How to Spot a Car Scam on Facebook Marketplace: A Trader's Guide

Facebook Marketplace can feel like a goldmine for used cars. The prices are often lower than dealerships, and you can find unique, privately-owned gems. But here's the hard truth from someone in the motor trade: it's also a minefield, and it's getting harder to tell the treasures from the traps.

Scammers are becoming more sophisticated, and a simple mistake can cost you thousands of pounds with very little chance of getting it back. As a professional car sourcer, I see these red flags every single day. My job is to protect my clients from them.

Today, I'm sharing some of that insider knowledge with you. This is my professional guide to the biggest red flags on Facebook Marketplace that should make you stop, think, and probably walk away.

The 5 Biggest Red Flags on Facebook Marketplace

1. The Price is Too Good to Be True This is the oldest trick in the book. You see a 2018 VW Golf that normally sells for £12,000 listed for £7,000. The description is perfect, the photos are glossy or pixelated (often stolen from another genuine ad). This is "bait." The scammer's goal is to get you emotionally invested and rush you into paying a "holding deposit" before you "miss out." Once you pay, they and the ad will disappear. Trader's Rule: If it looks too good to be true, it is. Always.

2. The "Meet Me in a Car Park" Seller A genuine private seller is selling the car from their home. The address on the V5C logbook should match the address where you are viewing the car. If a seller insists on meeting in a public car park, a lay-by, or "near their work," this is a massive red flag. It often means they are a dodgy dealer pretending to be a private seller to avoid their legal responsibilities, or that the car has a hidden history they don't want you to trace back to them. Trader's Rule: No V5C address match? No sale.

3. The Urgent "Sob Story" You'll see this in the ad description: "Selling cheap as I'm moving abroad next week," "Need a quick sale due to divorce," or "I'm in the military and about to be deployed." While these situations can be genuine, they are classic scammer tactics used to create a false sense of urgency. They want you to feel pressured into making a quick decision and skip the proper checks and inspections. Trader's Rule: Another person's urgency should never become your emergency. Slow down.

4. The Upfront Deposit Demand The seller tells you, "There's a lot of interest in the car. If you want me to hold it for you until the weekend, you'll need to transfer me a £500 deposit." You have not seen the car. You have not verified the seller's identity. If you send this money, there is a very high chance you will never see it, or the seller, again. Trader's Rule: Never, ever pay a deposit for a vehicle you have not seen and inspected in person.

5. Refusal to Provide the Registration Number Before you even consider viewing a car, you should ask for the registration number. This allows you to check the MOT history online for free and, more importantly, to run your own HPI or CarVertical check. If a seller refuses to provide it or makes excuses, they are hiding something. It could be a dodgy MOT history, outstanding finance, or the fact it was previously a write-off. Trader's Rule: No registration number means no viewing. End of story.

How Can You Be 100% Protected?

Following these rules will help you avoid the most obvious scams. But the truth is, professional scammers are good at what they do. They know how to create convincing stories and apply pressure.

The only guaranteed way to be safe is to have an expert on your side.

This is the core of the Car Compass service. We don't just find you a car; we act as your professional shield against all the risks of the private market. Our process – including verifying the seller, conducting a full history check before we even leave the office, and carrying out a 250-point inspection in person – is designed to completely eliminate the risk of you falling victim to a scam or buying a bad car.

If you want the value of a private sale but the safety of a main dealer, get in touch. We're here to guide you.