Industry members are reporting scams which implicate their business

The Motor Trade Association SA/NT (MTA) says it has received reports from multiple industry members that innocent people are being targeted by online scams which implicate their businesses.
Businesses, such as automotive wrecking, dismantling and recyclers in South Australia are being impersonated online by scammers who are deceiving prospective buyers into paying for automotive parts that do not exist.
The scam primarily uses Facebook to advertise and sell automotive parts, often at below market prices. The scammers send doctored invoices using the letterhead and branding of legitimate businesses with ABN, phone number and bank details altered.
MTA Member Just Wrecking Toyota, based in Wingfield, reported they receive on average four enquiries per week from people enquiring about parts that have been ‘sold’ by the scammers. These incidents have been reported to South Australian Police and the Australian Government’s Scamwatch.
“One victim contacted us after spending their inheritance on a diesel engine for their son and received an invoice with our logo on it. It was very upsetting to tell them that it wasn’t purchased through us and that they had been scammed,” Just Wrecking Toyota’s Rod Harris said.
“Our reputation as a business is affected by scammers using our name and logo. We noticed that the scammer was using our business name and logo on the invoices, but the ABN was for an interstate business.”
The MTA recommends that consumers are vigilant, independently verifying that the business and listing is legitimate by using the contact information on the public website of a business.

Scams should be reported to police and also to www.scamwatch.gov.au