Long outstanding scam ads on Autotrader UK

I first noticed this fraudulent advert on Friday 22nd May and I reported and posted it up on Saturday 23rd May. It remains outstanding on Sunday 24th May.

BEWARE SCAM ADVERTS WITH REGISTRATION DETAILS PHOTO HACKED. ONLY PROFESSIONALS DO THAT - PROFESSIONAL SCAMMERS.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/used-cars/mercedes-benz/c-class/used-mercedes-benz-c-class-2-1-c200-cdi-elegance-4dr-birmingham-fpa-201505223702316?logcode=p 23 May

£7,000 2012 Mercedes-Benz C Class 2.1 C200 CDI Elegance 4dr - cunningham - (07718) 333171 - Birmingham

Previous appearances

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:61WBO-fVLuEJ:www.autotrader.co.uk/used-cars/mercedes-benz/c-class/used-mercedes-benz-c-class-2-1-c200-cdi-elegance-4dr-york-fpa-201505213666702%3Flogcode%3Dp+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk 21 May

£7,000 2012 Mercedes-Benz C Class 2.1 C200 CDI Elegance 4dr - (07952) 504301 - York

Different claimed location and contact number

and, in case you had any doubt here it was again on 2 May 2015

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:lnKHy5hBT24J:www.autotrader.co.uk/used-cars/mercedes-benz/c-class/used-mercedes-benz-c-class-2-1-c200-cdi-elegance-4dr-rotherhithe-fpa-201505023131523+&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk

£7,000 2012 Mercedes-Benz C Class 2.1 C200 CDI Elegance 4dr - (07599) 858783 - Rotherhithe

I've sent nearly 10 reports on this fraudulent advert and yet I receive this reply from Autotrader UK



Let's see what happens.

It's a worrying development if fraudulent adverts are no longer being removed from the Autotrader UK site. I can't think of any other way to notify them.

Hello,

I am the seller of the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C Class listed on autotrader.
The car is still for sale, HPI clear, both interior and exterior in excellent condition, runs great, never been involved in any accidents.
I am from Finland, city of Lieksa. I had a 3 year contract in the UK as an engineer. Now that the contract is over i moved back to Finland. I took the car with me because i love it and i wanted to keep it.
But i realized that is very difficult to drive a right hand drive here and also to register it here is quite expensive. I also have a company car here so i decided to sell the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C Class back to the UK. I tried the local market here but i had no interest in it as it is RHD and due to the fees needed to register it.
The total price would be 7,000 Pounds.

Due to the fact that my work takes almost all of my time and i don't spend to much time at home, i asked an international company to take care of the sale and act as a third party for this transaction.
Or you can come here and take it. Lieksa (where i am) is at 340km from Jyväskylä airport.
Please tell me if you wish to proceed and how.

Kind Regards,

Kimmo Waltari
Chief Engineer
Finnster Group
Asemakatu 32, 81720
Lieksa, Finland

Surprise surprise - the alleged car dealer has morphed into a Finnish engineer. Maybe it's Father Christmas but he's the one expecting a gift.

FRAUDULENT ADVERT OUTSTANDING FOR THREE DAYS NOW

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/used-cars/mercedes-benz/c-class/used-mercedes-benz-c-class-2-1-c200-cdi-elegance-4dr-birmingham-fpa-201505223702316?logcode=p 23 May

£7,000 2012 Mercedes-Benz C Class 2.1 C200 CDI Elegance 4dr - cunningham - (07718) 333171 - Birmingham

The UK car dealer come Finnish engineer advertises the car as being in assorted locations in England and then claims it is located in Finland.

A simple photo search reveals the original source of the photographs used by the fraudster

http://www.mercland.com/model/2256-2012(12)-MERCEDES-C220-CDI-AMG-SPORT-SALOON-AUTOMATIC-BLUEEFFICIENCY.html



This is the photo-hacked photo the scammer has posted on Autotrader UK



This is the source photo before the vehicle registration was removed by the fraudster



Second hand vehicles have registration numbers and there is no legitimate reason for a seller to hide it.

