Dubliners who are looking to buy cars privately are being warned that there are individuals stealing cars and then selling them onto unsuspecting people.
One man, Sonny, told Dublin Live that he recently fell victim to the scam after being offered to purchase a car for €500 in Dublin.
He said: "I was a bit wary about buying the car because of the cheap price so I rang the garda station in Leixlip and did a car health check, both came back that it hadn't been stolen.
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"But it turns out it was stolen just that day by the men who sold it to me who took it after a test drive."
Immediately after discovering the deception, Sonny reported the incident to gardai.
Sonny said: "I'm now €500 out of pocket which is a week's wages for me. I reported it to the guards and these men are well-known by gardai, they've been doing it for a while.
"But they're not invincible and they will be caught."
In terms of advice for people wishing to buy cars, Sonny urged members of the public to be very careful.
"Be very careful with who you hand your keys to and about letting people go for a test drive. Don't hand over your keys."
He also added that people should be aware that a stolen car's registration number may not automatically pop up on a garda station's system or through using a car health check service.
An Garda Siochana have published advice to public who are buying or selling their cars privately to take necessary precautions before finalising the sale.
Advice to seller of a vehicle
• If offered a bank draft for purchase of your car only accept it if you are sure it is genuine. Ask to be provided with details Bank/Branch that issued draft and the bank draft number during banking hours and contact the issuing branch to verify the draft
• Consider calling to that bank to lodge draft/ check if it is genuine
• The negotiations may be dragged out, but there is little negotiation on the asking price. This allows time to re advertise your vehicle before they even steal it
• Be wary of accepting a bank draft at evening/weekends or outside banking hours
• Avoid dealing with a "purchaser” over the phone who sends a driver or employee to view your vehicle to conduct the deal
• Handing over Registration Certificate and receiving an RF105. Is this a legitimate motor dealer, do they have a garage/premises that can be verified prior to the sale taking place
• Ask the driver/employee who they are working for and how long they have worked for the garage
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Advice to buyers
• Never purchase a vehicle on first viewing
• Research the price; be wary of purchasing vehicles below market value
• Question the seller if he insists on cash only. Consider a traceable method of payment. Once cash is handed over if anything is wrong with the vehicle can't you get your cash back
• The deal may be dragged out before you get to view the vehicle but you are told to purchase quickly as there is a lot of interest in the vehicle
• Be wary of dealing with one seller over the phone and a different person arrives to show the vehicle
• Meet at a location which is the home/business premises of seller. Choose a neutral venue to first view the vehicle but to conclude the deal call to the address on the vehicle registration certificate if purchasing the vehicle
• Ask questions about the vehicle if the person showing the vehicle states they have only recently purchased the car and has very little information regarding seller/business or history of vehicle
• The seller may give a story that the vehicle is repossessed from a finance company or his own company is in financial trouble to explain the price
For more information and advice click here
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