Drivers Alerted to New Fraudulent Schemes
The Main Service Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, in cooperation with the Cyber Police, has issued a warning to drivers about fraudsters offering remote vehicle history checks. According to the authorities, these scammers claim to search all databases, but a full, legitimate remote check of a vehicle through official state registries is impossible. Access to these registries is restricted to administrators at territorial MIA service centers and can only be performed from their workstations during official working hours. This warning comes as the used car market sees a rise in sophisticated digital fraud.
Official Safety Guidelines for Buyers
The fraudulent operation typically lures victims with a low price, requests photos of documents, and then provides fake extracts or links to cloned copies of official government portals. As the press service of the department stated:
"PDF files or certificates with stamps sent via messenger or email are not a guarantee of authenticity."
Drivers must exercise extreme caution when verifying information about a vehicle. To avoid financial loss, drivers are advised to:
- Conduct all transactions through official channels;
- Verify information directly in state databases;
- Cross-check the VIN code;
- Confirm the absence of liens or seizures;
- Arrange for a professional expert inspection;
- Check that any website domain ends with gov.ua;
- Never transfer any money without a personal, physical inspection of the car.
This situation highlights the critical need for vigilance when purchasing vehicles, especially as fraudulent tactics grow increasingly advanced. Drivers must be aware of the risks associated with remote verification services and adhere strictly to official procedures to safeguard their finances. Given the potential for significant monetary loss, all parties involved must remain attentive and critically evaluate any information they receive.