Could this possibly be a scam??

[malbaby]

Selling my car...interstate buyer that is prepared to buy the car with info and pics supplied by me, rather than travel to inspect the car... he is asking for proof of ownership...copy of my driver's licence and my bank details.
What do you guys think.

[Beastie]

Originally Posted by malbaby

Selling my car...interstate buyer that is prepared to buy the car with info and pics supplied by me, rather than travel to inspect the car... he is asking for proof of ownership...copy of my driver's licence and my bank details.
What do you guys think.

Where did you advertise your car?

Sounds like a scam to me.

[solarite_guy]

Why would anybody need a copy of your drivers license and/or bank details to buy your car?

All the red lights are flashing Scam.

[commodorenutt]

Unless an interstate buyer is prepared to look at the car in person, or send a mate around, walk away, as fast as you can.

If they want it that bad, they'll make the effort. Motoring groups have inspection services that are reasonably priced. An interstate buyer with no mates, and no way of travelling can organise one of them for a reasonable fee too. If they're not prepared to make an effort, or spend some of their own money to look at the car, or have it looked at, then it should ring very loud alarm bells.

And no buyer should need copies of your ID and the rego unless they're doing the deal in front of you. What's next, need your credit card for 100 points of ID?

[Beastie]

Have a close look at the email address that they are using too.

Does it look like a standard email address?

[malbaby]

Thanks guys....Car advertised in "Just Cars"...his email address looks legit...I can understand bank details for sending money, but not the other requests.
Any harm in just sending my bank details to see if any money arrives, or is this dangerous.

[cro142]

Not necessarily a scam.

In the past year I have purchased 2 cars interstate without seeing them as I have upgraded my 2 Landcruisers.

I was familiar with the market and familiar with assessing the quality of the vehicle from photos, descriptions, history, on-line checks, chatting with the seller and assessing whether or not he was straight. Not for the faint hearted but doable.

I would have asked for bank details so I could pay for the car by bank transfer, and a licence copy to be sure who you are dealing with. I paid before I arranged to truck the vehicle to me, so there is a degree of trust involved.

One of the cruisers I replaced was purchased sight-unseen by a buyer in WA (I am in QLD). He paid for it by bank transfer before I put it on a truck to WA.

So this approach works both ways - as a buyer or a seller, and I have heard of many other cases.

It can be genuine - just make sure you have a good phone conversation with the other party so you can assess how genuine they are.

This may or may not be a scam - just investigate further, and be sure to be paid before you part with the vehicle.

[naddis01]

Has he rung you?

I have sold a few cars now to interstate (or across state) buyers who have bought sight unseen. I don't see a problem with the details they are asking for.

[GO FURTHER]

If you are worried about giving him your bank details, you could ask him to send you a bank cheque in an overnight express post envelope.

Then wait for the funds to be cleared. (Bank cheques can still be stopped).
Ask your bank for a "fast clearance", it only costs a few dollars extra for this service. Although bank cheques normally clear faster than personal ones which can take up to 5 days.

Instead of a photocopy of your licence.... Just give him the details on it.

For ownership details with Fords... If you bought the car new, there will be owner details along with the VIN printed out by the dealer and stuck on the inside back cover of your owner's manual... Simply photocopy or scan that.

[malbaby]

No phone conversation as yet...I will do that as the next step.
Is there any way that my bank details and copy of licence can be used illegally?

[Cheech]

Originally Posted by malbaby

No phone conversation as yet...I will do that as the next step.
Is there any way that my bank details and copy of licence can be used illegally?

Copy of licence can be used to fraudulently open account with telstra, etc.

Eg. get contract for iphone & ipad in your name, but shipped to a different address. They dont pay the bills and next thing you know Telstra are sending the debt collectors after you.

[wodahs]

I don't see a problem with supplying the necessary bank details to forward a payment , but no more than necessary
As for the licence details I wouldn't supply any nor see the need to , I'd go as far as supplying a copy of vehicles licence details but with any sedative details blanked out

[commodorenutt]

You could always just give the BSB & account number of your wife's account.

That way if they have your full name, those numbers won't line up to your bank account.

But if they won't talk to you over the phone, and ask the right questions, then don't give them a single bit of info. Is the car a common car, or something rare? If it's common, and priced to the market, there's no need for an interstate purchase. Different if it's a rare car, or absolute bargain.

[solarite_guy]

Any time you give out personal identification or personal financial information, you are taking a certain degree of risk.

When providing this information to a banking institution, a home mortgage provider, automobile dealership, your risks are on the lesser side of the scale.

Anytime you provide this information to a private individual, especially one you do not know and can not verify, your risks are greatly increased.

I do not know how your banks work, so let me ask a couple questions. What banking information will you need to provide that enable a bank transfer of money into your account? Now, will this information that you theoretically just provided to a total and unverifiable stranger prevent an unauthorized withdraw from your account?

[theBlake]

Originally Posted by malbaby

What do you guys think.

doesnt sound like a scam to me - so far. not enough details given.
Plenty of people buy cars sight unseen.

You havent mentioned how he will pay for it, and how its to be transported, and whether he is contactable by phone etc. All these things would reveal a possibiiity of a scam depending on what they are.

[BENT_8]

I dont see a problem with the purchase sight unseen.

Unless you're letting the car go before the money has cleared then its actually the buyer at most risk as he'll have parted with his money whilst you still possess the car, i think he's just making sure you're not scamming him.

I'd provide the licence details, but not the licence number as its this that can be used to set up fraudulent accounts, trust me, i've had it happen.
Apart from that, if he wanted to view the car you'd need to provide your address anyway so giving him that under these circumstances is no more a risk than if he were local.

