Possibly the best way not to get scammed..

[mulsanne79]

Here is my simple recommendation to avoid being scammed.

Your initial message to the seller should be: "I am local and would like to come see the car."

If there is no location, or they give you the run around that the car is somewhere else and they are only brokering it, all you have to say: "No problem, I will fly out to go see it."

That's when scammers goes MIA, and you don't loose any money.

[sugarwood]

The other is to request the seller write "mulsanne79" on a Post-IT and stick it on a specific part of the car, and send you a photo.

[mulsanne79]

Originally Posted by sugarwood

The other is to request the seller write "mulsanne79" on a Post-IT and stick it on a specific part of the car, and send you a photo.

Good idea, but not bullet proof. Many scammers will advertise a car that's actually for sale somewhere by someone else. They just adjust the price to make it seem like it's a deal of the century to wheel people in.

So if you tell the scammer to take of photo with a post-it note, he can easily contact the actual seller and have the identical request.. He then forwards it to you and you will never know the difference.

[sugarwood]

Good point!

[MAH77]

Originally Posted by mulsanne79

Good idea, but not bullet proof. Many scammers will advertise a car that's actually for sale somewhere by someone else. They just adjust the price to make it seem like it's a deal of the century to wheel people in.

So if you tell the scammer to take of photo with a post-it note, he can easily contact the actual seller and have the identical request.. He then forwards it to you and you will never know the difference.

I spent 7 hours driving to look at a car that a guy was scamming by listing it as his. Haven't figured out how I could have avoided it, the guy was good.

[Unobtanium-inc]

I've had guys ask to see a picture of me with the car and they want to know ahead of time what I'm wearing, I tell them to go ahead and frame the shot since I did my hair.

Also, here is my standard rant on scams.

Rant on Scams, Advice for buyers and sellers. Flame Suit On!
First a word to sellers, there are a couple of things we can do to make it harder for the scammers.

1. It's important when you sell a car to watermark the pictures somehow. There are a million apps for this but you can also go oldschool. When someone I don't know asks me for pictures of a car, I say sure, and cover it in magnets. If they are interested in buying the car they don't care, if they are trying to picture flip or worse, just use the pictures their plans are foiled.
2. It's also why I always take pictures for ebay in the same spot in my shop, that way people recognize the place. I've actually had people call me and say someone was trying to sell one of my cars but they recognized my shop, so it works.

Next a word to buyers.
1. Be careful out there everybody, the more these things are valuable, the more risk, a wise man once said buy the seller not the car.
2. If you think you are being super clever staying up all night searching the dark corner's of the internet and found that Porsche listed on an obscure website and it's just your lucky day or you found some dealer in a small town with a slick website who just doesn't know what he has, don't send the deposit, it isn't your lucky day. If you found it on the internet the gig is up, anyone who can setup a website and take pictures of rare car, can do five minutes of research and won't put it on their site for half of it's true value.
Now if you're pumping gas in your 911 and some guy walks up to you and says he has his uncle's old Porch, do you want to come look at it, that might be real, but if you find it online and it seems like it too good to be true, it is. There was once a time when you could scan craigslist and jump on a deal, that day is long gone. I went to see a well known flipper in NYC several years ago, he had three Indian women sitting in front of computers hitting re-fresh on every craigslist, every classic car forum, and every other avenue every few seconds, that's why that dude calls you within 15 minutes of you placing an ad, trust me you can't compete with that, so if a craigslist ad has been up for more than 15 minutes and it seems like your lucky day, it isn't.
Bottom line, if you find a "super deal" on the internet there is a 90% chance that it is a scam, and if it's not, some flipper will offer the guy way more, and you'll be out of the deal. Another well known west coast flipper will always pay more, just to get people to stop trying. I once won a sealed bid estate auction for three Porsches. Once this guy found out it was me he said, "I'll pay 20% over whatever Adam bid!" Luckily, the seller was a gentleman and I got the cars. But he was willing to do anything to best me.
If you want a deal on a Porsche go out and make some friends, meet other Porsche guys, the best cars never see a for sale sign, they just quietly trade hands amongst Porsche guys. Most of the cars I buy are not advertised, people just know to call me, but all I do is make myself known. I seen some of the best deals happen between two friends, so if you are in the market for a Porsche, get out there and drive, don't surf the net, there are no deals there, but there are lots of scammers.

---Adam

[Unobtanium-inc]

Or a more recent one, guy needed some reassurance the car was real and I was real, and that I was having a good hair day. Guess it would be hard to fake me, the car, my name on my suit and the trailer in the background.

Bottom line, if the seller won't do anything but take your money, walk. I recently had a car, I asked if it was the original motor, he said he didn't know, but he had a copy of the COA, I asked him to check it, he said he had another buyer, there is your answer.

---Adam