Buying & selling safely

ScanAutos provides for-sale signs and preview pages; buyers contact sellers directly. We never take payments, hold deposits, ship vehicles or offer “vehicle protection programs”. Anyone who says otherwise is a scammer.

If you are buying

• Inspect the car in person, in daylight, ideally with a mechanic.
• Match the VIN on the windshield plate, the door-jamb sticker, the title and the ScanAutos page. If any differ, walk away and report the listing.
• Check that the name on the seller’s ID matches the title.
• Never pay with gift cards, wire transfers, crypto or payment apps to “hold” a car.
• Complete the sale at a bank or your local DMV/tag office when you can.

If you are selling

• Never accept a cashier’s check for more than the price, or refund an “overpayment”.
• Ignore buyers who want to use a “shipping agent” or who cannot see the car in person.
• Never share a verification code that is texted to you — it can be used to hijack your accounts.
• Meet in a public place, bring a friend, and ride along on test drives.
• Wait for funds to fully clear before handing over the title and keys.

Report a problem

Every listing page has a “Report this listing” button. Listings with multiple reports are paused automatically while our team reviews them.