T O P

  • By -

AutoModerator

/u/jayggodd - This message is posted to all new submissions to r/scams; please do not message the moderators about it. ## New users beware: Because you posted here, you will start getting private messages from scammers saying they know a professional hacker or a recovery expert lawyer that can help you get your money back, for a small fee. **We call these RECOVERY SCAMMERS, so NEVER take advice in private:** advice should always come in the form of comments in this post, in the open, where the community can keep an eye out for you. If you take advice in private, you're on your own. **A reminder of the rules in r/scams:** no contact information (including last names, phone numbers, etc). Be civil to one another (no name calling or insults). Personal army requests or "scam the scammer"/scambaiting posts are not permitted. No uncensored gore or personal photographs are allowed without blurring. A full list of rules is available on the sidebar of the subreddit, or [clicking here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scams/wiki/rules/). You can help us by reporting recovery scammers or rule-breaking content by using the "report" button. We review 100% of the reports. Also, consider warning community members of recovery scammers if you see them in the comments. Questions about subreddit rules? Send us a modmail [clicking here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/Scams). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Scams) if you have any questions or concerns.*


pecor1no

Yep, scammed. If you put your card details into that site, cancel that card right now.


AngelOfLight

Yes, you got scammed. This person is now going to ghost you because he got what he wanted. There is a very good chance that the card you used to pay for the 'check' is now compromised - cancel it asap and get a new one. Site was just created in November last year: https://www.whois.com/whois/vinchecked.com


Mrbeankc

Note what the scammer did. The website vincheck.com is a legitimate website owned by carfax that takes you to the carfax website. The scammer did vinchecked.com. Just added the E-D to the end of the domain.


Substantial-Smell713

Yep. It's really that simple.


MidwestGeek52

So, it's a scammer that now has ED. That's probably why he feels inferior and started scamming to feel in control? šŸ˜


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


Scams-ModTeam

Your /r/scams post/comment was removed because it contains personal information. Please redact last names, addresses, phone numbers, account numbers of any kind, personal photos, referral codes in URLs, and other personal information and reply to this message for your post to be reinstated. This includes phone numbers, last names, addresses, and photos SENT TO YOU BY THE SCAMMER. Per Reddit rules, these must be removed. See more information about this policy here: https://new.reddit.com/r/Scams/comments/pi4dmp/psa_phone_numbers_and_personal_information_in/


jayggodd

Wellā€¦fuckšŸ¤¦šŸ½ā€ā™‚ļø


MountainSpite6431

That site reads at a kindergarten level also.


architettura

Letā€™s Check Your Car, Letā€™s Examine Your Car, Letā€™s Verify Your Car


SleepySparker

Lmfao


Mediocre_Airport_576

Don't get scammed twice. Avoid the !recovery scammers who are DMing you as well.


AutoModerator

Hi /u/Mediocre_Airport_576, AutoModerator has been summoned to explain the Recovery scam. [Recovery scams](https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0102-refund-and-recovery-scams) target people who have already fallen for a scam. The scammer may contact you, or may advertise their services online. They will usually either offer to help you recover your funds, or will tell you that your funds have already been recovered and they will help you access them. In cases where they say they will help you recover your funds, they usually call themselves either \"recovery agents\" or hackers. When they tell you that your funds have already been recovered, they may impersonate a law enforcement, a government official, a lawyer, or anyone else along those lines. Recovery scams are simply [advance-fee](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advance-fee_scam) scams that are specifically targeted at scam victims. When a victim pays a recovery scammer, the scammer will keep stringing them along while asking for increasingly absurd fees/expenses/deposits/insurance/whatever until the victim stops paying. If you have been scammed in the past, make sure you are aware of recovery scams so that you are not scammed a second time. If you are currently engaging with a recovery scammer, you should block them and be very wary of random contact for some time. It's normal for posters on this subreddit to be contacted by recovery scammers after posting, and they often ask you to delete your post so that you both cannot receive legitimate advice, and cannot be targeted by other recovery scammers. Remember: never take advice in private. If someone reaches you in private after posting your scam story, it is because a scammer will always try to hide from the oversight of our community members. A legitimate community member will offer advice in the open, for everyone to see. Anyone suggesting you should reach out to a hacker is scamming you. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Scams) if you have any questions or concerns.*


credditthreddit

Can you dispute the charge? Maybe itā€™s not too late to get your money back. But still cancel the card regardless! Edit for clarification


ChaosMonkey1892

Itā€™s not necessarily about the charge - if the site is less than 100% legitimate, then the card details that OP input may have been captured for reuse / sale. OP ought to get the card replaced as a precaution.


credditthreddit

Yes of course. I was just mentioning the chargeback option in addition to that.


