Metro Vancouver buyers beware car scammers on Craigslist

A Metro Vancouver hobbyist who buys and sells cars is cautioning British Columbians about scammers on Craigslist disappearing with deposit payments.

Rostam Arbab of Coquitlam says fake ads are becoming a hassle for him and his friends, who have nearly been fooled by a recent round of scams. In the last five years or so, he says he has personally purchased about 30 cars on Craigslist, giving him a keen eye for what’s legitimate.

He suggests British Columbians keep an eye out for nicely priced vehicles with low mileages, and be cautious before paying up even if the posting looks legitimate at first.

“They look good, they’ve got no accidents, and the scammers know how to put in all the information so that it’s more appealing than the other ads out there,” said Arbab. “Every day, I’m seeing more and more fake ads, just wasting people’s time.”

“You never want to send money before you see the car in person.”

–Rostam Arbab, a #Coquitlam man who reached out to @CityNewsVAN after spotting scammers on social media tricking would-be buyers into placing deposits on cars that don’t exist. pic.twitter.com/WvVS3jeIVg

— Marcella Bernardo (@MBernardoNews) October 22, 2021

Still, he’s not surprised people are falling for it in B.C. because prospective buyers might be quick to pay a slighter deposit, which scammers have been promising online.

They might try to convince you putting money down before picking up the car is an act of good faith, but Arbab says it’s better to be safe than sorry.

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Tracking scammers can be difficult through Craigslist, as people can make listings anonymously. That only further complicates the issue for anyone looking to get a bargain on their next car.

One way to keep yourself protected is to use reverse image search on Google to locate an original ad.

“I’ll be like, ‘Hey, I found the real ad, here it is,’ and that’s when they lose it and say some inappropriate stuff,” he said. “I’ve had multiple threats of, ‘Oh, I’m going to hack your bank accounts, I’m going to log into your phone,’ just stuff like that. No death threats and nothing physical.”

His advice to British Columbians searching for their next ride is to remember if it seems too good to be true, it probably is — even if the car is eight to 10 years old.

“Cars are being priced almost 2,000 to 3,000 over what they should be, and that’s what’s enticing people to go after these deals and send the deposits. But if they’re asking for a deposit and they’re very adamant on you sending it and them to proceed with the deal, that should be a major red flag,” said Arbab.

“I know what to look for, so it’s very obvious for me, but for the average person it’s very easy to think it’s a real way to get ahead of the game and get a car you want at a price you can afford right now.”

You can meet the seller in a public place or at the local police station to be extra careful. It’s also smart to make sure the car’s licence plates and papers check out, and never send money before seeing the goods in person.

“Just make sure the car is real. Make sure it exists, and make sure you’re not wasting your time and money,” said Arbab.