Warning after stolen car bought on Facebook marketplace

Thames Valley Police’s roads policing unit said buyers should ‘beware’ after a car was recently stopped and discovered to be stolen.

The ‘owner’ had bought it, they thought legitimately, through online second-hand retail platform Facebook marketplace, ‘thinking they’d found a bargain’.

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A spokesperson for police said: “Just a heads-up to everyone scrolling through marketplace looking for a good deal…

“Someone recently bought a car through Facebook marketplace, thinking they’d found a bargain.

“Everything looked legit at first, but it turns out the vehicle had actually been stolen.

“Now they’re left without the car and out of pocket, and learnt a tough and expensive lesson.”

Advise for would-be car buyers through retail platforms online includes checking the vehicle history through and HPI check, making sure the V5C logbook is present and matches the seller and verify the seller’s ID and address.

Police also recommended not paying in cash or without proper receipts and being ‘cautious’ of deals which look too good to be true.