Scam Library
Fake Car Dealership Websites
A website appears to belong to a real car dealership, copying its logo, vehicle photos, and even customer reviews in close detail — sometimes with the help of AI. Listings often feature rare or hard-to-find vehicles at an attractive price. After paying a deposit or the full amount, the buyer discovers the real dealership has no record of the order, the payment, or the car.
Warning signs
What to watch for
- A rare, classic, or hard-to-find vehicle advertised at an appealing price
- Pressure to pay a deposit or the full amount before seeing the car in person
- Refusal to allow an in-person visit or an independent mobile inspection
- Payment requested only by wire transfer, with no other option offered
- A web address that's slightly different from the dealership's real one
Stay safe
How to verify
- Call the dealership directly using a phone number you find independently (their official website, a phone directory, or a manufacturer's dealer locator) — not a number from the site you're questioning
- Insist on seeing the vehicle in person, or arrange an independent mobile inspection service if the dealership is too far to visit
- Never send an upfront payment by wire transfer alone for a vehicle you haven't seen or verified
Already sent money or shared a password?
Contact your bank using the number on the back of your card, or the official number on your statement — not any number from the suspicious message.
Not sure if something you received matches this pattern?
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