XY file number warns of new scam involving classic cars
06/22/2013
"Aktenzeichen XY....ungelöst", broadcast on ZDF since 1967, quickly became a cult show. Who isn't familiar with Eduard Zimmermann's show, in which unsolved criminal cases are brought to public attention and often successfully solved?
Last Wednesday's show featured a new scam that could certainly put one or two of us in a tight spot.
A car is sold privately over the Internet. A Mercedes-Benz 280 SL Pagoda (the picture shown here was chosen at random and has nothing to do with the program/scam) played the leading role in the show. Once the car is sold, the offer for sale is deleted from the Internet or stamped with the words "sold". This process is closely monitored by the fraudsters, who contact the seller just a few days later and claim that the engine has suffered expensive damage. The repair was said to cost 4000 euros and the seller had assured them that the car was in top technical condition. The supposed buyer then goes on to say that he is now unwilling to pay this sum.
Many sellers feel guilty to a certain extent, are prepared to contribute to the damage and transfer the amount requested by the fraudster without making any major inquiries, usually even abroad.
In such cases, Aktenzeichen recommends first asking the fraudulent buyer for precise details and asking questions that only the buyer and seller can know, such as details of minor defects on the vehicle or the exact method of payment. This can be used to check whether you are talking to the buyer at all. To be absolutely sure, the real buyer should be contacted and questioned. It is also advisable to ask for the caller's telephone number and to call back later about the payment details. Money transferred abroad is practically never refunded, even in the event of fraud.
Buying and selling classic cars is a business based on trust, so it is all the more important to exercise caution in unusual situations.
This blog should also help those who have missed the XY file. New scams like the one described here must be nipped in the bud at an early stage.