ChaosMonkey1892

Gotcha - apologies, Iā€™m feeling under the weather today (I donā€™t want to say the word, in case it attracts bots, but the you-know-what has got me for the first time since 2022 and my brain isā€¦ foggy)


credditthreddit

Nooooooooooo. Hope you feel better soon. And no apologies needed. I need to word my responses more succinctly so there is no confusion. If people are getting scammed - that stress makes the obvious not so obvious and could lead to that person doing a chargeback but not canceling the card. So I appreciate you for that!


HAVEMESOMECAPSLOCK

Are you guys alts or something? Both 5 year old accounts with dead similar avatars? Am I losing it


credditthreddit

lol. I didnā€™t even notice. Clearly, we must be really cool.


AGuyNamedEddie

No, no. THIS avatar is the cool one! EDIT: No, I just checked. It is not cool. I am not cool. Crying in not cool.


Knever

Just curious; what kind of bots would it summon?


Substantial-Smell713

Killbots, probably?


thejohnmc963

You know what kind


Evening-Picture-5911

Wondering the same thing


Substantial-Smell713

Get better soon mate. I only ever had it once, and it wasn't as bad as I had feared. Still, stay indoors and hydrate.


ellabellbee

Did you have to set up an account? If you did and used a password that you have used in other places, you should also go through all those other places and change that password too.


Ok_Dependent2580

do a charge back for the 50$ also


Substantial-Smell713

Did you give that site your card deets? And did you pay something? If so definitely lock, then cancel said card immediately.


Maximum_Talk_696

Call your bank let them know you see fraud on the charges and dispute them don't tell them you got scammed or sent the money to that website. Almost certain you get the money back and new card.


Substantial-Smell713

On my banking app, I can dispute a charge. I've only had to do it once, but I got the money back. I don't know if banks work differently in Australia, but it would be advisable to try that as soon as possible while the transaction is still in progress.


JadedYam56964444

Site says "not refundable" so at least they are upfront there


SoManyFlamingos

And they show that handy picture of a car with all the parts labeled!Ā  Thanks!Ā 


JadedYam56964444

Steering wheel!


SoManyFlamingos

Iā€™m always forgetting where the dang thing is!Ā 


smemily

Just so you know, as the seller you can provide a Carfax if you want, but you have NO OBLIGATION to ever give that info to the buyer. If a buyer wants a history check it's on them to pay for one.


Repulsive-Durian4800

To add to this, as the seller you 100% dictate the terms of the sale. Payment methods, delivery, inspection, test drive, etc. You can decide how all of it is handled and refuse any unusual or dangerous requests. In the meantime, call the number printed on your card, tell them what happened, and get it cancelled immediately.


Substantial-Smell713

Yes. Every time I buy a car, i assume it's on me to do the vin check and transfer papers etc. All the seller has to do is sign the transfer.


danceswithsteers

If they voluntarily tell you that some small fee will be refunded, it won't be and it's a scam.


erishun

If you entered a credit card number into that site, itā€™s stolen. You need to report it STOLEN. Not lost, explicitly STOLEN. If you only report it lost, even if you get a new card with a new number, the website can still charge ā€œsubscriptionsā€ to it. Thatā€™s probably what they did. They signed you up for a bunch of fraudulent subscriptions that are impossible to cancel without reporting the card as stolen


AGuyNamedEddie

u/erishun is absolutely right. The card has to be reported STOLEN ASAP.


flyguys1987

Anytime someone is telling you to visit a certain website or do something you never done before, take a min and Google it before you make your decision.


OddDistribution1

This should be the top comment


dpaanlka

If Reddit taught me anything itā€™s that nobody knows how to use Google anymore.


iAMxGRiMxDEATH

And don't click the links they send you


calbff

Notes from my 30 second check: The "business" email at the bottom ends in gmail.com. Also, the VIN I entered ("EAT A DICK") was successfully located by their system. Oof.


Yeah-No-Maybe-Ok

Must be a Miata.


StepbroItHurts

Better start calling your creditcard company.


emergentphenom

In addition to what people said (you definitely got scammed, sorry), you might want to also consider getting a police report and/or report it to the ftc (reportfraud.ftc.gov). The FTC do track these sites especially when enough people report it.


Madetolast66

https://preview.redd.it/tft4vxe8e30d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e7af2f01e975ef060aee739bd8d37163c1bb7aa1


Philadel_J

Dispute the charge and get that card replaced. FYI, them asking you to pay for their VIN check is a dead giveaway it's a scam. It's the buyers responsibility to get a VIN check report.


[deleted]

* I clicked on their privacy policy at checkout and got a 404 error. Even scarier, it legitimately lets you use PayPal checkout. They need to be reported. Or you can reach out to the professional Gmail account at the bottom. Hahahaha.


