Mark received a legal threat for refusing to pay $17,000 upfront for a used car. Now his personal details are with scammers

Buyers are warned to be wary of purchasing a vehicle if an inspection is not possible. (ABC North Queensland: Chloe Chomicki )

Mark Bardsley was on the hunt for a second-hand car when he came across what seemed to be a decent deal on a trusted and popular car-sales website back in October.

It was exactly what he had in mind and, better yet, it was well within his budget.