WYDOT warns of fake sites

CASPER (WNE) — The Wyoming Department of Transportation is warning residents to watch for scams when buying vehicles, trailers or equipment online after investigators reported an increase in fraudulent websites posing as legitimate Wyoming dealers, auctioneers and businesses.

Investigators with WYDOT’s Motor Vehicle Services Compliance and Investigation division said scammers often clone legitimate websites, using similar designs, graphics and business information to make fraudulent sites appear authentic. The sites may differ from the legitimate businesses in their URLs and other key details.

Scammers then advertise vehicles or other equipment at unusually low prices, according to WYDOT. Buyers may not realize they have been deceived until an auction ends, money is wired and the advertised item does not exist.

“Buying online is convenient, but carries risks for fraud and scams,” Shannon Ferree, investigation supervisor with WYDOT Compliance and Investigation, said in a news release. “The auction closes, you think you just got a great deal on a car, and then the money is gone, and the car doesn’t even exist.”

WYDOT’s tips to avoid being victim of online vehicle scam:

Check the website address. Don’t assume the first result in a search engine is the legitimate business. Carefully compare the URL and other identifying information. Buyers can also verify registered dealers through WYDOT’s dealer registration page.

Avoid wire transfers. Once money is wired, recovering it can be extremely difficult. 

See the item in person. If you cannot inspect a vehicle, trailer or piece of equipment yourself, have someone you trust view it before sending money.

WYDOT officials said it works with law enforcement and website hosts to remove fraudulent webpages, but some of the sites are hosted outside the United States.

Wyoming residents who believe they may have encountered this type of scam can contact WYDOT’s Compliance through its information page or the Wyoming Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division.