Scam adverts on Autotrader - today's batch

All adverts have been reported.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/used-cars/bmw/1-series/used-bmw-1-series-118d-es-5dr-cardiff-fpa-201311240123540?logcode=p

£4,500 BMW 1 SERIES 118d ES 5dr 2.0

Link in description.

WE ARE OUT OF OFFICE!!! FOR PICS AND DETAILS PLEASE CONTACT THE OWNER AT: [email protected]

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/used-cars/bmw/x3/used-bmw-x3-3-0sd-m-sport-5dr-step-auto-cardiff-fpa-201311240123561?logcode=p

£0 BMW X3 3.0sd M Sport 5dr Step Auto

Link in description.

WE ARE OUT OF OFFICE!!! FOR PICS AND DETAILS PLEASE CONTACT THE OWNER AT: [email protected]

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/used-cars/volkswagen/polo/used-volkswagen-polo-1-2-tdi-bluemotion-3dr-cardiff-fpa-201311240123471?logcode=p

£0 Volkswagen Polo 1.2 TDI Bluemotion 3dr

Link in description.

WE ARE OUT OF OFFICE!!! FOR PICS AND DETAILS PLEASE CONTACT THE OWNER AT: [email protected]

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/used-cars/mini/hatch-cooper/used-mini-hatch-cooper-1-6-cooper-d-3dr-cardiff-fpa-201311240123420?logcode=p

£0 MINI Hatch Cooper 1.6 Cooper D 3dr

Link in description.

WE ARE OUT OF OFFICE!!! FOR PICS AND DETAILS PLEASE CONTACT THE OWNER AT: [email protected]

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/used-cars/fiat/500/used-fiat-500-1-4-pop-2dr-cardiff-fpa-201311240123441?logcode=p

£0 Fiat 500 1.4 Pop 2dr

Link in description.

WE ARE OUT OF OFFICE!!! FOR PICS AND DETAILS PLEASE CONTACT THE OWNER AT: [email protected]

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/used-cars/vauxhall/corsa/used-vauxhall-corsa-1-2-sxi-5dr-ac-bridgend-fpa-201311240122193?logcode=p

£0 Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 SXi 5dr [AC]

Link in description.

WE ARE OUT OF OFFICE!!! FOR PICS AND DETAILS PLEASE CONTACT THE OWNER AT: [email protected]

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/used-cars/ford/fiesta/used-ford-fiesta-1-25-zetec-3dr-82-cardiff-fpa-201311240123430?logcode=p

£0 Ford Fiesta 1.25 Zetec 3dr [82]

Link in description.

WE ARE OUT OF OFFICE!!! FOR PICS AND DETAILS PLEASE CONTACT THE OWNER AT: [email protected]

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/used-cars/bmw/3-series/used-bmw-3-series-320d-m-sport-business-edition-4dr-step-auto-cardiff-fpa-201311240123524?logcode=p

£0 BMW 3 SERIES 320d M Sport Business Edition 4dr Step Auto 2.0

Link in description.

WE ARE OUT OF OFFICE!!! FOR PICS AND DETAILS PLEASE CONTACT THE OWNER AT: [email protected]

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/used-cars/citroen/c1/used-citroen-c1-1-0i-vtr-3dr-ac-bridgend-fpa-201311240122234?logcode=p

£0 Citroen C1 1.0i VTR 3dr [AC]

Link in description.

WE ARE OUT OF OFFICE!!! FOR PICS AND DETAILS PLEASE CONTACT THE OWNER AT: [email protected]

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/used-cars/volkswagen/touran/used-volkswagen-touran-1-9-tdi-match-5dr-magherafelt-fpa-201311230110481?logcode=p

£0 Volkswagen Touran 1.9 TDI Match 5dr

Link in description.

WE ARE OUT OF OFFICE!!! FOR PICS AND DETAILS PLEASE CONTACT THE OWNER AT: [email protected]

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/used-cars/bmw/x1/used-bmw-x1-xdrive-23d-se-5dr-step-auto-cardiff-fpa-201311240123495?logcode=p

£0 BMW X1 xDrive 23d SE 5dr Step Auto 2.0

Link in description.

WE ARE OUT OF OFFICE!!! FOR PICS AND DETAILS PLEASE CONTACT THE OWNER AT: [email protected]

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/used-cars/toyota/yaris/used-toyota-yaris-1-33-vvt-i-t-spirit-nav-5dr-6-bridgend-fpa-201311240122221?logcode=p

£0 Toyota Yaris 1.33 VVT-i T Spirit Nav 5dr [6]

Link in description.

