In the nine months of this year, the leading Russia-based automotive vertical Auto.ru has identified and blocked over 17,000 suspicious ads, the company reported. Auto.ru said its algorithms automatically identify dozens of dubious ads daily. According to its statistics, over 40% of buyers in Russia have encountered a dodgy seller at least once.
Car scams were widespread in Russia in the ‘wild 1990s’. Back then, a standard scheme involved selling a car by proxy. The buyer would hand over the money, only to discover a month later that the vehicle had been reported stolen. Today, instead of forged documents, fraudsters use instant messaging, phishing, and social engineering, Auto.ru said.
It has identified five most widespread scams:
1. The seller offers a car in ‘perfect condition’ at a price well below market value. To explain the low price, they invent an excuse like illness, divorce, or moving to a different region/country.
2. Scammers avoid phone calls, insisting on communicating via instant messaging. This reduces the chances of detection.
3. The buyer is asked to transfer a deposit for a reservation, gas, or delivery of the car from another city.
4. Posing as clients or intermediaries, scammers send fishing links, ask buyers for sms codes or to share phone screens, stealing data and money.
5. Scammers pose as reps of foreign brands, mostly from China, turn the conversation to investments, and lures the client into a pyramid scheme.
Auto.ru noted that the proliferation of such schemes increases by more than 20% in the fall.
Auto.ru has also launched its traditional fall promotion, the “great Traffic Code test’ .This year, it aims to engage more users with new game features, redesigned mechanics, and an expanded prize pool. The top prize is the Moskvich 3 crossover, followed by a number of Yandex TV terminals, bonus points for car maintenance, and free car reports. The annual event is meant to encourage passive users to engage with the site.
Auto.ru is owned by Russia-based IT giant Yandex.
