Officials with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) serving Nebraska, South Dakota, The Kansas Plains and Southwest Iowa, are warning consumers who are shopping for vehicles on Craigslist, that scammers are posing as vehicle sales companies and touting fake escrow services in an effort to defraud them out of thousands of dollars. The scammers are using phony or stolen company names and often claim to be located in Midwestern communities – luring consumers to purchase RVs and trucks online.

Recent reports to BBB indicate that escrow fraud scammers are taking increasingly sophisticated steps to instill a sense of trust in their potential victims. Over the past several weeks, BBB has received inquiries and complaints about scammers using the name “Mayer Auto Center.” Consumers state that they are advertising trucks, recreational vehicles, and heavy equipment on Craigslist.

Consumers, who have responded to their advertisements, relate having received responses by email with photo attachments of the vehicle in which they expressed interest. Emails from the phony business state that since “Mayer” is a trucking company, they will deliver the “unit.” As the sales transaction proceeds, buyers are informed that they should pay by wiring money to Spain where their money will be held for five days in an escrow account managed by JP Morgan while they inspect the vehicle. Buyers are assured that if the “unit” does not meet what was represented, they will get their money back.

Although “Mayer Auto Center” states it is located at 3914 W Jewell St. in Wichita, KS., the BBB’s investigation has verified that no such business is located at this address. One prospective customer from Iowa reported to BBB that he had driven to Wichita to check out an RV he saw advertised on Craigslist, only to learn that the business does not exist.

BBB President and CEO Jim Hegarty, says “When shopping on Craigslist, always meet the seller in a public place and see the item for sale before purchasing. Following this one rule will help you avoid most scams on Craigslist.”

BBB offers these tips when shopping for vehicles online to help avoid a scam:
– Beware of sellers who want to conclude a transaction as quickly as possible. Scammers want to get your money before you have time to think or have a professional examine the deal.
– Watch out for sellers who want you to wire money or use prepaid credit cards instead of a traditional check or credit card.
– Call the seller to establish phone contact. If they neglect details agreed to via email or are unable to answer questions about their location, it is likely to be a scam.
– Make sure websites are secure and authenticated before you purchase an item online. Look for “https” before the web address and online seals that ensure your credit card and/or banking information is secure.
– Use only well-known escrow services. As mentioned above, some fake car dealer websites use escrow services controlled by scammers. Go offline and contact the escrow service through a phone number you’ve determined is legitimate. Make sure they are aware of the transaction you are considering.
– If the price seems too good to be true, there’s probably something wrong. Be wary if the vehicles price is significantly lower than what you’ve seen elsewhere.
– Do not open email attachments and links included in emails from senders you do not know. This may expose your personal computer to security vulnerabilities such as malicious malware and viruses. If you have clicked on attachments or links, you may wish to have your personal computer thoroughly evaluated by a professional.

Consumers are encouraged to research all businesses they plan on shopping with by visiting www.bbbinc.org, calling 800-649-6814, following BBB on Facebook at Facebook.com/bbb1936 for tips about scams or checking for scams on BBB’s Scam Tracker at bbb.org/scamtracker.