CEL Solicitors’ specialist fraud team have helped regain £6,000 for man who fell victim to a car purchase scam.
How the scam occurred
The victim – who wishes to remain anonymous and who will be referred to as David – runs his own business and decided to purchase a company vehicle to make his working life easier. Our client searched for a black Land Rover on Facebook Marketplace. He had friends who had used the platform previously, so he was confident that he could make a successful purchase.
David came across his ideal vehicle, which was listed by an active profile with images matching the car’s description. The victim even confirmed that the vehicle had an up-to-date MOT by checking on the government’s website, restoring further confidence that the sale would be legitimate.
According to David, his interactions with the scammer seemed professional, which led him to proceed with the purchase. Despite carrying out the utmost due diligence, our client fell victim to a cruel purchase scam, which had lasting repercussions. He claims to have felt ‘completely violated’ and ‘deflated’ as he never thought he would find himself in such a position. Due to the great financial loss that David experienced, his business also suffered in the process, putting further strain on him.
Read more: 5 Top Tips to Spot a Purchase Scam
Getting money back from a purchase scam
David contacted his bank for support, believing that they would assist him, as it is their duty of care to protect clients from fraud. The victims bank did not help, and instead, advised him to continue interacting with the scammer to attempt to get his money back. David felt disappointed at the lack of intervention from his bank and decided to reach out to CEL Solicitors. We specialize in fraud and scam cases. We also offer cases on a no-win, no-fee basis, meaning David had nothing to lose but everything to gain back.
CEL was able to successfully recover £6,000 back for David.
Elle Yates, Fraud Expert Paralegal at CEL Solicitors, said: “Fraudsters who deceive their victims through purchase scams often use genuine, reputable platforms such as Facebook Marketplace, and will often list vehicles and other expensive items. Legitimate platforms, like Facebook Marketplace, don’t always carry out due diligence into who is listing the item, so it is always important for individuals to remain vigilant when purchasing online.
“Red flags to look out for would include the scammer not wishing for you to see the vehicle in person, not having access to relevant documentation such as the vehicle’s logbook or providing elaborate excuses as to why you cannot collect the vehicle yourself.
“Purchase scams are some of the most convincing scams we see, and we understand how individuals may fall victim to them. If the bank has failed to prevent an innocent victim from a scam, then CEL can intervene and get your money back with interest and compensation.”
Commenting on his experience, our client, David said: “Elle Yates has been very instrumental in the settlement of this claim. I had written this scam debt off when I took a chance with CEL. Having never made such a claim before, I was assured of a reliable and predictable outcome.”
