Fake Car Listings in 2025: How to Spot and Avoid Online Vehicle Scams

Buying a used car online has never been easier — or riskier. Platforms like Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and OfferUp make it simple to browse thousands of listings, but they’ve also become hunting grounds for scammers. In 2025, fake car listings are among the most widespread online scams, targeting unsuspecting buyers with deals that seem too good to be true.

In this guide, we’ll break down how these scams work, how to identify red flags in a listing, and how to protect yourself from becoming a victim. If you’re thinking about buying a car online, this is essential reading.

🚗 What Is a Fake Car Listing?

A fake car listing is an online ad for a vehicle that either doesn’t exist, doesn’t belong to the seller, or contains misleading information. These listings are created by scammers to lure in buyers with unusually low prices and convincing photos. Once you engage with the seller, they pressure you to send money upfront — and then disappear.

These scams aren’t limited to Craigslist. In 2025, scammers have shifted heavily to Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, and even text-message-based offers.

📸 How Fake Car Listings Trick Buyers

Scammers use a variety of tactics to make their ads look legitimate:

Stolen or stock photos from real dealership websites
Descriptions copied from legitimate listings
Low prices that are hundreds or thousands below market value
Emotional backstories like military deployment or sudden divorce

They often claim the car is already packed for shipment or stored with a third-party service, such as “Craigslist Buyer Protection” or “eBay Motors Vehicle Purchase Program” — both of which do not exist in these forms.

🚩 Red Flags of a Scam Car Listing

Watch for these common signs that a car listing might be fake:

Price far below market average for the vehicle’s year, make, and model
Seller won’t meet in person and only communicates via email or messaging app
Mentions of urgency — moving overseas, military deployment, or recent death in the family
Requests for wire transfers, Zelle, or prepaid gift cards
References to third-party services for payment/shipping that are not verifiable
Ad includes stock or mismatched images

If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. Scammers rely on emotional triggers and the pressure of urgency to rush you into action.

🔍 How to Verify a Car Listing is Real

Before you reach for your wallet, here’s how to check the legitimacy of a listing:

1. Reverse Image Search the Photos

Use Google Images or TinEye to reverse search car photos. If the same photos appear on multiple unrelated listings, it’s likely a scam.

2. Check the VIN and Title Status

Ask for the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) and verify it through services like Carfax, AutoCheck, or NMVTIS. Refusal to provide the VIN = red flag.

3. Ask to Meet in Person

Insist on seeing the car in person in a public place. If the seller claims the car is “already shipped” or “held with a third party,” walk away.

4. Trust Local Deals Only

Stick to listings within your area. National listings with vague locations are often bait for scams.

💸 Fake Payment & Shipping Services to Watch For

Scammers often mention fake services to sound legitimate. These include:

Craigslist Buyer Protection Program (doesn’t exist)
eBay Motors Escrow (real eBay Motors exists, but verify through eBay.com)
Amazon Vehicle Protection Service (completely fake)

If someone sends you an invoice claiming to be from one of these platforms, do not click links or send money. Go to the official website of the service and contact support directly.

📈 Fake Car Listings Are on the Rise in 2025

According to consumer protection reports, complaints about fake car listings increased over 38% year-over-year in 2025. Scammers are now using AI-generated seller profiles, fake review screenshots, and even forged documents to trick buyers.

States with the highest rates of car listing scams include:

California
Texas
Florida
New York
Georgia

Always verify seller identities and never rush into a deal based on emotion or price alone.

✅ Safe Steps to Buy a Used Car Online

✔️ Search listings from trusted platforms with real-time moderation
✔️ Meet in a public place — bring a friend if possible
✔️ Ask for and verify the VIN before any payment
✔️ Get a bill of sale and complete title transfer immediately
✔️ Use cash or meet at a bank if possible — avoid digital-only payments

Remember: if the seller can’t produce paperwork, refuses to meet, or pressures you to pay quickly — it’s a scam.

🔗 Related Searches

How to report a fake Craigslist car listing
Is this car ad a scam?
Facebook Marketplace auto scams 2025
Craigslist vs Facebook Marketplace: Which is safer?
How to buy a used car safely online

If you’ve encountered a fake car listing or lost money to a scammer, report it to the FTC and FBI Internet Crime Center (IC3) immediately. Also report the listing to the platform where it appeared.

📌 Final Thoughts: Protect Yourself from Fake Listings

In 2025, the internet is flooded with car deals that look real but are designed to steal your money. The key to staying safe? Slow down, verify everything, and never send money without seeing the car and the paperwork in person.

Whether you’re a first-time buyer or a car-flipping pro, being scam-aware is your best protection. Share this guide with friends and family so they don’t fall into the trap of a fake listing.