Many automobile house owners depart their telephone numbers on their windshields in case of emergencies, however this will additionally give scammers entry to their data and create alternatives for fraud. This time, Kwiksure has compiled data on numerous automobile scams, together with the newest strategies of telemarketing fraud, phishing textual content messages, automobile insurance coverage scams, and fraudulent gross sales scams, and shares 5 anti-fraud methods to cut back the danger of being scammed.
Watch out for scammers |Newest automobile scams and telecom fraud strategies
1. Mistaken parking rip-off messages
Some scammers use the telephone quantity left on the windshield of a automobile proprietor to ship a message claiming that the automobile proprietor has parked within the fallacious automobile. They will precisely say the automobile proprietor’s license plate quantity, automobile mannequin, and the situation of the automobile they often park in, making the automobile proprietor mistakenly consider that the opposite social gathering is a neighbor and reducing their guard, thereby acquiring extra data to commit fraud.
2. Automotive scratch rip-off
Scammers will contact automobile house owners through cell messaging apps, claiming that they witnessed the scratches on the automobile proprietor’s automobile. They might additionally describe the automobile’s license plate quantity, shade, and the situation of the accident. They tried to make use of the automobile as a subject of ‘friendship’ to commit fraud.
3. A message was despatched claiming that the facet mirror of a automobile had been broken and the sender wished to pay compensation.
The scammers will ship messages to the telephone quantity left by the automobile proprietor, ‘confessing’ that they by chance scratched the facet mirror of the automobile whereas parking, and counsel that the automobile proprietor examine the automobile’s situation and take a video to facilitate compensation. If the automobile proprietor refuses to compensate, the scammers could provide to ‘deal with them to a meal’ and ‘make associates’ to proceed the dialog.
4. Phishing SMS messages utilizing the guise of ‘digital tickets’
Police piloted Digital Fastened Penalty Tickets in June 2025, issuing tickets through SMS or electronic mail. Scammers will counterfeit the cell SMS format and declare that there are excellent visitors tickets for automobiles and fix hyperlinks to faux digital visitors ticketing platforms to trick automobile house owners into offering their private or account data.
5. Pretend license plates
The goal of the sort of rip-off is intending to purchase a used automobile. Specialists know that scammers can forge extremely real looking faux license plates, similar to real ones in paper high quality, font, and content material. Nevertheless, the automobile proprietor’s data on the plate is solely fictitious. Scammers sometimes demand money funds from consumers, and even when the customer insists on a financial institution switch, they may nonetheless be deceived because of the faux proprietor’s identification on the plate. Earlier than making a transaction, consultants can request the automobile proprietor to use for a Certificates of Particulars of Motor Car to maintain your thoughts comfortable.’
6. Pretend automobile insurance coverage
Scammers will contact victims through web sites, social media, or cell messaging apps,  claiming to be an insurance coverage firm middleman. They lure automobile house owners into shopping for automobile insurance coverage by providing increased premium reductions, and ask the victims to submit insurance coverage data and switch cash to their private financial institution accounts through cell phone. They then challenge faux short-term and official insurance coverage insurance policies.
7. Counterfeit ‘EasyPass’
Some scammers will impersonate ‘HKeToll‘ textual content message claims that the sufferer has an overdue invoice with penalties and asks the recipient to click on on an internet site hyperlink offered within the message to examine and pay the invoice. This tips the sufferer into clicking on a faux web site and stealing their bank card data and private information.
8. Car switch mortgage
Current studies point out that scammers, posing as consumers, acquire automobile registration certificates and copies of ID playing cards from automobile house owners. They then forge signatures on paperwork discovered within the registration certificates and, posing as brokers, apply for alternative certificates and switch of possession, finally transferring the automobile to apply for a automobile mortgage. Because the Transport Division doesn’t require the unique ID card to be offered when reissuing a automobile registration certificates, scammers can apply for a switch of possession for automobile house owners with only a copy of the automobile registration certificates and a accomplished type. Car house owners should be further cautious when promoting their automobiles to keep away from disclosing any private data or paperwork.
Watch out for Scammers | Suggestions for Avoiding Telecom Fraud/Car Gross sales Scams
1. By no means disclose any private or account data.
Scammers usually ship fraudulent messages by cell messaging apps. Whatever the content material, whenever you obtain a message from an unknown quantity, be skeptical and confirm its authenticity. By no means disclose any private or account data earlier than confirming the identification of the opposite social gathering.
2. Watch out for phishing textual content messages.
When receiving textual content messages that look like from the federal government or official channels, by no means click on on hyperlinks throughout the message. First, examine if the sender’s identify is misspelled. In response to the SMS Sender Registration Scheme, all SMS tickets could have a sender’s identify beginning with ‘#’, and the content material is not going to embody any hyperlinks. All Authorities web sites will use the area ‘.gov.hk’.
3. Confirm the credibility of the telephone quantity and web site.
For those who suspect you might have obtained a rip-off message, you should utilize the rip-off lure finder ‘Scameter’ App launched by the Hong Kong Police Power. The system makes use of ‘suspicious name alerts’ and ‘suspicious web site detection’ features to evaluate the credibility and safety dangers of telephone numbers and web sites, lowering the probabilities of being scammed.
4. Confirm the vendor’s identification earlier than making cost.
Earlier than buying automobile insurance coverage or promoting a automobile, it is best to all the time confirm the opposite social gathering’s identification. In case you have any doubts concerning the identification of the automobile insurance coverage vendor, you possibly can instantly inquire with the related insurance coverage firm. It will stop you from depositing premiums into a private checking account, and you can even confirm the knowledge with the insurance coverage firm after receiving the coverage.
Within the automobile gross sales market, earlier than shopping for a used automobile, consumers ought to fastidiously examine the authenticity of the vendor’s automobile registration certificates. Patrons can request authorization from the vendor and pay to use for a Certificates of Particulars of Motor Car to confirm the automobile proprietor’s identification on the license plate. When promoting a automobile, keep away from offering the vendor with copies of the license plate and ID card on the identical time, to forestall faux consumers from utilizing your private data for unlawful functions.’
5. Name the anti-fraud hotline 18222.
For those who suspect you might have been scammed, you possibly can name the 24-hour ‘Anti-Fraud Simple 18222’ hotline to contact the Anti-Fraud Coordination Heart for help. It’s also possible to get the newest data and warnings about rip-off strategies.
Continuously Requested Questions
How do scammers defraud automobile house owners by messages?
After noting down the automobile proprietor’s telephone quantity, the scammers will provoke conversations by making numerous excuses, similar to parking within the fallacious automobile or damaging the automobile’s facet mirror. They’ll step by step ‘befriend’ the automobile proprietor to acquire private data after which perform funding or emotional fraud after gaining their belief.
Tips on how to keep away from being scammed when shopping for or promoting vehicles?
Scammers could forge extremely real looking automobile registration certificates utilizing false identities. Earlier than conducting a transaction, they could request the automobile proprietor to use for a ‘Certificates of Particulars of Motor Car‘ to confirm their identification. By no means disclose private data or submit any funds earlier than confirming the identification. When promoting a automobile, keep away from offering the vendor with copies of the automobile registration certificates and ID card to forestall faux consumers from utilizing your private data for unlawful functions.