11/08/2026
⚠️ WARNING – BEWARE OF THIS CAR BUYING SCAM ⚠️ Happened In Minchinhampton
9th August 2026
A Minchinhampton man recently advertised his Audi Q5 for sale on Auto Trader. The car was immaculate, had a full service history, was owned from new and was in perfect working order.
He received a call from a foreign-sounding man who arranged to view the car on Sunday afternoon. Shortly afterwards, the prospective buyer arrived with a friend in a Passat displaying foreign number plates.
While the seller was being distracted at the rear of the car, the second man concentrated on the engine bay. They suddenly claimed that the Audi had a major oil leak and that oil in the coolant indicated a failed head gasket. The car was also apparently stuttering, with warning lights and messages appearing on the dashboard.
The two men became increasingly pushy, offering to buy the car for a knock-down price, explaining that they had a similar vehicle and could simply swap the engines.
Thankfully, the seller stood his ground and told them he would take the car to his own garage to be checked and repaired. The buyers eventually left empty-handed.
However, there was nothing wrong with the car.
In reality, the men had deliberately syringed oil onto the engine and into the coolant reservoir and had disconnected the fuel rail pressure sensor. The owner noticed the disconnected sensor and reconnected it, but the car remained in limp mode and had limited power.
The car was subsequently taken to the garage, where the fault codes were reset and the engine bay cleaned. The Audi was then back to exactly how it was before the visit.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time we have come across this particular scam. On two previous occasions, the sellers were persuaded to part with their cars for a fraction of their true value.
🚨 PLEASE BE AWARE OF THE RED FLAGS 🚨
If you're selling a car privately:
Don't allow two or more buyers to distract you.
Don't let strangers start disconnecting or tampering with anything under the bonnet.
Be suspicious of sudden claims of serious mechanical faults.
Don't be pressured into dropping your price.
If something doesn't seem right, stop the sale and get your own garage to inspect the car.
Never let a buyer rush you into making a decision.
These people can be very convincing and deliberately create the impression that your car has suddenly developed a major fault.
Don't be fooled, don't be rushed and don't let someone talk you into selling your car for next to nothing.
We're posting this in the hope that it helps someone else avoid becoming a victim of this scam.
Please share this and make other car sellers aware. 🚨
Minchinhampton – 9th August 2026
A Minchinhampton man recently advertised his Audi Q5 for sale on Auto Trader. The car was immaculate, had a full service history, was owned from new and was in perfect working order.
He received a call from a foreign-sounding man who arranged to view the car on Sunday afternoon. Shortly afterwards, the prospective buyer arrived with a friend in a Passat displaying foreign number plates.
While the seller was being distracted at the rear of the car, the second man concentrated on the engine bay. They suddenly claimed that the Audi had a major oil leak and that oil in the coolant indicated a failed head gasket. The car was also apparently stuttering, with warning lights and messages appearing on the dashboard.
The two men became increasingly pushy, offering to buy the car for a knock-down price, explaining that they had a similar vehicle and could simply swap the engines.
Thankfully, the seller stood his ground and told them he would take the car to his own garage to be checked and repaired. The buyers eventually left empty-handed.
However, there was nothing wrong with the car.
In reality, the men had deliberately syringed oil onto the engine and into the coolant reservoir and had disconnected the fuel rail pressure sensor. The owner noticed the disconnected sensor and reconnected it, but the car remained in limp mode and had limited power.
The car was subsequently taken to the garage, where the fault codes were reset and the engine bay cleaned. The Audi was then back to exactly how it was before the visit.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time we have come across this particular scam. On two previous occasions, the sellers were persuaded to part with their cars for a fraction of their true value.
🚨 PLEASE BE AWARE OF THE RED FLAGS 🚨
If you're selling a car privately:
Don't allow two or more buyers to distract you.
Don't let strangers start disconnecting or tampering with anything under the bonnet.
Be suspicious of sudden claims of serious mechanical faults.
Don't be pressured into dropping your price.
If something doesn't seem right, stop the sale and get your own garage to inspect the car.
Never let a buyer rush you into making a decision.
These people can be very convincing and deliberately create the impression that your car has suddenly developed a major fault.
Don't be fooled, don't be rushed and don't let someone talk you into selling your car for next to nothing.
We're posting this in the hope that it helps someone else avoid becoming a victim of this scam.
Please share this and make other car sellers aware. 🚨
