SANDAKAN: Members of the public are advised to exercise caution when purchasing vehicles online, especially when confronted with offers that appear too good to be true, involve unusually low prices, or pressure buyers into making immediate deposit payments.
District Police Chief ACP George Abd Rakman said scammers commonly use fake advertisements on social media and online marketplace platforms to lure potential buyers.
He said the suspects often impersonate vehicle owners or authorised representatives and persuade victims to make booking fees, processing charges or deposit payments before the vehicle can be inspected or verified.
“Victims are frequently enticed by attractive prices well below market value and are rushed into completing transactions without proper verification.
“In many cases, scammers provide various excuses, such as claiming there are other interested buyers or that the vehicle is located outside the area, to create a sense of urgency,” he said.
He added that among the warning signs are sellers who refuse to meet in person, decline to show original vehicle ownership documents, insist on payments to personal bank accounts or continuously provide excuses to avoid inspections and meetings.
The public is therefore encouraged to conduct thorough background checks on sellers, verify vehicle ownership status and confirm the legitimacy of bank accounts before making any payment.
Buyers are also advised to avoid transferring money to suspicious accounts and to ensure all documentation is properly verified.
Police further advised prospective buyers to conduct transactions face-to-face in a safe location and, where possible, bring along a trusted companion.
Those who fall victim to online vehicle purchase scams should immediately lodge a police report and retain all relevant evidence, including payment receipts, communication records, advertisements and bank account details used in the transaction.
Cases of suspected scams can be reported through the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) at 997 or by contacting the police emergency line at 999.
