A MAN has been scammed out of £4,500 after being tricked while trying to buy a car online.

Matthew Hirst, of East Noyle, paid a deposit for a car he saw advertised on an online marketplace following discussions with the supposed seller.

The supposed seller had initially set up the advert having seen the car Matthew inquired about advertised online themselves.

They then duped the owners of the car into believing they had a genuine interest in buying the vehicle and asked to see videos of the vehicle and documentation relating to it, which they received.

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The suspect then registered themselves as the registered keeper of their vehicle and used the videos sent to them to advertise it as their own.

Potential buyers were then tricked into paying deposits for the vehicle.

34-year-old Matthew said the incident is "unbelievable" as he is one of six people who had fallen victim to the scam (as of February 6).

He arrived at an address in Bouverie Avenue, Salisbury, to pick up the car which he paid the deposit for, only to find that it was being stored in Wales.

The scammer had given him a fake address.

Wiltshire Police is reminding people to be wary of adverts for cars online and has offered advice to sellers.

Detective inspector Ian Magrath of the Digital Investigations & Intelligence Unit said: “Sellers should list the make, model and the year of the car, but never share any information about Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs), V5 documentation or anything else.

“I would also advise sellers to consider blanking the registration number from the advert as it is too easy to clone a plate, such as to avoid a congestion charge or commit a bilking (when someone makes off without paying a fare or bill).

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“Most buyers will be willing to view a vehicle as they generally want to ensure it is in good order and as per the advert.

"Perhaps ask yourself, would you buy blind and based only on a few photographs from someone you have never met?"

DI Magrath described it as a "common scam" and funds are often reverse charged so the seller loses their vehicle as well as their money.

“Be wary of those offering to pay for cars to be collected and transported too when they claim to work overseas," added DI Magrath.