Sandra Goldie was in the market to sell her 1991 Mazda Miata convertible.
Within minutes of posting the vehicle on Kijiji, three inquiries came. The buyers were highly motivated. There are a number of Miata convertible collectors across Canada, it stood to reason there would be some interest.
“The inquiries were all similar, where is the vehicle located, general questions like that,” said Ms. Goldie.
One buyer seemed very keen. He said his mechanic wanted Ms. Goldie to obtain a used car report to indicate if the car had been in any major accident. He said he would reimburse any costs, and directed the sellers to a website called vinfax.com.
The website purports to use a decoder that is linked to both industry standard Carfax and Autocheck’s databases. Input VIN number, pay, and await results.
It looked like a legitimate site so Ms. Goldie paid for the premium package — around $200 — and periodically checked her email account.
“When it arrived, it looked like a simple photocopy with some very basic information that could have been taken off the Kijiji ad,” She said. “We were still in contact with the buyer so we didn’t suspect anything at that point.”
But the buyer all of a sudden had a personal emergency. His pregnant wife had fallen down some stairs and he was no longer interested in the car. At that point, the Picton couple realized they had been scammed.
“I wanted to bring attention to this because it seems like something more than those phishing emails about gold or money in some foreign country. It was very coordinated,” she added.
Prince Edward OPP Community Services officer Constable Aaron Miller said the VIN report scam is something he hasn’t seen before. After some research, Constable Miller found an instance out of Ottawa where a mother selling her son’s car fell victim to the same type of scam.
“Not only do the scammers wind up getting your money off a credit card transaction, but they have that number and more personal information, which they can then use to apply for credit,” said Constable Miller.
“Now, you could be a victim of identity fraud. The speed and complexity of these scammers is incredible. We always recommend reporting any instance of fraud, no matter how apparently minor, to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. If you have lost money to a fraud or scam, we would encourage anyone to report it to the OPP. Together, we can help fight fraud.”
With assistance from the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC), Prince Edward County OPP have charged a local man with a litany of fraud-related offences.
As a result of an investigation dating back several years, Paul Marconi, 65, was charged with 15 counts of both fraud and theft over $5,000 and four counts of making false loans. Losses are estimated to be over approximately $500,000.
The accused was released from custody and was scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Picton on August 28, 2024.
The investigation is continuing and anyone with information surrounding these incidents is being urged to contact police at 1-888-310-1122.
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