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UK drivers are warned of costly new scams that could trick them up to £ 8,500.

Criminals continue to capitalize on the pandemic, but looking for so many convincing scams can be incredibly overwhelming for motorists.

With more people buying and selling engines online than ever before, scammers have found new ways to target vulnerable people.

To help, Secret Car Leasing analyzed the number of 5 recent online auto scams, revealing that drivers stand to lose £ 8,485.

Auto insurance offers ‘too good to be true’

Scammers often take the form of bogus auto insurance providers. These scammers, known as ghost brokers, sell “too good to be true” auto insurance contracts to drivers who are no more savvy in buying a totally worthless policy.

According to the Association of British Insurers, the average cost of car insurance is £ 485. Victims of ghost brokerage could not only pay this premium but also a fine of £ 300 when penalized for driving an uninsured vehicle.

Fake Road Tax Text Scam Could Cost You Your Bank Balance

The DVLA recently issued a warning about a sharp increase in fake text messages that read as if they were sent by the agency. The texts warn drivers that their payment information must be updated or that their road tax must be renewed.

These text messages give recipients a link to re-enter their bank details, potentially giving crooks access to their bank accounts where they can immediately transfer the balance to another account.

Facebook Ads

While Facebook Marketplace is a great place to buy a used car, scammers also use the platform to advertise vehicles at bargain prices in order to attract potential buyers. An unlucky victim in County Clare paid £ 5,179 (€ 6,000) for a car that was never delivered.

False sellers pressure motorists to post a deposit and pay for the delivery of the vehicle. They then take the money and run – so the buyers are left with no car and no money.

Car buying scammers

Not only can buying a car be risky, but also selling it online. Some crooks will show up for an in-person inspection of the vehicle being sold and distract the seller while an accomplice adds engine oil to the water tank. The car of course breaks down if driven, with criminals claiming the seller tried to sell them a faulty car – they will use it as leverage for a significantly lower asking price.

The crooks will then drain the engine oil from the tank and sell the car to another completely unknown buyer. The Derbyshire Times found that in some reports the victims of the scam were worse off than £ 2,000.

Fake driving license

As a result of the pandemic, learner drivers have to wait a long time for their driving test. Some fraudsters capitalize on the wait and target motorists who don’t want to wait to take their test.

Scammers are selling fake licenses and paper certificates online for £ 600 each, saying they have internal access to driving test centers and can pass learner drivers without having to get behind the wheel of a vehicle. No license card is issued and fraudsters take the funds.