How do I avoid used car buying scams?

A few scam patterns show up repeatedly in the UK used car market:

• Odometer fraud ("clocking") — the mileage is wound back to make the car look less worn. A vehicle history check compares the current reading against historical MOT records to flag discrepancies
• Cloned plates — a stolen or written-off car is given the identity (plate and documents) of a legitimate one. Checking the VIN against the V5C is the main way to catch this — the numbers should match exactly
• Fake listings — a car advertised at a suspiciously low price to draw in buyers, then the seller asks for a deposit before disappearing. If a deal looks too good to be true, or you're pushed to pay a deposit before viewing, treat it as a red flag
• Curb-siding — an unlicensed trader posing as a private seller to avoid consumer protection obligations. If the same seller has multiple similar cars listed, or the address doesn't match the V5C, be cautious

The common thread across all of these is urgency — scammers push you to act before you can check anything: the mileage, the VIN, the seller's history, the price against similar cars. Slowing down and verifying independently, rather than trusting what you're shown, defeats most of them.