OVERSEAS-based online scammers are fleecing thousands of dollars from Wyndham residents, including one road accident victim who had his life savings taken.
As part of the deception, fake advertisements offering used vehicles for lower-than-expected prices appear on Australian car websites, online classifieds and auction sites.
The advertisements generally appear genuine, but offer the item at a lower than expected price, often about $10,000
or less.
Werribee police are investigating 15 incidents from the past two years, with five of these in the past three months alone.
One victim lost $16,000 and another $2000, with a Laverton man who was sustained serious brain injuries after falling off the back of a moving car six years ago, cheated out of $8000.
Detective Senior Constable Arnaud Lenferna from Werribee crime investigation unit said the scammers generally replicated details from a genuine seller's advertisement, simply changing the price and contact details.
As a result, the prospective owner can perform the necessary checks and find the vehicle actually exists.
In most of the cases, the seller has been based in the United Kingdom, with some from Italy.
The 22-year-old Laverton victim said he was told by the seller they had moved overseas due to a divorce, with the $8000 car, which was still in Sydney, to be shipped immediately upon payment.
Although an address was provided, it proved to be false.
Since his accident, the man has struggled to find full-time work due to his short-term memory loss and survives on $146 a fortnight.
His mother, who wished to remain anonymous, said her son had been left heartbroken.
"It's just not fair. He's embarrassed and feels as though he can't do anything for himself now.
"We've done nothing but cry since it happened - people can't be allowed to keep getting away with things like this."
Detective Senior Constable Lenferna said the scammers provided realistic reasons why the vehicle was being sold at below market price.
"Often it's that they had to move overseas quickly. However, they say the vehicle is still in Victoria or interstate, and they will be able to access it once the money transfer takes place.
"They make contact only by email, from an untraceable address."
The seller may also say they had need cash to finance the move, in a bid to rush the potential buyer into paying for the vehicle without seeing it, with most transactions made by money transfer.
Once the transfer goes through, the seller picks up the cash in person, possibly with a fake ID, with the buyer unable to make contact with them again.
Detective Senior Constable Lenferna urged online consumers to be vigilant.
"The old rule applies - if it sounds too good to be true, it generally is," he said.
"Avoid any deals if you can't speak to the person either over the phone or face-to-face and always take out insurance if you're transferring large sums of money."
RMIT network engineering senior lecturer and cyber crime expert Dr Mark Gregory said the scam was common. "Normally they ask for the money to be transferred using Western Union because their bank account is not available or they lost their card. It goes offshore and as it's a cash pick up at the other end, there's no way to trace it."
A Consumer Affairs Victoria spokeswoman said it had received 28 inquiries and three written complaints about online car selling scams in the last financial year.
TIPS FOR SHOPPING ONLINE
■Research any online store or service you are interested in to ensure it is legitimate.
■Read fine print of any contracts you enter into online so you know what you are paying for.
■Delete unsolicited and suspicious emails. Don't click on any of the links.
■Install up-to-date computer privacy protection software.
■Don't give out bank or financial details on line unless it is through a secure website.
■Think before sending money to someone you have never met.
Details: Consumer Affairs Victoria on 1300 55 81 81 or visit Consumer Affairs Victoria here.
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