WE ARE OUT OF OFFICE!!! FOR PICS AND DETAILS PLEASE CONTACT THE OWNER AT: [email protected]

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/used-cars/ford/kuga/used-ford-kuga-2-0-tdci-titanium-5dr-cardiff-fpa-201311240123510?logcode=p

£0 Ford Kuga 2.0 TDCi Titanium 5dr

Link in description.

WE ARE OUT OF OFFICE!!! FOR PICS AND DETAILS PLEASE CONTACT THE OWNER AT: [email protected]

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/used-cars/renault/megane/used-renault-megane-1-5-dci-86-i-music-5dr-cardiff-fpa-201311240123410?logcode=p

£0 Renault Megane 1.5 dCi 86 I-Music 5dr

Link in description.

WE ARE OUT OF OFFICE!!! FOR PICS AND DETAILS PLEASE CONTACT THE OWNER AT: [email protected]

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/used-cars/citroen/c4-grand-picasso/used-citroen-c4-grand-picasso-1-6hdi-16v-vtr-plus-5dr-egs-cardiff-fpa-201311240123453?logcode=p

£0 Citroen C4 GRAND PICASSO 1.6HDi 16V VTR Plus 5dr EGS

Link in description.

WE ARE OUT OF OFFICE!!! FOR PICS AND DETAILS PLEASE CONTACT THE OWNER AT: [email protected]

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/used-cars/audi/a3/used-audi-a3-2-0-tdi-sport-5dr-start-stop-cardiff-fpa-201311240123464?logcode=p

£0 Audi A3 2.0 TDI Sport 5dr [Start Stop]

Link in description.

WE ARE OUT OF OFFICE!!! FOR PICS AND DETAILS PLEASE CONTACT THE OWNER AT: [email protected]

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/used-cars/volkswagen/touran/used-volkswagen-touran-1-9-tdi-match-5dr-cardiff-fpa-201311240123320?logcode=p

£0 Volkswagen Touran 1.9 TDI Match 5dr

Link in description.

WE ARE OUT OF OFFICE!!! FOR PICS AND DETAILS PLEASE CONTACT THE OWNER AT: [email protected]

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/used-cars/skoda/fabia/used-skoda-fabia-1-6-tdi-cr-90-elegance-5dr-cardiff-fpa-201311240123384?logcode=p

£0 Skoda Fabia 1.6 TDI CR 90 Elegance 5dr

Link in description.

WE ARE OUT OF OFFICE!!! FOR PICS AND DETAILS PLEASE CONTACT THE OWNER AT: [email protected]

[AlanJones]

I've also reported a load more through their official advert report system, but it is slow going doing them one a t a time - so I've emailed their scam email address with a suggestion as to how they can identify them.

Good idea. I'm doing them one at a time as well.

Bearing in mind that many of these adverts represent compromised dealer accounts I would have expected it to be in the interests of the dealer, autotrader and potential victims that they get dealt with speedily. The victim loses money, the dealer loses business and is involved in the activity of a criminal and autotrader's system is being penetrated and abused by criminals, not that this is a problem unique to auto trader, it's fair to add.

From the setting up of hundreds if not thousands of websites to phish bank accounts to launder the stolen money, to the phishing for ebay and autotrader accounts, posting fake adverts and organising it all, there's no doubt that this is a massive organised fraud.

It's interesting to note that there are much fewer ads posted after the weekend, which makes me believe that the criminals are planning their posting to coincide with the weekend, when they believe most people will look to buy a car and the dealers and websites will be less likely to act against them.

It appears that all outstanding scam adverts that have been reported are now clear, so plaudits to Autotrader.

It would be nice if they could be cleared quicker, but this problem isn't unique to them and the important thing is to be addressing the problem. It's obvious that the scammers are an organised criminal operation and they're phishing dealers for log in details of their accounts and then flooding the site with scams on a Friday night when they believe most people will be looking for deals, and when it's most difficult for dealers or the website to handle them.

It's not just a problem for ad sites, or banks through whom stolen funds are laundered, but it needs to be addressed by all the parties affected as this crime doesn't benefit anyone but the criminal, and the crime is turning in to a multi-million pound industry itself feeding off everyone. Government and law enforcement should be leading the drive to combat criminals who harm UK business and citizens but I see no evidence of them even recognising the problem.

The organisation behind this fraud is large and complex - from setting up websites to recruit money mules, handling them, sending out phishing mails, handling buyers, sending out spoofed mails and posting adverts - this is a large scale operation, and by reducing the effectiveness of the adverts, it can easily make the whole scam operation uneconomic and the criminals will target those sites with the least effective fraud control.

The point being that if autotrader knock down the scam ads promptly, the fraudsters won't find phishing dealer log-ins an economically viable crime and dealers and buyers are both protected. So far, so good.