usa auto validation dot com

[Jstpssng]

All one word, then .com.

Does anybody know anything about this site? is it a free service like Carfax? I have my pickup advertised on CL and a potential buyer texted me the site asking me to run my VIN numbers and send me the report, but a search on the site turns up a lot of things but nothing to do with car history.
I'm rather paranoid about entering a website from somebody I don't know; especially in response to a CL ad.

Then again maybe I'm just paranoid. Is that a bad thing, if they really are out to get me?

 

[Morning Wood]

It’s craigslist. More will come. I pretty much don’t trust anybody on it unless they personally come to look at something.

 

[KennyG]

It's a scam. They do a very basic DMV type of search on the VIN. The "buyer" that contacted you is actually a scammer, probably in eastern Europe that gets a bounty for each search they can direct to them. Just respond and say you already have Carfax they can see when they look at the car. You will never hear from them again.

 

[Jstpssng]

Thanks. I'm not sure just what they accomplish as I will only sell face to face. I should have known when he texted to an ad which specifically states " I cannot accept texts", but he called and texted several times so I thought that he might be legit.
There's no way that I'm going to click on a link sent to me from a CL buyer.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

He got what he was after. He gets paid each time you (or anyone else) visits the site.

 

[TractorGuy]

I NEVER put my phone number in a CL ad. I broke a rule a while back and called a CL ad and was repaid by having my number spoofed and spammed.

I communicate back and forth through the CL method until I'm convinced I am dealing with a legit buyer/seller.

 

[TractorNH]

It's a scam. There are a couple different scams going. The one I ran across is the type where the scammer will set up a website like that so it looks legit but when you enter your info and credit card number the site directly emails all of it to the scammer. If you filled it all in then you best cancel your card and have your credit card company issue you a new card with a new number. The scammer already has the old one and may already be using it.

I ran across a similar situation when I was selling a motorcycle. I had scammers posing as buyers and saying they wanted a vin report and would give the name of a site to use. I was skeptical but found several articles online about how this scam works.

Here are a couple articles about it for your reading pleasure....and no, the links aren't scams!

Craigslist used car sellers: fake vehicle history report sites stealing credit card numbers

Car History Report Scam | Scam Detector