Buyer burnt by motorhome scam

Another online internet scam warning has been issued by authorities, after a Queensland resident lost a large sum of money after responding to a 'fake' online advertisement.

According to Queensland police, the unsuspecting buyer was contacted by the fraudulent seller after inquiring about a motorhome for sale on what looked like a legitimate website.

"The suspect provided a background story of residing overseas and had allegedly signed over his motorhome for sale on consignment by a Sydney based company," the police stated.

"An elaborate web page for this company was set up and appears to be very much a trustworthy and legitimate company. The victim then transferred almost $39,000 expecting the motorhome to be delivered over the following week.

"After waiting several days beyond the delivery date, the victim attended the Capalaba Police Station and after some very quick searches, it was revealed this was a scam occurring over several states in Australia."

Queensland police are warning buyers to be on the lookout for fake websites and fake sellers, as well as online deals that appear "too good to be true".

"The victims are paying substantial amounts of money for these items to be delivered, usually from interstate and the items never show up," the police said.

A good way to avoid being scammed is to check the validity of company and seller names through a simple internet search engine check and ABN check.

"All Australian states have a VIN search service and for a small fee a prospective buyer can save themselves a lot of money and heartache," the police said.

"It appears the fraudsters may target people who may not be as ‘savvy’ with computer internet skills and may not readily recognise these scams when they come about."

According to the government-backed Scamwatch website, consumers have lost more than $4 million to online shopping scams so far in 2019.

Also read: Fake caravan dealer scam warning