Men pour oil into coolant to ‘trick owner into selling’ in late-night BMW scam | UK | News

A car seller from Dudley has sounded the alarm for fellow vehicle traders after a trio of con artists attempted to swindle him out of his BMW with a late-night ruse. 24 year old Callum Bennett, a seasoned mechanic, encountered three men at his Netherton residence around 10.15pm on Saturday, May 3, following an advert for his car on AutoTrader.

While engaged in conversation with one of the men, Callum was unaware that two accomplices were sabotaging his vehicle by adding ‘oil’ to the coolant tank, an act caught on his home CCTV system. During a subsequent test drive, the would-be buyers returned and deceitfully accused Callum of having an oil leak, attempting to pressure him into selling the car for parts at a reduced rate, reports Birmingham Live.

Recounting the ordeal, Callum revealed: “He contacted me on AutoTrader at about 6pm, saying he will come and have a viewing. He kept delaying it and delaying it until he finally got here at about 10.15pm. He was looking around the car, and there were three of them. The first two were just talking to me, asking me what damage was on the car and looking around the back.

“Then one of them walked away, passed a bottle to the other chap at the front, and while I was talking to the chap at the back, looking at the damage, he poured what I can only think was oil into the coolant reservoir. As soon as he did that, they closed the bonnet and asked me for a test drive.”

Callum recounted driving the men around for a brief five to 10 minutes before they requested him to “pop the bonnet.” “Straight away, they said you’ve got an oil leak and there is oil in the coolant, which means a head gasket is gone,” Callum explained.

“Obviously, at that point, because I knew it didn’t have an engine leak or a head gasket problem, they were trying to buy it for parts. They asked me how much they could have for the front headlights and the bumper. But I wasn’t selling it for parts and (told them) I’ll get it fixed and obviously sell the car.”

Despite their claims of hailing from London, Callum noted their accents didn’t match up. He believes they used this as a ploy to persuade him to sell his car, stating they’d ‘come from far away’ and expressed a keen interest in purchasing it. Callum continued: “After they realised I wasn’t selling it to them, they just said ‘ok’, shook my hand and got in their car.

“I think they realised by then, because I did mention that I worked in a garage, I think they realised that I was on to them, so they were just happy to get home.” Fortunately, being a mechanic himself, Callum managed to repair his car for a mere £19. He purchased a bottle of antifreeze and “flushed out the system”.

However, Callum has shared his experience to raise awareness, especially for those who might be more ‘vulnerable’. Two days after a distressing scam attempt, Callum revealed that AutoTrader had gotten in touch with him about the suspicious customer who tried to swindle him.

Callum remarked: “I did manage to resolve it myself, but it was just loads of hassle and money that didn’t need to be done.” He explained his reason for publicising the scam: “The reason I wanted to put it out there is they are just going to pick on a vulnerable person and buy their car for two grand cheaper, and it just isn’t right.”

He then added concerning AutoTrader’s follow-up: “AutoTrader texted me two days later to say they had reports of that number that contacted me being dodgy at viewings. They do know about it. I’m guessing they had done it to other people,” said Callum, suggesting a pattern of deception by the scammers.

Although he contemplated involving the police, he was unable to note down the registration of the culprits’ vehicle strategically parked across the street. Yet, Callum pointed out the scammers’ awareness of his security measures during the incident, noting: “On the video, you can see them keep looking up at the cameras, so they knew they were there.

“The way they covertly shared the incriminating bottle caught on camera as well,” he observed. “You can see them pass the bottle to each other and pour it in.”

Despite the ordeal, Callum has his BMW listed on AutoTrader but admits he’s now “a bit more on edge” when it comes to selling his vehicle. From its platform, a spokesperson for AutoTrader issued a stark warning found on its website. The statement cautioned sellers about a new swindling tactic saying: “We are warning sellers of a scam that involves potential buyers trying to negotiate a lower price for the car, by tampering with its engine or exhaust.

“The scam involves secretly pouring oil into the coolant reservoir, exhaust or over the engine in an attempt to negotiate a lower price, claiming the engine is damaged.” AutoTrader has urged any sellers who have fallen prey to such scams to get in touch via their security page or by calling 0330 303 9001.

In reaction to the story, a spokesperson for the company told BirminghamLive that AutoTrader collaborates with police forces, safety groups, and other marketplaces to heighten awareness of scams. However, they noted that it’s estimated only “0.04% of private adverts receive a suspected interaction during a viewing, and thankfully it’s even less common for the scam to be successful”.

The company highlighted its dedicated security team, working seven days a week, which can “able to use technology to use the telephone numbers to find the buyer’s profile and block them from the website (as experienced by Callum)”. “Through our ‘protect your number’ service to sellers, which sets up a unique number for buyers to contact, we can also use that number to track people who have been in contact with the same number and recommend them not to proceed,” the spokesperson added.

Furthermore, the website disclosed that it established the Vehicle and Safe Trading Advisory Group back in 2006 to “share intelligence with other partners in the industry in order to try and prevent fraud, as well as liaising with law enforcement agencies and regulators.”