HomeFraud Prevention Awareness

Fraud Prevention: Protect Yourself When Buying a Car

Buying a car is a big investment—don’t let fraudsters take advantage of you. OMVIC is here to help you spot scams, avoid illegal sellers, and make informed decisions. Learn how to recognize curbsiders, detect stolen or re-VINned vehicles, and verify a car’s history before you buy.

Can you spot all 10 curbsider red flags?

Click through the images to learn how to spot a fraudulent advertisement.

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Learn more about what curbsiding means from Director of Enforcement Sam Cosentino

Illegal, unlicensed vehicle dealers are called curbsiders. They often pose as private sellers, though some may operate from small automotive businesses (for example, repair shops). Curbsiders not only misrepresent themselves, they often misrepresent the vehicles they sell. Many are previous write-offs with undisclosed accident repairs and/or have an odometer that has been tampered with. Should problems arise after a vehicle purchase, curbsiders can be very difficult to track down.

Vehicle Fraud: Curbsiders | OMVIC

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Do you think you can spot a curbsider? Take a short quiz and find out!

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