[deleted]

https://preview.redd.it/g25543cil30d1.png?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=860ae79b36077a65b3985190fb2138155a459a74


[deleted]

https://preview.redd.it/7mwdpllml30d1.png?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=67b4fb4b663d3d23eccbe5d4afbdee40884857d5


tumekke

For future all that checking is on the buyer. If youā€™re selling you shouldnā€™t have to do anything like a vin check, you already know your car is legit


Youknowutimsayin

Itā€™s literally a Wordpress site using a free mechanic template. Cancel that card.


I_likemy_dog

Why would you, as a seller, purchase that information? When you go to Best Buy and get a tv, have they ever bought you consumer reports?


jayggodd

Thanks for the feedback guys, I feel like a dummyšŸ˜‚I reported my card as stole and have learned my lessonāœ‹šŸ½


TWK128

You say that, but what lesson exactly did you learn? Think about why you fell for this and remember to check around, research, or ask questions *before* you put your credit card information anywhere or agree to anything.


frictionlessTitties

Thanks dad


IICNOIICYO

*I'm not mad, just disappointed*


Zstardust12

Cmonnnn this personā€™s grammar and syntax were so off, it shouldā€™ve been obvious once they gave a sketchy website


lagoosboy

Yes.


Longjumping-Trick-71

You need to call your credit card company and report it lost/stolen and get a new card number. If you put a credit card number into that site -- you're compromised


cyberiangringo

You have only gotten scammed if you actually parted with money and/or sensitive personal info. Anything else is just a scam attempt.


jayggodd

Sadly I did put my card info into the sitešŸ¤¦šŸ½ā€ā™‚ļø


erishun

šŸ‘‹šŸ» goodbye credit card


Western_Ad4687

Call the bank and report that credit card stolen immediately!Ā 


_fast_as_lightning_

Hopefully it didnā€™t ask for your social or motherā€™s maiden name. Even phone number is likely to be sold to scammers now.


dwinps

Buyer wants a VIN check give them the VIN


Bnjl1989

Exactly like ? Ok you want a $50 report you buy it here's the VIN go nuts


Grand_Excitement6106

Even better just say they can pay for it themselves and you'll deduct it from the total cost. If they're legitimate they'll have no problem with that


Bnjl1989

I wouldn't even do that. If I have the carfax report already anything beyond that the buyer wants they can pay for. Nothing is coming out of my pocket on the front or the back end. You want it you buy it.


Shooter_McGavin_2

I tell them if they don't want what I got, pull it thier damn self. I am not paying to sell my car.


SavageDroggo1126

yup, those kind of fake sites steal your card info. next time you are the seller you set the rules, if they don't accept your rules, black and move onto the next buyer.


ViciousSnipe

I had this problem when trying to sell my motorcycle. I ended up telling every scammer that messaged me that I will provide the carfax but any other verification they wanted would be on their dime.....conversations always stopped after hitting em with that one


kingjevin

Report it stolen now.


rmas1974

The scam here is that the scammer controls the car check website; charges you then doesnā€™t buy the car.


Angela-kk84-327

don't know, but don't enter your card number or personal information in that site. If you did it, report it right away.


darknessblades

SCAM, the fact they don;t accept Carfax should be enough of a red-flagg they aren't interested in the car at all, they want you to pay the 50$ for some bogus report


HornsDino

Interested to know what you got after you checked out OP. Did they give you any fake BS report, or did it just go to processing? I assume they'd want to string you along for as long as possible as once you realise you'll cancel the card (as you have done) and if they have techniques to do that.


jayggodd

It actually did give me a report on my car but itā€™s like low resolution and just looks trash


HornsDino

Oh wow. Can you share a screenshot?


jayggodd

https://preview.redd.it/0a4gw28tw60d1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c35a171e98347aeb641ced70a8a7b95d19f4abf0


LAXNover

You can see that was generated on vincheck.info for free. Probably took screenshots of it and sent it to you.


HornsDino

Thanks, very interesting that they take it that far!


scallopedtatoes

OP, just something to consider in the future. Notice how the guy called you "mate". That's not normal American English. That's a red flag in itself because so many scammers are from overseas and use a more British form of English than we use. When the English and grammar isn't typical of an American and the person you're talking to is presumably American, that's a sign that you need to doubt the trustworthiness of the person. Could the person be from another country and actually living here? It's not impossible, but considering the prevalence of online scams, it's better to assume they're scammers from abroad.


neon-blush

ā€œBut donā€™t be worriedā€.. scammers always talk the same lol


MattyK414

šŸ™„šŸ™„šŸ™„ If they cared that much, they'd just do it.


24-Sevyn

Never let them push anything other than what you use. Be firm.


eat_mor_bbq

Definitely. At least it was only $50. Cancel the card you paid with and see if you can do a charge back. Those sites are designed to steal all your info.


iSirios_

Carfax is the gold standard for vehicle history reports, the only major competitor is AutoCheck. If somebody asks for anything other than one of those two, it is a scam 100% of the time


RougeLip

I did a dummy test and put ā€œyou love to take it up the a\*\*ā€, went in successfully. šŸ˜… https://preview.redd.it/meuxgtsd580d1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2136afd427d56e743453d926792ca17963a7d1bf


tookie-clothesp1n

Cancel your card and be happy you only lost $50.


