Scammers are getting creative in this 1 new tactic to swindle car sellers — and their ‘pushy’ approach is leaving some paying hundreds out of pocket even when they don’t fall for it

Instead, scammers have come up with a much more creative way to swindle those looking to offload their used vehicles.

Sean Pour with SellMax, which buys used and damaged cars, told 10 on Your Side that he has seen an uptick in the number of cases where supposed "buyers" intentionally damage vehicles to try to convince sellers to hand them over for less.

Here's how the scam works, along with tips on protecting yourself from falling victim.

Scammers trick car sellers into thinking there's a problem

According to 10 on Your Side, the new car sale scam takes place when scammers pose as buyers and arrange to come see a car that's listed for sale by a private owner.

"They work in teams," Pour said. "One person will distract you by asking to see the car title or something about the vehicle, and the other person will quickly pour oil into the coolant reservoir and pour it around the engine of the car. It causes the car to smoke, and what this means is typically a blown head gasket or some other major issue with the car. They try to pressure people into selling the car at a lower price point."

Unfortunately, there's a serious risk sellers will end up falling for this — even those who don't fall for it can still end up out of money.

One victim, who wanted to remain anonymous, explained how this happened.

"As soon as they pulled up, I could see three guys in the van. I told my wife immediately, shut the garage and don't come outside,” he told 10 on Your Side. “I just knew I was not in a good situation."

The victim said one of the scammers pulled out cash to "buy" the car, while the others poured the coolant on the engine before telling him there was a problem — and not taking no for an answer.

"They're very pushy, and I just was in a bad spot, so I’m like 'cars not for sale, get out of here' but they wouldn't leave," he said. "They could have easily pushed someone into just going, ‘just take the car.’"

While the victim didn't fall for their scam, it still cost him $500 to repair the vehicle before he could sell it to someone else.

How to avoid falling victim to a similar scam

Unfortunately, if you're selling a vehicle on your own, you're probably going to have to meet with potential buyers to do it. That puts you at risk of scams like this one. And with ongoing vehicle expenses like car insurance already potentially increasing by 8% by the end of 2025, you can’t afford a bad deal.

So, 10 on Your Side spoke to police for advice, and they advised meeting in public. Because many departments have designated public safety spaces for these types of meetups, you can reduce the likelihood of scammers even showing up. They may be less likely to try their tricks if you're meeting in an area regularly patrolled by law enforcement.

Police also suggest reporting the incident so law enforcement officials can investigate the scam and warn others.