Rent-a-theft is a booming new business.
Fraudsters target second hand car buyers using a vehicle they have rented for the day, often with a stolen credit card or other false documents.
“We’ve heard of a number of instances whereby consumers have fallen prey to the rental car con,” explains Neil Hodson, Managing Director for HPI.
“The fraudsters go to quite some lengths to pull the scam off. It usually begins with the perpetrator hiring a car, sometimes paying for it with a stolen credit card. The vehicle is then advertised at a rock bottom price to lure in unsuspecting buyers.
“The buyer is invited to check out the car at the seller’s home, however, in most cases the address is actually for a rental property, not registered to the seller, who has had the driveway dressed with items to suggest it’s a family home.
“The unscrupulous seller usually has a story explaining why the car needs to be sold quickly, such as a new job or emigrating. Once the buyer is interested, the seller usually asks for a deposit of around £1,000 and the fraudster arranges a collection time for the car.
“The con is sometimes performed a number of times in the same day, taking cash from several victims and promising them a vehicle that in reality belongs to a rental firm. At the end of the day, the scammer returns the hire car and walks away with the deposits, never to be seen again.”
