(BBB)
If you’re scrolling through social media looking for work equipment or collector vehicle, you may be presented with an offer that you can’t refuse. It might be a piece of heavy equipment or a classic automobile that you’ve always wanted. The price is just in your buying range. The St. Louis Consumer Fraud Task Force (CFTF) wants you to think twice before you make that purchase so you don’t become another victim of a virtual vehicle vendor scam.
These scams, where fraudsters make fake websites and social media posts for items like farm machinery, boats, RVs, motorcycles and classic cars, can be financially damaging to the victim. A study released earlier this year by the Better Business Bureau® (BBB®) showed that BBB had received hundreds of reports of virtual vehicle vendor scams over the past few years.
Losses are typically in the thousands with many consumers losing tens of thousands of dollars for vehicles they never receive. Reports to BBB showed a pattern of fraudulent websites where the fraudsters sell vehicles at attractive prices. Scammers sometimes will mimic names and websites of real businesses in their schemes.
A small business in southeast Missouri earlier this year had its name used by scammers in a virtual vehicle vendor scam. The scammers made a fake website and social media pages with the business name to sell farm machinery. Seven victims from throughout the U.S. reported more than $223,000 in losses to BBB.
A consumer from Sulpher Springs, Texas, reported to BBB’s Scam Tracker in July 2025 that they wired nearly $10,000 to a business they believed was in St. Louis for a motor home. The motor home was never delivered.
The Task Force recommends these avenues to avoid virtual vehicle vendor scams:
- Get the facts. When dealing with a business that is solely online, call the seller and ask for evidence about their business to ensure they are legitimate. Check with the secretary of state’s office where the business is located to see if they are registered. Check when the website was registered through a domain search on WhoIs. Do a virtual visit of the business location using Google maps.
- See for yourself. Whenever possible, ask to see a vehicle or piece of equipment in person. Call nearby businesses or local government offices if needed to confirm the legitimacy of the business with which you are working. You can also use Google images to see if the photo of the vehicle or equipment is being used elsewhere on the Internet.
- Check the price. Consumers who are victimized in virtual vehicle vendor scams tell authorities that the prices on the items were below the normal cost. If the price is too good to be true, that’s a red flag. Also resist any high-pressure tactics to urge quick action before you can fully investigate the business and its product.
- Pay the right way. Consumers in this con are often asked to wire money for their purchase. Never wire money to people you do not know. Try to use a credit card if possible so that you can institute a charge back if the item is not delivered. Also avoid sharing any personal identifying information such as a Social Security Number during the transaction.
- Report the bad actors. If you believe you have been victimized in a virtual vehicle vendor scam, report it to the Better Business Bureau’s Scam Tracker. Also contact the police department where the business is located. You will also want to report to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
About the St. Louis Consumer Fraud Task Force
The Task Force, formed in October 2002, is a coalition of local, state and federal government agencies and nonprofit business and consumer groups in Missouri and Illinois that work together to protect consumer and donor rights and guard against fraud. The group has issued news alerts about predatory payday loan offers, tax scams, timeshare fraud, credit repair and foreclosure scams, bogus sweepstakes, internet sweetheart scams, phony grant scams, home remodeling, elder fraud, payment scams and a variety of other issues.
For information, or to report a scam, contact members of the Task Force:
- Better Business Bureau Serving Eastern and Southwest Missouri and Southern Illinois – (888) 996-3887; www.BBB.org
- Federal Trade Commission – (877) FTC-HELP (382-4357); www.ftc.gov
- Federal Bureau of Investigations – (314) 589-2500
- Illinois Attorney General – (800) 243-0618; www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov
- Illinois Secretary of State - Securities Department – 800-628-7937
- Missouri Attorney General – (800) 392-8222; www.ago.mo.gov
- St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department – (314) 231-1212; www.slmpd.org
- U.S. Attorney, Eastern District of Missouri – (314) 539-2200; www.usdoj.gov/usao/moe
- U.S. Postal Inspection Service – (877) 876-2455; postalinspectors.uspis.gov
- U.S. Secret Service – (314) 539-2238; www.secretservice.gov