Every year in Germany, thousands of fraud cases occur when buying used cars. According to ADAC estimates, one in three used vehicles has a tampered odometer. Many defects are deliberately concealed. And not every “Privatverkäufer” (private seller) is one. This page shows which scams really work – and how InseratCheck protects you even before your first contact with the seller.
The most common scams when buying a used car
1. Odometer fraud – the classic
Odometer tampering is the most widespread form of fraud when buying a used car. Winding back the odometer costs a few hundred euros – and makes it possible to raise the selling price by several thousand euros. These days, 30 minutes on a diagnostic device is all it takes. → How do I spot odometer tampering? 7 concrete signs
Warning sign in the listing: mileage doesn't match the vehicle's age, only a few service entries, steering wheel or pedals show more wear than the mileage would suggest, oil change sticker in the engine bay contradicts the stated km reading.
2. Concealed accident damage
“Unfallfrei laut Vorbesitzer” (accident-free according to the previous owner) – this wording appears in countless listings and protects the seller legally, while suggesting security to the buyer. Professionally repaired accident damage can be structurally weaker than the original and may only become noticeable years later through corrosion, panel gaps or driving behaviour.
Warning sign in the listing: wording such as “laut Vorbesitzer” (according to the previous owner), “soweit bekannt” (as far as known), “lt. Fahrzeugschein unfallfrei” (accident-free according to the registration certificate). Missing or very few photos of the rear of the vehicle, the door edges or the bonnet.
3. Flood vehicles and fire damage
Vehicles that have survived floods, high water or vehicle fires regularly turn up on the used car market – often without any mention of the damage. Water damage slowly destroys the electrics and bodywork from the inside; fire-damaged vehicles can be structurally compromised.
Warning sign in the listing: vehicle from a flood region, first registration shortly after known flood events, no interior photos or photos showing a freshly cleaned interior, conspicuously low price with no explainable reason.
4. “Im Kundenauftrag” as a liability exclusion
“Im Kundenauftrag” (on behalf of a customer) means: a dealer sells the vehicle without appearing as the owner. This makes it possible to exclude the statutory warranty that normally applies to dealer sales. The buyer believes they are buying privately – but are in fact buying from a dealer without a warranty.
Warning sign in the listing: “Im Kundenauftrag” (on behalf of a customer), “für unseren Kunden” (for our customer), “Kommissionsverkauf” (consignment sale), professional photos despite a supposedly private sale, the vehicle's location is a garage or dealer address.
5. Project cars with a cosmetic makeover
Fresh paint, a cleaned bonnet and a refurbished interior can turn a technical wreck into an attractive listing. “Bastlerfahrzeug” (hobbyist/project car) or “Projektwagen” (project car) is often not stated in the listing at all – the seller hopes the photos will be convincing enough.
Warning sign in the listing: lots of exterior photos, hardly any photos of the engine bay, sale without a test drive, price well below market, “wird verkauft wie besehen” (sold as seen), very short period of ownership by the current seller.
6. Mileage tampering on imported vehicles
Vehicles from Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean or overseas often have no complete maintenance history in Germany. That makes tampering easier – and checking harder. Vehicles showing 50,000 km from Bulgaria or Romania that have actually done 180,000 km are not isolated cases.
Warning sign in the listing: first registration abroad, service book only partly available or not at all, missing TÜV (MOT/roadworthiness test) history, vehicle with very low mileage and very little equipment at a conspicuously low price.
Real example: fraud almost unnoticed
A Ford Focus, built 2019, 61,000 km, €12,900 – listed as a private sale. The listing: professional photos, well-kept interior, “keine Mängel bekannt” (no known defects). InseratCheck analyses it and finds:
- First registration in Bulgaria – vehicle imported to Germany 14 months later
- Not a single service entry for the first 3 years after first registration
- Description contains: “kein Scheckheft vorhanden” (no service book available) – hidden in the last sentence
InseratCheck result: High risk. Imported vehicle without a traceable maintenance history, missing documentation. Purchase not recommended without a VIN check and a complete maintenance history.
How InseratCheck helps protect you from fraud
InseratCheck automatically analyses listings from AutoScout24, mobile.de, Kleinanzeigen and other platforms. The system detects more than 30 risk factors – including indications of many of the scams mentioned above:
- Mileage in relation to the vehicle's age (km per year)
- Detection of accident wording and liability exclusions
- Imported vehicles, US re-imports, export offers
- Indications of commercial sellers in private listings
- Detection of project cars and parts donor vehicles
- Patterns for flood vehicles, fire damage and total losses
The result is a score from 0–100 with concrete pointers – so you know which questions to ask before the viewing.
Frequently asked questions about fraud protection when buying a used car
Can I detect every fraud with InseratCheck?
No – and that would be an unrealistic promise. InseratCheck analyses the publicly available listing text and evaluates risk signals systematically. What you get from it: the right questions, before you invest time and money in a viewing. Some fraud can only be uncovered through a personal inspection or a VIN check.
What is a VIN check and why is it important?
The VIN (vehicle identification number, FIN in German) is a 17-character number uniquely assigned to every vehicle. Using paid services such as CARFAX or AutoDNA, you can retrieve the accident, repair and registration history with it. InseratCheck checks whether the VIN is given in the listing – and points it out if it's missing.
Which platforms does InseratCheck support?
InseratCheck works with AutoScout24, mobile.de, Kleinanzeigen (formerly eBay Kleinanzeigen) and other German platforms. Simply copy the listing link and paste it on inseratcheck.de.
Does the analysis also make sense for older vehicles?
The check is especially worthwhile for older vehicles. The older the vehicle, the more likely an incomplete maintenance history – and the harder it is to trace tampered details. InseratCheck detects typical patterns regardless of the vehicle's age.
What does InseratCheck cost?
You can analyse listings from AutoScout24.de, Kleinanzeigen and autoland.de for free. Listings from mobile.de are free for users in Germany. For listings from platforms abroad, 3 analyses are free; after that, access is available from €4.99.
Spotting used car fraud – check for free now
Every listing tells a story – but not always the true one. InseratCheck reads between the lines: systematically, quickly and for free. Paste the link of your listing above and get a risk assessment in seconds.
Anyone who buys a vehicle without checking the listing bears the full risk. With InseratCheck you reduce that risk – before you even pick up the phone.