Safety & Security centre

1. Payment

Never wire money abroad - it is often the preferred method of a fraudulent seller acquiring money illegally. Pay for the vehicle when you physically collect it from the seller.

2. Price

Always check the caravan or motor home market value by getting a caravan valuation or comparing the price with several other similar models advertised on Motorhome Trader. If it's being offered at a much cheaper price, ask yourself why. If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

3. Visit the seller

Never buy a caravan without seeing it first, preferably in daylight when it's easier to spot damage.

• View the caravan or motor home at the seller's home and check the address is the same as the one listed on the caravan registration document and Car or Motor home V5C document
• Test drive the motorhome
• Check for damp in the caravan. Look around the windows for any signs and check the pipes for any sign of leaking.
• Check for rust. The main areas to check are under the caravan and near the chassis.
• Check that all the keys are available and correct.
• Check the internal equipment - Cooker, furniture, heating, etc.
• Check that the chassis number has not been removed or altered. The Chassis number can usually be found on the windows, door frame or underneath the wheel arch.  Check this with the seller.
• Check the Tow Hitch. Make sure that this does not stick when moved. Also check the handbrake works adequately.

4. CRiS check or Vehicle Check

Buying a used caravan or motor home can be just as risky as buying a used car. If you buy a caravan or motor home that is on finance or stolen you may not be legally entitled to keep it - you could lose the caravan or motor home and the money you paid for it. Worryingly there are also caravans and motor homes out there that have been written-off by insurance companies - these may not be roadworthy, or in a worse-case scenario, they could be dangerous.

• Confirm the correct identity of the caravan or motor home
• Reveal if the caravan or motor home is:
• • Recorded as on finance
  • Reported as stolen
  • Recorded as an Insurance Write-Off
• Confirm if the caravan 'seller' is currently recorded with CRiS as the current keeper

Protect your PC

• Ensure security software is up-to-date, including anti-virus protection, anti-spyware software and a firewall
• Set a secure password for your wi-fi connection using a combination of letters and numbers
• Block spam emails and use an up-to-date web browser
• Encrypt your wireless network to protect against eavesdroppers and freeloaders
• Visit getsafeonline.org for more information on protecting your PC

Avoiding scams

If a caravan or motorhome is being offered at a much cheaper price, ask yourself why. If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

• Make sure the seller has a valid address and telephone number - be wary of mobile phone numbers, always visit the seller at home and never buy without seeing and driving the caravan first
• Be wary of requests for upfront payments or private information, a false sense of urgency or unnecessary details - it could be a vehicle export scam
• Never wire money abroad as it is often a 'fraudulent' seller

Protect your identity and privacy

• Avoid identity theft by using an up-to-date web browser and blocking bogus emails with a spam filter
• Use a secure password, with a mix of words, letters, numbers and punctuation, and avoid using names of loved ones or other easy-to-guess passwords
• Be careful about the personal information you give away online (such as on blogs and social networking sites)

What to do if you think you're a victim

If you think you've been targeted by a fraudster, contact Motorhome Trader immediately by emailing scam@autotrader.co.uk or calling 0845 071 0487.

Typical scenario:

• The phone number is either faulty or diverting to voicemail
• During email correspondence, the seller will say they are unable to use the phone due to illness or because they are away on business
• The seller will ask you to wire a large deposit or the full price of the vehicle to them before creating an excuse to avoid releasing the vehicle, telling you to transfer more money or becoming impossible to contact
• A caravan or motor home is much cheaper than its market value
• If a seller cannot give you a landline telephone number
• If the advert or subsequent emails are full of spelling mistakes and poor grammar

Top tips to avoid fraudulent sellers:

1. Payment

Never wire money abroad - it is often the preferred method of a fraudulent seller acquiring money illegally. Pay for the vehicle when you physically collect it from the seller.

2. Price

Always check the caravan or motor home market value by getting a caravan valuation or comparing the price with several other similar models advertised on Motorhome Trader. If it's being offered at a much cheaper price, ask yourself why. If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

3. Visit the seller

Never buy a vehicle without seeing it first, preferably in daylight when it's easier to spot damage.

• View the caravan or motor home at the seller's home and check the address is the same as the one listed on the caravan registration document and Car or Motor home V5C document
• Test drive the motorhome
• Check for damp in the caravan. Look around the windows for any signs and check the pipes for any sign of leaking.
• Check for rust. The main areas to check are under the caravan and near the chassis.
• Check that all the keys are available and correct.
• Check the internal equipment - Cooker, furniture, heating, etc.
• Check that the chassis number has not been removed or altered. The Chassis number can usually be found on the windows, door frame or underneath the wheel arch.  Check this with the seller.
• Check the Tow Hitch. Make sure that this does not stick when moved. Also check the handbrake works adequately.