2012(12) MERCEDES C220 CDI AMG SPORT SALOON AUTOMATIC BLUEEFFICIENCY - £16,490.00 - Reg WR12YVS

The advert has finally been removed on Monday 25th May, but I suspect I'll have more candidates for this thread.

I don't mind being ignored. I just feel sympathy for people who lose money to these fraudulent adverts. Any fraudulent adverts that are posted in this thread will be very thoroughly researched.

THIS PARTICULAR ADVERT FIRST APPEARED ON 30TH MAY WHEN IT WAS REPORTED AS BEING FRAUDULENT AND REMAINS OUTSTANDING ON 31ST MAY, THOUGH IT ISN'T THE FIRST TIME THIS SET OF PHOTOS HAS BEEN USED IN FRAUDULENT ADVERTS ON AUTOTRADER UK

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/used-cars/audi/a1/used-audi-a1-1-6-tdi-se-3dr-harrogate-fpa-201505303904559?logcode=p 30 May and 31 May

£5,986 2013 Audi A1 1.6 TDI SE 3dr - Reg KR13MSU

Some of this set of photos previous appearances on Autotrader UK in fraudulent adverts

1st example

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/used-cars/audi/a1/used-audi-a1-1-6-tdi-s-line-3dr-notting-hill-fpa-201505193601477?logcode=p 19 May

£6,000 2013 Audi A1 1.6 TDI S Line 3dr - Reg KR13MSU

Contact me at: [email protected]

Scammer email address - [email protected]

2nd example

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/used-cars/audi/a1/used-audi-a1-1-6-tdi-s-line-3dr-abergele-fpa-201505263786590?logcode=p 26 May

£5,999 2013 Audi A1 1.6 TDI S Line 3dr - (01745) 400088 - Abergele - Reg KR13MSU

Scammer using same in photo email address - [email protected]

3rd example - impressively this is the second appearance of the same photos giving a different location

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/used-cars/audi/a1/used-audi-a1-1-6-tdi-s-line-3dr-leatherhead-fpa-201505263789471?logcode=p 26 May

£5,999 2013 Audi A1 1.6 TDI S Line 3dr - (01483) 491860 Leatherhead - Reg KR13MSU

THE POINT TO NOTE FOR ANY DEALERS OR PRIVATE SELLERS HOPING TO SELL THEIR AUDI A1'S, YOU ARE WASTING YOUR TIME AND MONEY AS LONG AS A FRAUDULENT ADVERTS EXISTS UNDERCUTTING YOU TO A RIDICULOUS EXTENT. SCAMMERS CAN SELL THEIR CAR MORE THAN ONCE AND WILL GLADLY PICK UP ANY BUYERS WHO MIGHT BUY YOUR CAR. IT ALSO MAKES YOUR CAR APPEAR OVER-PRICED.

THE ONLY LOSER IS YOU AND THE BUYERS WHO GET SUCKERED BY THE SCAMMER(S).

THE ONLY WAY TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM THIS SCAM IS TO NOT PAY ANYTHING UNTIL YOU HAVE VIEWED AND INSPECTED THE VEHICLE YOURSELF

1st 'hacked' dealer account of 20th June 2015

REPORTED TO AUTOTRADER UK ON SATURDAY 2OTH JUNE - STILL OUTSTANDING ON SUNDAY 21ST JUNE 2015

As there are more fraudulent adverts on this dealer account - I will add the rest later.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/services/car-dealers/uk/wales/city-of-cardiff/cardiff/porsche-centre-cardiff-cardiff-dpp-21046/sort/default

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND PHOTO`S PLEASE CONTACT BY E-MAIL AT : [email protected]

PRIVATE SALE!! PRIVATE SALE!! PRIVATE SALE!!

