Internet auction sites

• Always buy from a reputable site.
• If using an internet auction site, check the seller's reputation.
• If goods are advertised substantially cheaper than elsewhere then be careful as it may not be genuine.
• Check terms and conditions, especially with regards to defects and refunds etc.
• If buying from a private seller, make sure you have full contact details and not just email and mobile phone number.
• Be wary of sending cash and money orders; if the price is over £100, consider using a credit card as you may be able to claim from the credit card company if things go wrong.
• Make sure any website where you give your personal and credit card details is secure, i.e. a small padlock should appear at the bottom of the screen and the URL should read https:// (s for secure).
• If buying something that appears too good to be true then BE WARY, as it most likely will be.

See the website in Related Information for more details and tips.

This question is relevant whether you live in the UK and are a victim of crime elsewhere or whether you live in other parts of the world and believe you are a victim of a crime committed in the UK.

You need to make a report to the police in your own country. You should not make the report direct to the police in the country where you think the crime has happened as the request must be from a recognised law enforcement authority.

Depending on the type of crime it may be that the actual offence has happened in your country but the suspect lives in another country. There are official procedures that must be followed when investigating international crime which mean that you must report the matter to your local police/law enforcement agency first.

If the crime is theft, criminal damage, theft from motor vehicle, vandalism or hate crime or incident and you are certain that it has happened in the United Kingdom then you can report the crime online, see the website in related information.

If you are still in the country where the crime occurred then you should make a report to the local police. It is only when you are not in the country where the crime occurred that the above applies.

Just because the car is advertised on a reputable site such as Autotrader or Ebay does not automatically mean that the seller is genuine. Many criminal gangs have been using reputable sites to advertise cars that don't belong to them or don't even exist.

Once the buyer decides that they want the car they are then taken to a fake website where they hand over the cash for a car that they will never see. The website is supposed to hold on to the cash until the vehicle is received (supposedly an independent place to hold the money whilst the deal is done), but it goes straight into the bank accounts of the criminal gangs, most of whom are based abroad.

There are a few ways to spot a fraudulent car sale:

• check the address and postcode are correct
• if it is supposed to be a big company there should be a landline and not just a mobile number
• check the mobile number and look out for suspicious voicemail messages
• look for spelling mistakes
• be very wary if you cannot meet the buyer in person and physically see the car before you buy it.
• It's better to miss the 'bargain' than lose a lot of money. Don't let the red mist of greed take hold of you, and think things through objectively.

See the website in related information for more details.