "scammer" do with a serial number of an old car?
ANYONE can go to a parked car and take a picture of a serial number or VIN if they want it...but what can they actually do with it?

 

Matt, thanks for the kind words. I remember that day perfectly......we were eating in a Carl's J.R. with our 6 kids.... my wife was wondering who the hell I was talking to for a half an hour! Once I told her it was an out of state potential buyer on the Roadster she understood.

To the OP, does the guy act suspicious? Most people will ask questions that are pretty specific if they are willing to buy it sight unseen or at least attempt to arrange the funds without seeing it first.

 

I agree with a lot of the comments already posted here. May or may not be a scam. If it is I would guess it's going to be either fraudulent "Bank loan" docs to get more of your info, or a bogus cashier's check. A 2 hour drive is not that far, especially if he needs to see it in person. I would consider having him come see it, if he likes it you can both go to a branch of his bank that is local to you and then you can give the bank whatever info they require. I am definitely skeptical of people I don't know, I think today you have to be to protect yourself. If he really wants the car and it isn't some sort of shimmy-sham he'll have no problem meeting your requests.

 

Bank wants VIN to see if title is clear and free of liens etc. He obviously lacks sufficient collateral. Email cash transfers bank to bank I find to be the easiest and safest way to transfer cash. We can't even cross the border with over $5,000.00 in our pocket.

 

The thing that would scare me is he offered a cashiers check for the amount but has to get a loan to buy the car. Trust your gut instinct.

 

This is how a scammer operates when trying to take you for a ride, the following is their response to my email about the motorcycle I have for sale on craigslist

I would love to speak with you through the phone but due to the nature of my work i can't make a phone call here as our phone is down on the rig right now due to bad weather, We can still communicate through the email exchange for now. please get back to me and let me know if my offer is accepted

and what I had sent to them
On Thu, Apr 2, 2015 at 3:20 AM, Richard Stevens wrote:
You can call me at the phone number listed in the ad and we can discuss where to pick it up and how it will need to be paid for.
Thank you

I do understand that the prospective buyer may want to make sure he can get the loan before driving 4 hours to check it out and try to make a deal to buy it, Now I agree that you need to be prudent when dealing with someone you don't actually know, but the people wanting you to just walk away from a possible sale, it doesn't lose them a sale of a car they want to sell. Be careful and do the checking to make sure you are not putting yourself in position to be taken and get your car sold.

 

^ Agree with what you are saying, but fear of losing a sale should not be your motivation. That is what they pray for. I have lost a lot of sales over the years but the cars are all gone and I was never taken (so far).

 

I think some of you Hambers tin foil hats are really aluminum painted paper. Geez, how hard is it to sell a car in person with cash?

 

You need to talk to my Uncle!

 

All you guys that think you can weed out the scammers by simply talking to them, well I got a bridge in Brooklyn for sale I just have to show you!

 

Mine is painted in a fake rust patina then clear coated.

 

He won't make a 2hr drive to check it out. Offers a cashier's check, sight unseen (in person). Wants vin & copy of registration. Anyone else get a whiff of somethin' funny in the air?
Too many kooks out there. Face to face & cash, and invest in a counterfeit pen...
OR, let the banks (yours & his) handle the transaction.
Maybe just a harmless dreamer, but keep yourself covered.

 

My message here is, do your due diligence and keep your eyes open, but don't discard a possible deal because some think it has to be a scam because it isn't happening just how they think it should.

 

Call it paranoid or whatever you want, but in todays world, scammers exist and are preying on the unsuspecting.
I'm with the people who say to deal with his bank, if he is indeed legit, he should have no problem providing his loan officers contact info to you.
Let him know, you just aren't comfortable, and to not take it personally.
Something to be said about the old saying "let your conscience be your guide".
Good luck on your sale..don't let it be a theft.

 

I once drove over 5 hours out of state one way to buy a car that I was assured the seller had a title to.....only to find out she had the registration only.....