Just blank out your licence number on the rego pares if it appepars on there too and only provide the BSB and acc. no for the bank.

[Itsme]

Get him to provide copy of his details if he is genuine, mind you any deal can be risky just like online purchasing.
Your choice!

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by malbaby

Thanks guys....Car advertised in "Just Cars"...his email address looks legit...I can understand bank details for sending money, but not the other requests.
Any harm in just sending my bank details to see if any money arrives, or is this dangerous.

Talk with your bank would be best advise to you.

[roKWiz]

I don't see a problem either with buying sight unseen but would definitely have a phone conversation with the buyer as you can sus them out better.
I've bought two trucks off ebay sight unseen but seller supplied me plenty of pictures. One guy delivered one to my place !
Obviously I needed their bank details to deposit money. bsb and account name and no. is all you need to give him for transfer of funds they can not access your funds only deposit funds.

[yearby]

I have purchased vehicles off the internet and have not phoned the the buyer, but I have always gone through a vehicle transporter that was the go between.
I always explain the method of transfer to the seller before we go ahead.

It goes something like this-
I send a bank check to the vehicle transporter who is going to deliver the car to me.
The vehicle transporter presents the bank check to the seller and does the paper work required at the time of vehicle pickup. I pay an additional cost for this.
The vehicle is transferred to the transporters yard where it stays until the bank check is cleared by the seller.
If the bank check does not clear, the seller requests the return of the vehicle.
The vehicle transport company is always paid in full for their cost prior to vehicle pickup, so if vehicle needs to be returned it is already paid for.

It is not a cheap option, but if there is any concern about a scam, it is wiser to loss on the extra expense than lose the lot.

Peter

[au350hp]

I would happily give those details providing he/she provided the same back. It is highly probable the buyer wants your ID to cover himself in case the car is stolen etc. Once the funds are clear in your account, only then should you release the car. From your description, nothing unusual by the sounds. I have sent thousands to peoples banks to by something interstate that was advertised online. 99% of people are of good character & honest. Let us know what happens.

[BPXR6T]

Being a signed photo Id your licence counts for 40 points. With your name and address I can now find your council and whip up a rates notice for another 35 points of Id. For another 35 points I can fake some mortgage documents or even a payslip will do albeit with fake TFN. So I now have 110 points of Id some faked some real, your address, your date of birth, your licence number, your photo, possibly your signature if you provide both sides of your licence, and your bank account details. I'm sure I could do something nefarious with that. From there to build that identity out all I need to find is an organisation that does not bother to do a complete document check, e.g. they just do a drivers licence document verification with the AG dept. Each doc check costs so plenty just do the bare minimum verifications. Some of the accepted identity documents are not even verified by any one service. Most assume if one doc is valid then don't authenticate the details for the rest. From there I have a legit organisation giving me some "legit" identity doco that can be then used to build more identity. Pretty much your identity is now gone and your accounts are vulnerable. Even if I fail the first time the parts of your identity I have stolen would go in a database to be built on later.

Sounds like the movies doesn't it, but its all too real. Don't provide signed photographic identity document to some unknown over the internet. Its just asking for trouble.

[au350hp]

That's it. I am getting my tin foil hat out.

[falcon_bandit]

one time, someone stole my identity & they gave it straight back and told me i can have it!!!

[GO FURTHER]

Originally Posted by BPXR6T

Being a signed photo Id your licence counts for 40 points.

Not correct in the OP's situation.

At most places where you are providing documents for the 110 points, evidence of identity documents must be the originals.
Photocopies, scans or photos of a licence are not accepted.
The same applies to a Passport.

[Feathers]

Talk to them by phone first. If you've only communicated by email, but any questions you ask aren't being answered, or you say "here's my number...call me" and the reply completely ignores it, then its likely that the replies are just copy/pasted, and that it is part of a scam.

[BPXR6T]

Originally Posted by GO FURTHER

Not correct in the OP's situation.

At most places where you are providing documents for the 110 points, evidence of identity documents must be the originals.
Photocopies, scans or photos of a licence are not accepted.
The same applies to a Passport.

Yeah I don't know what I'm talking about. Take GoFurthers advice and provide your identity documents. Smart.

[BENT_8]

Originally Posted by BPXR6T

Yeah I don't know what I'm talking about. Take GoFurthers advice and provide your identity documents. Smart.

I've had my identity stolen and used to set up a bogus phone account with Telstra and had to jump through hoops to clear my name, not to mention the threats imposed by debt collection agents, but from my dealings with the Police on the matter, the biggest issue was with my licence number becoming known which is why i advised the OP to omit it from any ID provided so i know it is possible and a reality unfortunately, however, i think the problem with you're post is that it does come across as paranoid without something credible to back it up.
If you have experience dealing with victims of ID fraud would you mind explaining your situation to people so they can better understand where you're coming from.

For all we know you could be either paranoid, an ID fraud investigator, or an ID theif.

[GT450]

I would say he is just being cautious and the fact that the OP has been asked for this private information by someone he has never met, I agree with him always err on the side of caution. One press on a keyboard could end up giving him months of grief. I wouldn't do it and I don't consider myself paranoid.
GT450

[jpd80]

Story with a happy ending:

My nephew lives in Central Queensland, he bought a Nissan Patrol off a guy in Melbourne site unseen,
asked him about the vehicle and details of his registration and bank details, wired him the money
to his bank account and had the guy arrange transport to Brisbane

I nearly fell on the floor when i heard this but everything went to plan, I took him and his friend
over to the transport yard to pick up his SUV and the guy was good to his word, great vehicle.