Darren's story

Darren is a former professional boxer, and now boxing coach, who fell victim to a marketplace scam when he thought he’d found his dream car:

“I’ve always had a dream car in mind. The Nissan Elgrand is a rare, imported Japanese car and a long-time favourite of enthusiasts like me. Hard to find and often expensive, I thought I’d hit the jackpot when I saw an advert for one on Facebook Marketplace.

“The car was advertised at just £2,800, far below market value. I kept returning to the ad, thinking about how the offer was too good to pass up - or, as my wife warned, too good to be true.

“But it was my dream car. I contacted the seller directly. Everything seemed in order. The seller even shared a contract with me that looked legitimate. I went for it.

“I transferred the supposed seller the money in two payments, with him asking that they be sent directly to his bank account. This might have been a red flag, but I felt reassured. After all, the customer support seemed great. He even offered a five-day grace period for me to return the car if I didn’t like it.

“It was only when I spoke to the seller on the phone that I became suspicious. The call had a strange echo, the man’s voice didn’t sound right. Something was off.

“The car never showed up. I’d been scammed. I reported my case to Action Fraud, my bank, and the police - and was eventually able to recover half of my money.

“My advice? Keep payments to legitimate sites. Don’t transfer money directly to someone you don’t know. And always keep an eye out for offers that seem too good to be true - even if it’s your dream car.

“After all, there’s only so many times you can hear your partner say “I told you so”.”