Selling your car to a stranger? Watch out for fraudulent buyers. We’ll discuss common scams and tricks along with smart tactics you can use for a safe car sale.
DealNow helps put scammers out of business. It gives you a complete suite of transaction tools to sell your car safely and quickly. Create a private deal room, invite prospective buyers, and close the deal securely from the convenience of your phone.
We’ll discuss the best ways to sell your car without getting scammed and how DealNow helps.
Scammers thrive on anonymity. They use fake profiles, burner phones, and temporary email addresses to avoid getting caught. Buyer verification is your first line of defense against scams. Since most car listing sites lack identity checks, you’ll need some outside help. You could request a photo of the buyer’s ID and verify it through a third party, but that’s awkward and time-consuming.
DealNow solves anonymity by requiring buyers and sellers to verify their identity during account creation. Found an interested buyer? Invite them to your DealNow dealroom. We’ll run the identity check so you know you’re dealing with a person’s real identity as soon as the sale begins.
A fake name isn’t the only thing scammers are hiding—many of them are also broke. Some scammers want to steal your car through payment fraud. You need proof that a potential buyer can actually afford your car the purchase.
Funds verification combined with an identity check will weed out most bad actors. Plus, you won’t waste time showing your car to well-meaning buyers who can’t afford it anyway.
Your DealNow dealroom handles both checks automatically. You’ll know right away if you’ve got a legitimate buyer with real money ready to close the deal.
A bill of sale legally protects you (if your buyer signs with their real identity). This document memorializes the sale and serves as evidence if the buyer tries to cause problems later.
Here’s what your bill of sale needs:
DealNow handles all this automatically with a state-compliant digital bill of sale. You and the buyer sign in the app, and your copy is saved and protected against loss, theft, or destruction.
Car scams often involve shady forms of payment. When it’s time to get paid, you’re better off avoiding these payment types:
Even supposedly secure payment methods put you at risk and require extra verification steps. Cash can be counterfeited, cashier’s checks can be forged, wire transfer requests might be attempts to steal your banking info, and some escrow companies are elaborate frauds set up by the scammer.
DealNow makes it easy, fast, and secure to get paid for your car, no matter the price. You get the immediacy of cash, the security of wire transfers, and the trust of escrow services without having to verify bills, checks, or companies.
Your gut feeling is your strongest defense against fraud. When something doesn’t feel right—even if you can’t explain why—walk away. You’ll find another buyer for your car.
Now that we’ve covered preventive measures, let’s break down the most popular scams targeting car sellers.
These con artists care more about stealing your info than buying your car:
Don’t share private details with strangers or unknown websites. If you need to do a wire transfer, handle it in person at your bank where you can give information directly to bank staff.
Or make it simple—use DealNow’s secure messaging to talk with potential buyers. You can discuss the sale and receive payment without revealing your phone number, email address, or other private information.
This trick preys on sellers who want a fast car sale:
Not every distant buyer is a scammer. DealNow handles long-distance car sales safely by checking the buyer’s identity and making it easy to receive payment.
When selling your car privately, watch for these warning signals.
Has long, detailed stories about why they need your car immediately.
We built DealNow to shut down car sale scams and make transactions fast and simple. DealNow has everything you need to sell your car safely.
After trying DealNow, you’ll never want to sell a car any other way.
List your car on Craigslist, but bring the transaction to DealNow. We verify buyer identity, handle payments securely, and protect your personal information. No more worrying about fake cashier’s checks or counterfeit cash.
Facebook Marketplace is great for finding buyers, but you don’t know who you’re dealing with. Use it to list your car, then bring your buyer to DealNow. Our platform verifies real buyers, processes instant secure payments, and gives you a legal bill of sale—all through our mobile app.
DealNow offers the best security when selling your car. Unlike cash or checks (which might be fake), DealNow gives you instant, verified transfers of any amount. Your funds are protected with bank-level security and FDIC insurance, and you never have to share banking details with strangers.
Facebook Marketplace helps you find buyers but offers zero verification. Anyone can create a fake profile or show up with counterfeit cash. List on Facebook if you want, but close the deal with DealNow. We check buyer identity, verify funds, and handle payments securely.
Watch out for these warning signs:
Skip the scammers entirely. Use DealNow to verify buyers and handle payments safely.
Start by verifying their identity and funds. Most online scams start with fake identities. DealNow handles both checks automatically—verifying real buyers and making sure they can afford your car before you meet.
Private sales can bring better prices but also attract fraudulent buyers. Use DealNow to protect yourself—we verify buyers, handle payments securely, and provide a digital bill of sale, making private sales as safe as dealerships.
Watch for buyers who won’t meet in person, accept your price instantly, or pressure you to skip normal precautions. DealNow protects you from online scams by verifying every buyer’s identity and handling payments securely.
DealNow is the easiest way to close your own vehicle deal, anytime. It’s the safe and simple way to avoid fraud, sign documents, and instantly transact, all in one app.
