Beware of email scams to pay for cars
Shoppers in the market for a new car are being warned to keep an eye out for fraudulent emails when looking to buy vehicles online.
Victims have received emails claiming to be from ‘Amazon Payments’ or ‘Amazon Flexible Payment Services’ after agreeing to buy. These claim to be bank accounts that hold the buyer’s money for one week before releasing it to the seller.
The emails are designed to get victims of the scam to pay upfront before visiting the seller to collect the vehicle, claiming they have a one-week cooling off period to reclaim the payment if they change their mind. This gives victims the false sense of security that their money is being looked after by a trustworthy third party.
To report a fraud and receive a police crime reference number, call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use our online fraud reporting tool.
Visit www.actionfraud.police.uk.