Beware of This Vehicle History Scam When Selling Your Car

Selling a car online can attract serious buyers, but it can also draw scammers who know exactly how to make a fake request sound reasonable. In this scheme, the fraud does not start with a fake payment or a forged check, but with a push to buy a vehicle history report from a suspicious website that exists mainly to take your money or harvest your data.

Key Takeaways

• The scam starts when a supposed buyer asks the seller to purchase a vehicle history report from a specific unfamiliar website, often one using a misleading “.VIN” domain.
• These sites may simply take the payment and disappear, or buy a real report cheaply and resell it at an inflated price while pocketing the difference.
• The FTC warns that shady vehicle-history sites may also collect personal and payment information, not just money for a bogus report.
• The safest move is to use trusted sources such as NMVTIS, Carfax, AutoCheck, VehicleHistory.com, or VinAudit, and stay skeptical when a buyer insists on one obscure site.

When selling your car, a potential buyer might ask for a vehicle history report. This seems like a reasonable request, but it could be a scam designed to trick you into spending money on a fake report.

There's a new scam targeting car sellers, as reported by Scambusters.org. Scammers are using fake websites with ".VIN" in the web address, which looks like it refers to the vehicle identification number. However, ".VIN" is actually meant for the wine industry ("vin" is French for "wine"). Despite this, anyone can buy a ".VIN" domain, and scammers are taking advantage of this.

These fake websites might take your money and run or overcharge you for a report they buy from a legitimate agency, pocketing the profit.

According to the US Federal Trade Commission, you often can't tell who runs these sites, and they might be after your personal information, including credit card details. Some might even sell your information to third parties for marketing purposes.

Did You Know?

• Scammers often request vehicle history reports from unfamiliar websites and agencies.
• Websites ending in ".VIN" are intended for the wine industry, not vehicles.
• Genuine vehicle history reports can cost between $10 and $50.
• There are genuine agencies that use "VIN" - such as VinAudit.

How the Scam Works

Here's how the scam typically unfolds:

1. You list your car for sale online.
2. A potential buyer contacts you and asks for a vehicle history report from a specific website.
3. This website looks legitimate and requires a payment, often by credit card.
4. The website may use the ".VIN" domain to seem authentic, as it is the same as the abbreviation for "vehicle identification number."
5. Once you pay, the scammer either takes your money without providing a report or overcharges you for a report from a genuine agency, pocketing the difference.

Related: Watch Out for These 6 Parking Scams

What to Do

If a buyer requests a vehicle history report from a specific site, take the following steps:

• Ask why they want a report from that specific site. Scammers usually can't provide a good reason.
• Check the reputation of the website online by searching for reviews or complaints.
• Use the National Motor Vehicles Title Information System (NMVTIS) or reputable agencies like Carfax, AutoCheck, VehicleHistory.com, and VinAudit.

How to Avoid Scams and Stay Safe

1. Get the report yourself: Purchase a vehicle history report from a trusted agency and include it in your listing to attract serious buyers.
2. Verify websites: Before using any unfamiliar vehicle history reporting site, research it thoroughly. If a potential buyer asks you to visit a website with "vin" or any other specific name, be cautious of a possible scam.
3. Know your credit score: If you're buying a car, know your credit score or arrange financing beforehand to avoid inflated interest rates from dishonest dealers.

Related: Debt Collection Scams. Is Your Debt Collector Real or a Fraudster? Learn How to Tell

4. Check out the FTC's used car guidance for further help, whether you're buying or selling.

5. If you suspect someone is trying to scam you, or a website looks suspicious, check it with Scamio, our AI-powered scam detection tool. Send any texts, messages, links, QR codes, or images to Scamio, which will analyze them to determine if they are part of a scam. Scamio is free and available on Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and your web browser. You can also help others stay safe by sharing Scamio with them in France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Romania, Australia, and the UK.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

How to know if it’s a vehicle scam?

The biggest red flag is when a supposed buyer tells you to buy a vehicle history report from a specific unfamiliar website before they will proceed. The FTC says this is a known scam targeting online car sellers: the “buyer” pushes you to a site, you pay for the report, and then the buyer disappears. Other warning signs are urgency, refusal to use a reputable report provider, and pressure to keep everything on the scammer’s terms.

Is there a car finance scam going around?

Yes. The FTC currently warns about multiple car-related scams, including auto loan refinancing scams, fake online car-sale schemes, and other frauds tied to buying and owning a car. So if someone is offering unusually easy financing, fast approval, or asking for upfront fees outside normal lender channels, that deserves extra scrutiny.

How can I tell if a vehicle history report website is fake?

A fake vehicle history report site usually reveals itself through pressure and obscurity. If a buyer insists you use one unfamiliar website, especially one you have never heard of, that is a major red flag. The FTC warns that scammers often push sellers to shady report sites that either steal the fee, harvest payment information, or resell a cheap report at a markup. Safer options are providers listed through the official NMVTIS system or other widely recognized services, not a random site picked by the buyer.