Scammer email address - [email protected]

Idiot scammer using email address regularly associated with fraudulent adverts on Autotrader UK

Examples

1st example

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201505023115954/sort/default/usedcars/dealer/21046/advert-type/dealer-stock?logcode=dsp 20 Jun

£10,000Audi Q7 3.0 4dr - Reg RE62SSK

2nd example

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201504303062560/sort/default/usedcars/dealer/21046/advert-type/dealer-stock?logcode=dsp 20 Jun

£8,000 2011 Land Rover Range Rover Sport 3.0 TD V6 HSE 5dr - Reg VO10CHJ

3rd example

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201411279267911/sort/default/usedcars/dealer/21046/advert-type/dealer-stock?logcode=dsp 20 Jun

£4,500 2013 Audi TT 2.0 TDI Black Edition Quattro 3dr

4th example

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201505233714157/sort/default/usedcars/dealer/21046/advert-type/dealer-stock?logcode=dsp 20 Jun

£4,000 2014 Audi A1 1.6 TDI S Line Style Edition 3dr

The scammer is such an idiot this is in the car description

Wheel centres with full-colour Porsche Crest

5th example

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201503272097414/sort/default/usedcars/dealer/21046/advert-type/dealer-stock?logcode=dsp 20 Jun

£4,000 2015 MINI Convertible 1.6 D Cooper 2dr

6th example

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201506204497915/sort/default/usedcars/dealer/21046/page/1/advert-type/dealer-stock?logcode=dsp 20 Jun

£13,000 2013 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque 2.2 SD4 Pure Tech 4WD 5dr

7th example

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201506084133965/sort/default/usedcars/dealer/21046/page/1/advert-type/dealer-stock?logcode=dsp 20 Jun

£3,000 2015 Volkswagen Golf 2.0 TDI GTD 5dr - Reg NV09OWE

2015 ? - Reg NV09

8th example

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201506044029777/sort/default/usedcars/dealer/21046/page/1/advert-type/dealer-stock?logcode=dsp

£4,600 2013 Porsche 1 SERIES 2.0 5dr

9th example

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201506124262292/sort/default/usedcars/dealer/21046/advert-type/dealer-stock?logcode=dsp 20 Jun

£5,000 2011 Porsche CAYENNE DIESEL (MY15) 2.0 2dr - Reg YA10MYJ

(Amusingly the photo is actually of a BMW and the decals are plainly visible)

10th example

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201505293874880/sort/default/usedcars/dealer/21046/page/1/advert-type/dealer-stock?logcode=dsp 20 Jun

£6,000 2010 Porsche DEFENDER 110 2.4 5dr - Reg HJ60YFD

Another comedy classic - it's not a Porsche and the clue is that 'Land Rover' is written across the bonnet.

11th example

Truly a fantasy car - a Volkswagen Cayenne for £72,000

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201506204503469/sort/default/usedcars/dealer/918696/advert-type/dealer-stock?logcode=dsp 21 Jun

£72,000 2015 Volkswagen CAYENNE S DIESEL (MY15) 4.2 5dr

WHATEVER THE EXCUSE, IF THE SELLER EXPECTS YOU TO BUY A CAR WITHOUT VIEWING IT, MOST LIKELY HE'S A SCAMMER

CAR DEALERS THAT HAVE HAD THEIR AUTOTRADER UK ACCOUNT HACKED/PHISHED SHOULD ENSURE THAT THAT'S THE ONLY ACCOUNT OF THEIRS THAT'S BEEN HACKED/PHISHED

If the dealers have connected websites and email accounts, they're most likely hacked too, meaning that all purchase enquiries may be intercepted leading to the loss of all online sales, and allowing a hacker into your online accounts is the most financially risky thing any company/individual can do

At one stage the whole account appear to have been removed but now it's back again and it's hard to see that anything's changed

Considering the size of dealership it's amazing that they appear unconcerned.

I'll go over the fraudulent adverts again in depth on the main rolling thread, posting the discrepancies in the adverts. Of course the main discrepancy - that buyers are requested to contact an email address known to be used by scammers and fraudsters - remains unchanged.

It looks as if only the photos have been changed.