How to avoid scammers when buying a car online: a practical guide for buyers

The used car market in Ukraine in 2026 means billions of hryvnias every month, strong demand and, unfortunately, a corresponding level of fraud. Marketplaces like avtoprod.ua, auto.ria.com and others are convenient but open: anyone can post a listing. And some people actively take advantage of that. There are more than enough real cases where people transferred a deposit and both the seller and the car vanished. In Kharkiv and Odesa alone, hundreds of such complaints have been recorded in recent years.

So — without further ado. Here's what actually helps.

The first minutes with a listing: what should immediately raise red flags

A price 20–30% below market value is not a stroke of luck — it's a warning sign. Nobody sells a functioning Volkswagen Passat 2018 for 400,000 UAH when the market price is 580,000–620,000. Either there's a hidden problem, or it's a prepayment trap.

• Photos with foreign licence plates — a common feature of fraudulent listings. The car is supposedly 'in Poland' or 'in Germany', and you're asked to transfer a deposit so it can be delivered. Never do this.
• The seller can't meet in person — 'on a business trip', 'abroad', 'sick', 'the car is at a neighbour's place' — classic excuses. If someone can't show you the car in person in Kyiv, Dnipro or Lviv, the deal won't go smoothly.
• Pressure for a quick decision — 'there are two other interested buyers', 'the price is only valid until tonight' — manipulation designed to switch off your critical thinking. A good car will wait a couple of days.
• Contact only via messenger — no phone calls, refusal to do a video call with the car on camera — bad signs.

Checking the VIN: don't skip this step

Even if the listing looks clean and the seller makes a good impression — check the VIN. Especially if the car came from Europe on foreign plates or has already been customs-cleared.

The carVertical service provides a full VIN report: mileage from technical inspection databases (odometer rollbacks are visible), accident history, number of previous owners, stolen vehicle registry status, and auction records. It's a real lifesaver — especially when the odometer reads 89,000 km but the report shows it was recorded at 210,000 in Lithuania a year ago. The cost of a report is within a few hundred hryvnias, which is many times less than the risk of buying a flood-damaged car or one with an altered chassis number.

You can check the VIN through carVertical before meeting the seller — simply ask them to send you the full VIN in your conversation. If they refuse — the question answers itself.

Prepayment — the biggest area of losses

No prepayment to an individual's bank card before a personal inspection. This rule has no exceptions. The scheme of 'pay 5,000 UAH and I'll take the car off the market for you' is a tried-and-tested scammer's trick. The money will be gone and you'll never see the car.

If the seller insists on a deposit — the most you can consider is a handwritten receipt at an in-person meeting, stating passport details, the amount, the car's VIN and the conditions for a refund. But even this is a risk, since pursuing it through the courts costs nerves and time.

Checking documents at the meeting

When you arrive to view the car — check the documents in parallel with the inspection. What you must check without fail:

1. Technical passport (registration certificate) — verify that the VIN on the document matches the VIN on the body (driver's door pillar, under the hood). Even the slightest discrepancy is a reason to stop.
2. Seller's passport — make sure it matches the owner listed in the technical passport. If the seller is not the owner, a notarized power of attorney is required.
3. Absence of encumbrances — check the State Register of Encumbrances on Movable Property (DRORM). The vehicle may be under a credit lien — the bank will later repossess it, leaving you with nothing.
4. Customs status — for Euro-plate vehicles, it is important to confirm that the car is either fully customs-cleared, or that you are knowingly assuming the risk and are aware of the duty amount.

Vehicle inspection: at least a basic one

Even if you are not a mechanic, there are things anyone can spot. Uneven gaps between body panels, traces of body filler visible under sunlight, creaking when turning the steering wheel, dark or milky oil on the dipstick, rust in the wheel arches and sills. None of this requires a lift.

A lift is necessary. A diagnostic inspection at an independent service station costs 500–800 UAH in most cities in Ukraine and can save you 50,000–150,000 UAH on hidden problems. A legitimate seller will agree. One who refuses is already giving you an answer.

Payment: cash or non-cash

Large sums of cash pose a physical safety risk, especially in major cities. Non-cash payment is more convenient but requires a properly executed purchase agreement — so that the payment can be identified. The contract is signed in two copies: one for you, one for the seller.

If you are buying through an intermediary or a car dealership, make sure there is a registered legal entity or sole trader with publicly available data. A 'dealership' with no registration is just another form of risk.

And one final point: word of mouth still works. If the seller is offering a vehicle from their region and you are from another, ask someone local to at least go and take a look in person before you get on a bus with money in hand. Five minutes and a request already represent a completely different level of confidence.

The car market will not clean itself up on its own — but a buyer who knows the rules is far less likely to become a victim.