Grande Prairie RCMP are reminding the public to be cautious about buying or selling items online after a stolen BMW Z3 was purchased online.
Police said the person who bought the vehicle didn’t know it was stolen and is an unknowing victim of fraud. Following this incident, RCMP sent out some pointers on how to protect yourself from fraud:
- knowing the market value of the product you are looking for;
- locating and verifying the seller’s contact information including address, phone number and email before you buy;
- looking for customer reviews and ratings from third-party sources;
- using a payment method with fraud protection, such as your credit card;
- picking up items and providing the payment in person, whenever possible;
- reviewing all email information to make sure they are coming from a legitimate source;
- avoiding transferring funds in order to receive a payment for an item you’re selling;
- researching and using reputable websites to purchase VIN reports; and
- performing an online search to see if anyone has already reported the fraudulent buyer or seller.
If anyone has information on this stolen 1197 BMW Z3, they’re asked to contact Grande Prairie RCMP.
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