How the scam works:
You're looking to buy a car and decide to check out what's available online. You find one at a great price - better than anything you've found so far. The pictures look good and the seller is up front about what's running and what needs work. You do the math and decide it's still a great deal so you decide to buy it.
While you are working through the details of the purchase, the seller mentions they have to fly out of the country for a month, telling you they would be happy to get a friend to deliver the car to you. They even knock a few hundred dollars off the price to make up for the inconvenience. All you need to do is either pay the full amount or a significant deposit so the seller knows they can trust you and the car is yours. Except for one small detail: the car never existed - or at least was never in the "sellers" possession.
How to avoid:
If the seller asks you to wire the money through Western Union, Money Mart, or Money Gram, it's a scam. These are great places to send money easy and fast, but the scammers take advantage of the convenience of not being tracked down.
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