Don’t pay high price of scams

NEW drivers are being warned to watch out for hoax car insurance deals and other scams that are promoted on social media or online.

The Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) call to be vigilant when shopping for policies comes as thousands of young motorists pass their tests following a long delay during the Covid pandemic.

To help, Select Car Leasing has highlighted five common online motoring swindles that it says could cost a driver an eye-watering £8485 in total.

First up are ghost brokers who entice customers with “too good to be true” car insurance deals so they end up buying policies that are completely worthless.

The best way to see if an insurance deal is genuine is to check whether the broker is in the British Insurance Broker Association.

The DVLA has issued a warning over a rise in fake text messages that appear to be sent from the agency telling drivers that their payment details need to be updated or that their road tax is in need of renewal.

Although Facebook Marketplace can be a great place to buy a used car, fraudsters are using the platform to advertise vehicles at bargain prices to lure in potential buyers.

False sellers pressure would-be owners to send a deposit and pay for delivery, and then take the money and run.

Selling online can also be risky as crooks posing as buyers tamper with the car causing it to break down – allowing them to barter for a significantly lower asking price.

They will then correct the fault and sell it on to an unwitting buyer for a bigger profit.

Finally, learners fed up with waiting to take their tests are being targeted by criminals who promise fake licences and pass certificates but then don’t deliver the counterfeit documents.