Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Kelley Blue Book Battles Online Scammers

Yet another, local online car buying site is warning consumers of online car buying scams using its brand name. Irvine-based Kelley Blue Book warns that scammers have been using a fake, Kelley Blue Book website is being used as part of a car buying scam, where scammers convince unsuspecting buyers to buy via a non-existent, escrow-based guaranteed buyer protection program from Kelley Blue Book. The firm does not offer such a service. Kelley Blue Book said it has seen a "small but increasing number" of inquiries about the protection program in recent months.

The online scam is similar to one that Santa Monica-based Edmunds.com has been warning users about for the last year or so, also around a non-existent auto escrow program. Kelley Blue Book warned that any escrow-based, consumer-to-consumer service, or Buyer & Seller Protection Program using its name is a scam, and should be reported to authorities.

---