Listing scam check · beta

Is this classic-car listing legit?

Fill in what you know about the car and the seller. You’ll get a plain-English read on the warning signs, based on scam patterns documented by the FBI, FTC and BBB. Everything runs in your browser: nothing you type is sent anywhere.

Asking price ($) Your value guess ($) Model year VIN or chassis number Where the seller is Where the car is Payment the seller wantsNot discussed yetIn person at a bank, at handoverEscrowBank wireZelle / Venmo / Cash AppCashier's check / money orderCredit card (dealer)Gift cards / prepaid cardsCryptocurrencyWestern Union / MoneyGram Escrow company name or website Who picked the escrow?No escrowI didThe seller Shipping company name or website Who picked the shipper?No shipper yetI didThe seller Independent inspection allowed?Not sure yetYesNo Will they talk by phone or video?Not sure yetYesNo Title in the seller's name?Not sure yetYesNo / someone else'sNo title, bill of sale only Do the photos look generic or reused?Haven't checkedNo, they look like the real carYes / found elsewhere Listing text or the seller’s messages Check this listing

This is guidance, not a guarantee. A clean result doesn’t prove a listing is real, and a flag doesn’t prove fraud. Shaguar doesn’t verify sellers, cars or escrow companies. Read our disclaimer.

Free checks to run yourself

• NICB VINCheck ↗Free theft and salvage check from insurance records. Works with 17-character VINs.
• Stolen911 stolen classic cars ↗Community registry of stolen classics. Search the make, model and chassis number.
• Google Lens ↗Reverse image search: upload 2–3 listing photos and see where else they appear.
• TinEye ↗A second reverse image search, sorted by oldest copy found.
• ICANN Lookup (WHOIS / RDAP) ↗Enter the escrow or shipper domain. Check the creation date; brand-new domains are a warning sign.
• NMLS Consumer Access ↗Look up state money-transmitter licences for payment or escrow firms (many states use NMLS).
• California DFPI licensee search ↗If the escrow claims to be in California, it should be on DFPI's list of licensed escrow agents (or controlled by a regulated title company, bank or attorney).
• Shaguar transport finderCheck any shipping company's USDOT/MC and FMCSA record.

We don’t contact these sites for you and we don’t earn anything from them.

The safe way to buy a classic from afar

1. See the car, or have someone you chose see it. Book your own independent inspector, not one the seller suggests.
2. Talk live. Phone first, then a video walk-around showing the VIN plate or chassis stamping and the title.
3. Match the paperwork. Title name = seller’s ID; title VIN = number on the car. Ask about liens.
4. Run the free checks above: VIN/theft lookups, reverse image search, the escrow domain’s age and licence.
5. You pick the escrow and the shipper. Type their website yourself. Never use a link or phone number the seller sends.
6. Pay traceably, at the right time. Never gift cards, crypto or money-transfer services. Confirm any wire instructions by calling a number you looked up yourself.
7. Slow down. A real seller will wait a day while you check. Pressure is a red flag.
8. Got hit? Report it to FBI IC3 and ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and call your bank right away.

Sources

• FBI IC3 PSA: Fraudulent online vehicle sales (2018)
• FBI IC3 PSA: Brand hijackers, false protection claims (2011)
• FBI IC3 PSA: Fake military twist on vehicle sale scams (2009)
• FTC: Put the brakes on phony online car sales
• BBB study: Virtual vehicle vendor scams (full study)
• BBB 2024 update: scammers target buyers of rare classic cars
• BBB investigation: vehicle shipper and escrow scams
• 49 CFR Part 565: 17-character VIN requirements (model year 1981 on)
• California DFPI: escrow consumer information (licensed vs. controlled escrow)

General information, not legal or financial advice. Shipping the car? Vet the hauler or read Shipping your auction win.