Feds Warn Missourians About Dangers of Buying a Vehicle Online

Have you considered buying a vehicle online instead of through a conventional brick and mortar dealership? The feds are warning Missourians about some dangers to watch out for that may indicate you're about to be ripped off.

The United States Federal Trade Commission has an interesting warning that all in Missouri should pay special attention to about how to "Put the brakes on phony online car sales". This is a big problem in Missouri as KY3 in Springfield reported this year that there have been an uptick in online car scams.

The Federal Trade Commission says there are telltale signs that you're about to be scammed if you notice the following when trying to purchase a vehicle online:

• If the seller is trying to hurry the sale
• If the seller demands additional payments after the sale for delivery or shipping
• If payment is requested by gift card or wire transfer

They also warn that you need to carefully check the VIN number for the vehicle you're wanting to buy compared to the vehicle that the entity is actually trying to sell you. As the Missouri State Highway Patrol warned in the video above, VIN cloning is happening a lot in the state where victims are buying stolen cars. It's a big Missouri problem.

The feds advise that you do extensive searching for reputable online reviews before even considering purchasing a vehicle online. Even then, you need to be careful as non-reputable sites can falsify reviews to make them appear more trustworthy.