Major Vehicle Scam Hits Colorado: What to Know

Selling a vehicle can be a difficult process in Colorado. First, you must find the best way to make somebody want the car.

Back in the day, you used to put a “for sale by owner” sign on the car in hopes that somebody would see it and contact you.

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Now most people opt to sell the car online. Many use Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist to get the word out.

Craiglist Scam in Colorado

A user posted on the message board r/FortCollins after being scammed when selling their vehicle.

Looking at the comments, they are not the only individuals dealing with scam artists when trying to sell their call.

Scam artists are finding listings and finding ways to scare sellers into spending their money

How Scammers Are Getting Money From Coloradans

Scammers are acting interested in purchasing vehicles in Colorado. They reach out and ask for a vehicle history report.

They will send a link and when you click on the link, the seller has to pay money for the report.

There is one problem: the report is not real.

Multiple Coloradans report this has been happening to them. One Coloradan reports that a scammer asked for them to send a report and it cost them $100 to $150 a day.

Here is one person’s experience.

Recently, when selling my truck, I received multiple text messages from people luring me to click on a website and pay for a vehicle history report. It wasn't just that one that you listed. There are at least 3 different ones. They completely engage you in a conversation about your car make you think they're eager to buy and then hit you with what seems like a small, inexpensive request.

I could see how that would not be a big deal. The user goes on…

I didn't fall for it (because I'm that cheap) but I said "You buy the report and then if you decide to buy the truck I'll take off the $35." They turned that around on me and were text-yelling "I'm going to be spending a lot of money for this truck. It's the least you could do to prove to me it's worth the money.

Simple Solutions

To avoid being scammed, here is some advice.

• Tell them to put up their report. This is normal when purchasing a used vehicle. You should give them your VIN and let them do the work.
• Negotiate in person.
• Have your report ready to go. Carfax is a great option.