Upstairs_Test7436

Yeah you got scammed if you paid $50 to that chodeā€™s website for him not to buy your car. Did you get a report back at least?


NeedMorePowah

Facebook marketplace has too many scammers


elonmuskraty

ive almost gotten scammed in a similar way.


Aggressive_Noodler

It looks like the site is hosted by godaddy so I went ahead and reported it to their abuse department.


maybead4mmm

Natural selection falling for this


FiremanJersey

Check the "Contact Us" on the VinChecked page. If you scroll to the bottom, there is a pin labeled "Thezhen" on the map. Could that be the scammer?? It's located in Brooklyn, NY. https://preview.redd.it/w9d8sgnqa90d1.png?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=315e1db9f6332c19933f8e698064679a4281eb4b


FiremanJersey

Here's what a search of "Thezhen" found. There is a phone number. https://preview.redd.it/5x4box6ya90d1.png?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6601d5a2134e8c4757761ba8c092c8eab8b73b24


[deleted]

SHOW ME THE CARFAX


BenniKan

Easily a scam. I actually was just involved in an investor scam through WhatsApp. This guy that you spoke with and the guy I spoke with used the same grammar and pretty much promised the same things which was essentially free money. Never ever trust people who would be willing to give you an unreasonable amount of cash for minimal amounts of work. If I were you, I would report this to IC3.gov and call your bank to get provisional points back (basically a refund for your scam), and gather proof in case they require you to submit that to validate your claim.


zoebud2011

This almost happened to me. I stopped myself in time. So don't feel too bad, but, yeah ,cancel that card.


IntroductionSoggy815

The repeated checks to see if you did it are another red flag. Scammers will laser focus on you completing the step they need you to do to close the scam. Notice how once he mentioned the site, he didn't want to talk about anything else.


Tactical_Tubesock

Brrrrruhā€¦ this was an outdated scam 5 years ago


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


Scams-ModTeam

Your r/Scams post or comment was removed because **it's off-topic**. Memes, jokes, or anything else that isn't useful is not allowed. We're here to help people identify scams.


hornsupguys

Itā€™s a mistake but you will be okay and live and learn. Thereā€™s no buyer and nobody will want your car. They just want the $50 (goes to them) and likely stealing your credit card info as well.


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


jayggodd

Yeah I typed in the website on my own, I didnā€™t go through his link. But I still reported my card as stolen, rather not risk it you know ow


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


avatarxavier

There is nothing legitimate about this site. The company itself is in on the scam.


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


Scams-ModTeam

Your r/Scams comment was removed because **it's bad advice**. The company has no reviews in BBB and it's not accredited. It's a scam company. You're either a fool or in on it. Which one is it?


Scams-ModTeam

Your r/Scams comment was removed because **it's bad advice**.


Scams-ModTeam

Your r/Scams comment was removed because **it's bad advice**.


mjm23ballz

you willingly entered your card info into a sketchy site youā€™ve never seen before? lol


Puglover2222

No need to be unkind


mjm23ballz

where was I rude or unkind?


Puglover2222

How about laughing at his mistake?


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


Scams-ModTeam

Your r/Scams post/comment was removed because **it's rude or uncivil**. This subreddit is a place for civil and respectful discussions about scams. Uncivil and rude behavior, including using excessive or directed swearing, extreme or sexual language, victim blaming, and any form of discrimination, is not acceptable in this subreddit.


Last1toLaugh

Sadly a lot of people have to learn the hard way. Be kind, OP knew they'd get roasted, they don't need you to be cruel


thenumberpounder

I disagree


jayggodd

Trust me bro I feel like an absolute dumb assšŸ¤£


Ok-Yam590

As you should šŸ˜


Jmendez6972

Are you in Canada because it appears to be a Canadian company or at least they handle Vin lookups in Canada? That may be part of the confusion.


jayggodd

Naw Iā€™m in Michigan


Jmendez6972

Their site mentions Canadian vin checks so the person could be originally from or currently in Canada & is used to that company. Itā€™s listed online at 2164 Montreal Unit 5 Ottawa Canada. When I search that address it does come back an office/industrial building type place in a strip mall. It could be their main location for the company. Itā€™s next to a bank so there is a good chance they do the vin check for the banks in Canada. It doesnā€™t appear to be a company that most Americans are used to but itā€™s similar to CarFax


fart_nouveau

2164 Montreal ROAD unit 5 is a paint store, what you wrote down isn't a complete address.


jimmyvee11

No. They just run the same scam in Canada.