Maybe if I had asked to see a pic of the title it would have prevented a wasted day and money.

I think some of you guys worry.....alot. I've sold probably 10 cars in the last 5 years overseas and out of state and all but one was bought without an inspection. Unless you are a complete naive idiot with no regard to common sense then it's pretty obvious that the risk is nearly always on the buyers side.

The seller is doing his due diligence but to basically give a buyer an FO is kind of unnecessary to me.

It did strike my odd that he says he can pay with a cashiers check or cash. Anytime Ive bought a car via a loan the bank has issued a check to the seller, they didn't hand me cash to give to the seller. But once a call is made to his bank you will know the deal.

 

I work for a bank and can assure you if he gets a bank loan, they are not going to give him cash for it. They may give him a check, or wire the funds to your account.

 

Being careful is good, but explain to me what somebody can do with your vin#. You could get at least a hundred of them a day just by looking through the windshield at the vin plate on the dash of any relatively late model car. Same thing with the blocked license plates on cars in ads, everybody can see it every time you drive down the street.

 

I drive 10 to 12 hours to buy my last 3 toy cars. I always travel with the cash to buy what I want. Same for people that have come to me to buy. Cash in hand for a clear title, only way I will do business.

I've had plenty of offers to have money transferred into my account, get a cashier's check, return the extra, etc. Never spent another second talking to any of them. Red flag.

If they are a serious buyer they will show up cash in hand, period.

Don't know of any bank that would loan money a classic car sight unseen, no appraisal, on the buyers "say so". Especially since he hasn't seen it in person. Red flag.

How can it be a scam? Easy. All he has to do is take the info and tell them he moved and lost the title in the move. Give his current info but since he has a copy of the registration and all the VIN number he can probably get a duplicate title in most states. Then he claims you have his car. He produces a title in his name that matches his address and it's now your word against his. This has been done. It's a long shot but it can and does happen.

If he can't drive 2 hours to meet face to face, bring cash and close the deal, walk away. There will be other buyers. Like many others have said, if it feels wrong in any way it probably is.

SPark

 

Addressing BigDog's "blocked license plate" statement; If a scammer (or worse, thief), can see a legit licens plate and state, they may be able to get your address. That gives them info to swing by and steal parts, or the whole car. Call it being overly cautious, but it's best to practice a bit of CYA.

As to other's questions about disclosing a VIN or supplying a pic of registration; some states don't have titles, and the cars are legally owned with just a registration. If you have and old car that you're working on, and it's not yet registered, someone may be able to register your car's VIN without your knowledge. When you go to register it after it's "finished", suddenly the state smells something funny, and you're out of luck, or worse, all the time and bucks you put into your car gets confiscated over the possibility of it being stolen. Again, maybe overly cautious, but ya gotta CYA.

A title IS the ownership documents. Having it in your driveway, and you knowing it's yours, means nothing. If someone else has a title to a car that has your VIN on it, your car is his, and you get accused of auto theft.

Roger

 

He may be asking for the registration and VIN to make sure he isn't about to buy a stolen vehicle.

 

So a bank is gonna loan him money on a 60 yr old car, sight unseen, with nothing more than a picture of a registration card to prove this car even exists? If that alone doesn't make anyone suspicious, I don't know what would.

 

If he hasn't come by and looked at it yet then there is something wrong, if its above a certain amount the bank will send some one out to appraise the car for the loan, and yes it is easy in many states to get info from some ones title and dummy up a title for a car they have that is title less or stolen

 

Thanks for all the comments guys. I'll let you know how it plays out Sun.

 

I doubt that any state would issue a duplicate title unless you are the registered and legal owner of record. You can't just stroll in with a registration, that maybe you found in the street, and apply for a dupe. Can't, won't and hasn't happened. I don't get this whole VIN paranoia deal. The Harley guys are the worst. They'd sooner give head to The Elephant Man than let anyone see their numbers