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I'm buying a second-hand car and I'm asked for a deposit. What do I do?

First, breathe. A real car can be seen, touched and checked before you hand over a single penny. The whole scam rests on one thing: convincing you to pay a deposit “to reserve it” before you’ve seen it. If you can’t see the car and its papers, don’t send money.

First steps, right now

  1. Don't send any deposit before you see the car in person. "Reserve it with a deposit" for a car you can't see is the classic sign of a scam — often the car doesn't even exist.
  2. Watch out for "secure transport" or a "company that holds the money until delivery" (a kind of "escrow"): it's usually a fake page. The real payment happens in person, when the car and its papers are handed over.
  3. Check the car's history (real mileage, damage) through an official service before any payment.
  4. If you've already paid, call your bank and ask for a payment recall, and gather all the evidence.
  5. File a complaint with the Police (Poliția Română) and, if it's a dealer, a complaint with ANPC (Romania's consumer protection authority).

What NOT to do

  • Don't pay a deposit or the full price before seeing the car and its papers in real life.
  • Don't trust the "transport company" or the "escrow" proposed by the seller themselves.
  • Don't send money to a different account "for tax or customs reasons".

How to spot it next time

  • A price well below the market for a sought-after model.
  • The seller is "away abroad", you can't see the car, and they want a deposit by bank transfer + delivery by courier.
  • They offer you a "secure payment page" that guarantees you get your money back if you don't like it.
  • The photos and documents also appear in other listings (you can check with a reverse image search).

This guide is meant to help you act fast. It does not replace official instructions from your bank, the police or the authorities. When in doubt, call the numbers above.