No sooner had I listed my 2018 Ducati Scrambler 1100 Sport for sale with an online classified site than I started to receive replies from scammers.
They came via email, phone message and various social media platforms.
The shortest was:
Hi, what is your address?
The longest and most elaborate started with:
G’day mate, what’s the present condition and why are you selling it?
I hesitantly replied and then received this follow-up:
Thanks for the swift response and do as well advise on the least amount you will like to give it away as i am buying this for my holiday home and due to the nature of my job and location…i will not be able to come for inspection, am a very busy type as i work long hours every day, i have gone through your advertisement and i am satisfied with it. I have a private courier agent that will come for the pick up after the payment has been made… Regarding the payment, I will be paying you through PayPal. Please get back to me with your PayPal details so i can process the payment, OR you can alternatively send your bsb and account number if you have no PayPal account. Kindly get back to me with the following questions: Account number, Account name, BSB number.
Obviously these are details you should never divulge to an unknown source.
The best advice I can give you is that if it looks too good to be true, it’s a scam. So just ignore it.
In 2021, 286,000 Aussies were scammed of $A323m, an increase of 84% over 2020.
The rise is put down to the increase in online shopping due to Covid lockdowns.
It’s not just riders seeking to sell their bike who are targeted by scammers.
Buyers are also targeted.
Here is an example. The bike is offered at a very cheap price by a member (usually female) of the armed forces who needs to sell quickly as they are being posted overseas.
The buyer is asked to submit payment into an escrow account which ends up in a bank account in Eastern Europe or Africa and the vehicle is never delivered.
Other seller scams include bikes that are unsafe to ride, have a hidden history or are stolen.
The best way to beat the scammers is to be wary of low prices and quick sales.
Never complete the purchase or sale online. Always meet the seller or buyer in person.
Do all the relevant checks on the bike’s bona fides. Click here for more information.
If a buyer wants you to pay into a third-party or escrow account, insist that you select the account.
Click here for more details and tips on how sellers can beat scammers.
Ducati for sale
Ducati 1100 Scrambler SportIf you want to know why I’m selling my beloved Ducati, it’s simply because I have never owned a bike more than two years and this is now a record.
This is the model with the fully adjustable Ohlins suspenders front and back. If you’ve never ridden a bike with Ohlins before, you really are missing out on something special.
I’m selling it for $A15,900 with a few extras: Aussie-invented and made Dynamoto front and rear stands that get both wheels off the ground and allow you to push it sideways on rollers (worth $750); Nelson-Rigg tailbag; QuadLock phone holder and bar-end mirrors in matching black and gold.
It has 28,871km on the clock, new chain and sprocket and Pirelli Angel GT tyres with only a few 000km on them.
Give me a call … just don’t expect me to reveal all my banking details!