4. CRiS check or Vehicle Check

Buying a used caravan or motor home can be just as risky as buying a used car. If you buy a caravan or motor home that is on finance or stolen you may not be legally entitled to keep it - you could lose the caravan or motor home and the money you paid for it. Worryingly there are also caravans and motor homes out there that have been written-off by insurance companies - these may not be roadworthy, or in a worse-case scenario, they could be dangerous.

• Confirm the correct identity of the caravan or motor home
• Reveal if the caravan or motor home is:
• • Recorded as on finance
  • Reported as stolen
  • Recorded as an Insurance Write-Off
• Confirm if the caravan 'seller' is currently recorded with CRiS as the current keeper

What to do if you think you're a victim

If you think you've been targeted by a fraudster, contact Motorhome Trader immediately by emailing scam@autotrader.co.uk or calling 0845 071 0487.

One of the most common online scams to affect all kinds of internet users is the Advance Fee Fraud, which encourages sellers to transfer "shipping fees" to "buyers" abroad.

The scam usually involves a fraudster gaining the victim's trust over a period of several emails, convincing sellers they genuinely want to buy, sending a fake cheque to cover the cost before insisting on money for "shipping fees".

A number of sellers advertising caravans and motor homes have been contacted in this way, but the emails are easy to spot. Typically they will:

Originate from webmail accounts, such as Yahoo or Hotmail

• Be poorly written, or look as though they're being sent in bulk with the seller's caravan or motor home details crudely pasted in
• Encourage sellers to use money transfer services such as Western Union

The scenarios vary, but usually take the following shape of events:

• The "buyer" arranges for a cheque to be sent from a third party to the seller for the asking price of the caravan or motor home - plus extra to cover the cost of shipping abroad

The seller pays the cheque into their bank and is pressured by the fraudster into sending the "shipping fee"abroad immediately via a legitimate electronic money transfer company

• A few days later, the seller will be informed by the bank that the cheque was a fake
• The seller hears no more from the fraudster

If you receive an email which you believe to be from a fraudster:

• Forward it to the abuse department of the sender's email provider
• Use your email software to block further emails from the sender
• Do not respond
• Forward it to the Auto Trader Customer Service team - scam@autotrader.co.uk

What to do if you think you're a victim

If you think you've been targeted by a fraudster, contact Motorhome Trader immediately by emailing scam@autotrader.co.uk or calling 0845 071 0487.

When you're selling a caravan it's important you know how to spot the signs of a fraudulent payment.

Remember:

• Never send money abroad
• Never pay a large deposit
• Don't hand over your vehicle until you are satisfied the funds are in your account - check with your bank that you can withdraw funds safely on the cheque
• Your bank will not honour fraudulent drafts or drafts that cannot be cleared through lack of funds
• Don't be pressured into releasing your caravan - a genuine buyer will not mind waiting until the draft has cleared

Forged bankers' cheques

Sellers should be aware of the possibility of receiving a forged bankers' draft.

Typical scenario:

• You receive a cheque from the buyer
• Your bank informs you the cheque was forged days later
• The buyer has already taken possession of the vehicle and you're left without payment

Don't release your vehicle until you have confirmation the cheque is genuine and has been paid by the buyer's bank. Check with your bank to ensure the draft has been 'given value' rather than merely 'cleared'.

Be particularly wary of buyers who view your vehicle after the banks have closed and produce a bank draft already made out for the full asking price.

Fake escrow services

An escrow service mediates between a buyer and seller:

• The buyer transfers the payment to the escrow service
• The buyer takes delivery of the goods
• The escrow service releases the payment to the seller

Fraudulent escrow services appear legitimate but are run by fake 'sellers'.

The 'seller' places a fake caravan or motor home advert with an unusually low price to grab the buyer's attention. When the buyer enquires about the vehicle they're sent a standard reply, promising to waiver the shipping costs, suggesting payment is made via a particular escrow service.

Signs it may be a fake escrow service includes false licence numbers, logos and copyright details, as well as a mobile phone number disguised as a foreign landline. After the money is sent, the buyer becomes impossible to contact and untraceable.

