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Safety articles

Practical tips to protect yourself from scams and fraud.

How to Look Up a Licence Plate to Check a Vehicle's History

Learn how a simple licence plate lookup can reveal a car's background, ownership clues, and community reviews — helping you avoid costly surprises before you buy.

Curbstoning Explained: How to Spot Fake Private Car Sellers

Curbstoning is when unlicensed dealers pose as private individuals to sell problem cars without the protections that come with a proper dealer sale. Here's how to recognise the signs before you hand over your money.

Buying a Used Car with a Loan on It: How to Avoid Inheriting the Debt

A car with an unpaid loan or lien can be repossessed even after you buy it. Here's how to spot a hidden lien before you hand over payment and protect yourself legally.

Transferring Car Ownership Safely: Documents to Verify and Costly Mistakes

A used-car sale isn't finished when the money changes hands — it's finished when the paperwork is right. Here's how to transfer ownership properly and avoid staying liable for a car that isn't yours anymore.

How to Run a Safe, Informative Test Drive: A Buyer's Checklist

A good test drive can reveal more about a used car's true condition than any spec sheet. Here's how to structure yours so you catch real problems, not just a pleasant fifteen-minute cruise.

Buying an Imported Used Car: Hidden History Risks and How to Avoid Them

Imported used cars can hide accident damage, odometer fraud, or unresolved paperwork from another country. Here's how to check before you buy.

Deposit and Fake-Escrow Scams in Car Deals: How to Pay Safely

Scammers use fake deposits and bogus escrow sites to trick car buyers and sellers out of money before a vehicle ever changes hands. Here's how the scam works and how to protect yourself.

The Complete Walk-Around Checklist for Inspecting a Used Car

A step-by-step guide to checking a used car's body, tyres, fluids, and electronics before you buy, so you can spot problems and negotiate with confidence.

Licence Plate Cloning and Reissue Fraud: How to Protect Your Car

Criminals copy real licence plates onto other vehicles to dodge fines, tolls, and law enforcement — here's how the scam works and how to keep your own plate from being misused.

How to Check If a Used Car Might Be Stolen Before You Buy It

Buying a stolen vehicle can cost you the car and your money, even if you had no idea it was stolen. Here's how to check a used car's history and spot the warning signs before you hand over cash.

Salvage or Rebuilt Wreck Sold as Clean? How to Spot a Hidden Total-Loss Car

Some cars written off by insurers after serious damage quietly reappear on the market as clean, accident-free vehicles. Here's how to recognise a rebuilt wreck before you buy.

What Is a VIN? How to Read, Verify It, and Spot a Mismatch

A vehicle's VIN is its fingerprint — learn how to read it, verify it against the car in front of you, and understand why a mismatched VIN is one of the clearest warning signs of fraud.

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