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As used car values ratchet higher, more crimes are occurring based on those rising values. Here's the FBI's own definition of fraud: "In fraudulent vehicle sales, criminals attempt to sell vehicles they do not own. They create an attractive deal by advertising vehicles for sale at prices below book value. Often the sellers purport they need to sell the vehicle because they are moving for work, to include military deployments."
That's the definition of a curbstoner too, a self-proclaimed private party seller offering a vehicle he or she doesn't actually own. There's even the online component, with curbstoners using Craigslist and eBay Motors to find victims. The biggest difference, is that in these cases the vehicles don't actually exist.
Fraud is fraud, whether perpetrated by a curbstoner selling a dolled-up wreck or an offshore con man selling nothing but a bad promise. The FBI's cautions boil down to the same basic tip we've constantly advocated: If a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is.
Read the full release from the FBI: Hijackers Use False Protection Claims to Lure Online Shoppers