How to spot a legitimate escrow service:

• A legitimate escrow service will never ask you to wire the funds directly to another party
• Avoid sites which don't have a padlock icon at the bottom of your screen and a 'https://' at the start of the website address - this means the site is not secure
• Avoid sites which have a dash in their name and those which end in '.org', '.biz', '.cc', '.info' or '.us'
• Ensure the escrow service has an address and a landline telephone number - try the number and make sure you talk to a person, rather than just a fax tone or answer phone message
• If you're suspicious, type the company's name into a search engine - a legitimate escrow service will have a number of results listed - a fake escrow site will have very few

Motorhome Trader will never recommend an escrow service. If you receive an email claiming to be from Motorhome Trader which does - beware, it's probably be a scam.

What to do if you think you're a victim

If you think you've been targeted by a fraudster, contact Motorhome Trader immediately by emailing scam@autotrader.co.uk or calling 0845 071 0487.

How Motorhome Trader can help: Top tips to staying safe online

Fraudulent emails and calls from Motorhome Trader

Motorhome Trader will never ask you for personal information such as sign in details or credit card numbers in an email.

Scammers have been known to email sellers with a 'duplicate advert' of their caravan and motor home, before providing a link to what looks like Motorhome Trader's sign in page. Once the seller has provided their details, the scammer uses those details to change the description and contact details.

Other scenarios scammers may use to entice users to provide personal details include:

• Notification of potential account suspension
• Calls from scammers requesting credit card details for refunds
• Fake lotteries which claim to be conducted in association with Motorhome Trader
• Emails detailing offers for Motorhome Trader customers, with a full refund if your vehicle is not sold within three weeks
• Emails purporting to be from a Facebook-type 'friend' prompting you to read what they've said about you

Motorhome Trader is not affiliated with escrow or payment protection services.

Only sign in to your account via the Motorhome Trader website, not from links in emails. If you're already signed in and are asked to sign in again after clicking on a link from an email, think twice. If in doubt, type www.autotrader.co.uk into your web browser and sign in as usual.

If you receive a phone call asking for your credit card details or other personal information, end the call and call Motorhome Trader's Legal Compliance team on 0845 071 0487 immediately.

Text message premium rate scam

Sellers have received text messages from scammers posing as potential buyers. The 'buyer' expresses interest in the vehicle but makes an excuse as to why they cannot telephone the seller, before asking the seller to call them on a premium rate phone number.

Premium rate numbers typically begin with the digits '090' or '091' followed by a further 8 digits. The cost of calls varies but can cost several pounds per minute, with calls from mobiles costing more. Most landline numbers in the UK begin with an '01' or '02' while all UK mobile phone numbers currently begin with '077' '078' or '079.'

What to do?

PhonepayPlus regulates the content and promotion of premium rate services in the UK. It investigates complaints and has the power to fine companies.

If you receive a text message asking you to phone a premium rate number, contact the free PhonepayPlus helpline on 0800 500 212. Alternatively, you can make a complaint to PhoneplayPlus or check a premium rate number.

Vehicle Safe Trading Advisory Group
An industry body initiated by Auto Trader designed to combat vehicle related fraud for buyers and sellers of vehicles, motorcycles, vans and caravans.

Caravan Registration and Identification Scheme (CRiS) - http://www.hpicheck.com/caravans.html
CRiS is an abbreviation for the Caravan Registration and Identification Scheme (CRiS). CRiS is a UK nationwide register of touring caravans which was setup in 1992 by HPI and the National Caravan Council (NCC).

DVLA
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) maintains records of licensed drivers and registered vehicles for the Department of Transport.

OFT Approved
The OFT Approved scheme means signatories are members of Office of Fair Trading approved trade associations. Members display the Approved code's logo and customers will be treated fairly if problems arise.

Direct.gov Motoring
Government website offering advice about public services across England and Wales with a large section dedicated to motoring.

Direct.gov Buyer Beware
Tips on how to stay safe from fraud when buying a car, including an interactive guide to the Vehicle Registration Certificate (V5C).

Trading Standards
A not-for-profit organisation which seeks to safeguard consumers' health and safety and wellbeing from unscrupulous businesses.

Metropolitan Police Fraud Alert
A Metropolitan Police website which is part of an initiative to tackle economic crime, providing useful information for vehicle buyers and sellers across Britain.

Consumer Direct
A government-funded website providing information on how to resolve consumer issues once goods or services have been purchased.

Companies House
Website allowing users to search for information on registered businesses, such as information on its accounts and whether it has been dissolved.