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Islanders have been put on alert about a fake four-digit number plate sale on Facebook after several people fell victim to the online con.
The scam, which was targeted at members of the Jersey Car Forum, appeared on Facebook earlier this week.
The scammer attempted to make their listing on the popular Facebook group look legitimate by including images of the Driver and Vehicle Standards (DVS) online vehicle enquiry service in the advert.
Any islanders who expressed interest were then asked for a deposit of £50.
Once they sent the money, the scammer stopped replying.
Pictured: The scammer tries to make the post look legitimate by using images of the DVS online vehicle enquiry service.
Express contacted DVS yesterday morning, and the department has now issued advice to islanders to always meet the registered owner in person and view the vehicle before buying. They should also request to see the original vehicle registration document, DVS said.
Inspector of Motor Traffic, Gordon Forrest, said: "We have been made aware of a current scam on social media where scammers are offering Jersey registration marks for sale to which they have no right.
“The scammer appears to be trying to legitimise the advert by using images of our online vehicle enquiry service, as well as other mock-ups of the registration mark.
"Some islanders have been asked to pay a deposit, only to find that they have fallen victim to the scam.”
DVS is urging islanders to be vigilant, not to part with any money upfront, and to check the credentials of the person they are dealing with.
Only the Inspector of Motor Traffic can sell "the right to display" a registration mark and this is done either at the DVS annual auction or through the online service.
It's the latest in an array of scams to target islanders. This morning, it emerged that a group of islanders had collectively lost £300,000 to an investment fraud which employed an AI-generated video of money saving expert Martin Lewis.
Express previously spoke to investigator Faith Shalamon and Chief Inspector Chris Beechey, Chair of the Jersey Fraud Prevention Forum, about the various scams that have targeted islanders in recent years for the Bailiwick Podcast... Listen below or via your favourite podcast provider...
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