GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) – If you’re shopping online looking for an offer on an RV, boat or vehicle, the Better Business Bureau wants to warn you about a deceptive scheme that has cost people thousands of dollars.
The BBB says complaints are piling up from people who tell them they were scammed and that they paid for a vehicle that never came.
“We had 13 consumers contact us, not all of them lost money, but those who did, the losses are $ 7,700,” said Susan Bach of the Wisconsin Better Business Bureau.
Customers tell BBB that they thought they were working with BCO Logistics in Racine County, which according to its website has 17 years of experience as a vehicle transport company.
But, the BBB tells us that it is an elaborate scheme derived from the online advertisements of a vendor claiming to be a flight attendant.
“She made an excuse that she traveled a lot, so she couldn’t be there in person to show the buyer the vehicle, but she needed to get rid of it quickly because she was going through a divorce, so she was having This company BCO Logistics handles the Selling for her. All I had to do was send her money and BCO Logistics would take care of transporting the vehicle, “Bach said.
The BCO Logistics website lists a Mt. Nice Wisconsin address, but the BBB says it was stolen.
“The BCO Logistics address was hijacked, that is actually a moving company that has nothing to do with BCO Logistics or this scam, and that the name BCO Logistics is actually a legitimate company name whose name was hijacked, both they are victims in this scam too, “said Bach. “They get calls from these angry consumers saying ‘where’s my money, where’s my pot’, they also don’t know what to do, and that’s when they contacted BBB for help.”
The BBB issued a national online alert on elaborate fraud.
“These vehicles that are supposedly for sale are well below market value and that’s another sign of this scam, someone is selling it for a price too good to be true and they are in a big rush to get rid of it and they are selling that . So to protect yourself, know the blue book or the market value of the vehicle you are trying to buy, ”said Bach.
The BBB has complaints from people in 11 states, but not in Wisconsin. Authorities say one consumer lost $ 3,000, another lost $ 32,600, and a third consumer lost $ 41,900, for a total of $ 77,000.
They believe that the people behind the scam are probably working abroad.
If you had experience with this company, you are urged to file a complaint.
BBB officials recommend the following tips to avoid losing money when shopping for vehicles online:
- Do not pay with a bank transfer – Pay by credit card whenever possible in case you need to contest the payment. Scammers generally avoid paying by check, credit card, or other trackable methods.
- Use a domain registration like WhoIs.com to find out how long the website has been around. Contact information may also be available. Scam artists posing as vehicle dealers, brokers, or large vehicle shipping services often direct consumers to a second website to complete the transaction.
- Avoid any carrier or broker that does not prominently display your MC Docket number on their website. Shipping companies must register with the U.S. DOT Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, as well as have and post a U.S. DOT Engine Carrier Number (MC Docket) to operate in the U.S. The company must post the number on its website and provide it on the phone if asked. You can verify the company on THIS WEBSITE.
- Do not trust the photos, as they can be easily copied from the Internet. · Perform a reverse image search to see if a photo has been misappropriated from another website. When it is possible, Insist on meeting the seller and inspecting the vehicle before releasing money.
- Verify the book value of vehicles with legitimate valuation tools – Scam artists often lure buyers with prices that are a fraction of the vehicle’s book price for buyers to act quickly. Offers that seem too good to be true generally are.
- Find the contact information listed on the company’s website. A Google Maps search can show if the location appears to be valid. If a phone number appears, make a quick call to determine if it is a working number or even if you are affiliated with the company.
- Check with BBB.org to see the commercial profile of a companyif they have one, and also be sure to check out BBB Scam TrackerSM which can provide additional information.
Anyone who has had experience with BCO Logistics is asked to report it to the local police department and report it to the website where it was posted. Also, you are asked to file a complaint with the FBI or the FTC.
Copyright 2020 WBAY. All rights reserved.
