That Online Car Dealership May Be Fake — The FTC Says Buyers Are Losing Money to Lookalike Sites

A fake dealership website can copy a legitimate dealer’s branding, vehicle listings, photos, and even testimonials, so independent verification matters before any money changes hands – Shutterstock

That online car dealership may not be a dealership at all. The Federal Trade Commission recently warned that scammers are cloning legitimate auto dealer websites, copying logos, vehicle listings, photos, and even customer testimonials to make fake stores look convincing.

The scam can get expensive fast. A buyer may find a desirable car, negotiate with someone who appears to work for the dealer, and send money before discovering that the real dealership has never heard of the transaction. That creates a particularly nasty problem: the website may look legitimate because the scammer borrowed its legitimacy from someone else.