If you’re a courier driver looking to buy a new delivery vehicle online, there are several things you should keep in mind before doing so. Making sure you can trust the seller is genuine when purchasing high-value goods is vital, as many buyers fall victim to fraud.
The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau has confirmed that fraudsters have used a number of online vendors to attract buyers, and manage to do this by means of false advertising and lack of communication.
Common Trickery
Some fraudsters claim to be third party escrow providers, which suggests that they will hold payments until both parties (buyer and seller) are happy with the deal. This often encourages the courier driver to pay in advance before they are able to actually collect the vehicle, as they are convinced that their money is in safe hands.
Avoiding Fraud
There are several ways in which you can spot and avoid fraudulent behaviour when you’re involved in an online transaction. Make sure you keep these tips in mind, especially if you’re feeling suspicious during your purchase.
• Check the emails
A common trait among fraudsters is poor spelling, grammar and general communication skills. If you receive an email asking for payments, be sure to double check the sender’s email address and look for any other errors. For example, they may be asking for more than you had originally agreed. These issues are often quite easy to spot, so don’t fall for careless frauds.
• Be realistic
You might be thinking that a deal is almost too good to be true; if so, it’s likely that you’re right. Offering low prices is an easy technique used to entice customers, and it’s not difficult to fall into the trap. When browsing for your new vehicle, just be wary of these kinds of false advertisements.
• Meet the seller
Although this can be rather inconvenient if they are located miles away, meeting the seller face-to-face is the best way to check whether their proposal is legitimate. It also gives you the opportunity to check over the vehicle you’re planning to buy before you transfer any money. If the vendor is refusing to meet you face-to-face (or even talk over the phone), this is definitely a cause for concern.
• Contact the third party
If you receive an email where the writer claims to be from a third party, it is a good idea to contact this party to determine whether the connection is legitimate. If not, you will know to ignore the email completely.
Buying online should be a simple, trouble-free task, but unfortunately this is not always the case. If you’re a courier driver looking to buy a vehicle, hopefully this has enlightened you as to how to avoid fraudulent vendors.
