Facebook Marketplace scam: International student has car seized days after buying it in Perth

A young international student living in Australia is devastated after the car he bought at a bargain online was seized by the police days later.

Pakistani man Umair Ishfaq, 24, who lives in Tuart Hill, Perth, paid $6,500 cash on June 30 for a second-hand 2018 Holden Astra so he could start making money as an Uber driver.

He found the vehicle on Facebook Marketplace for a much lower price than comparable models listed on a specialty car sales website with prices as high as $23,000.

Just five days after Mr Ishfaq handed over the money, WA police officers knocked on his door late at night to inform him that the car had originally been stolen.

Officers who arrived at his home after 10 p.m. also took the stolen car and seized it.

“I told them, ‘I have the PPRS report for this car and this car is in my name, so how can you (say) this car was stolen?’ he said.

Mr. Ishfaq told 7News found the vehicle listing on Facebook Marketplace and says he twice met the “nice guy” who sold it to him.

He was confident the purchase was “legal” when ownership of the car was transferred to his name.

The student believes that he ‘legitimately bought’ the car he paid for, but that it was left broken and without transportation.

Mr. Ishfaq is angry not only because of the financial problems he is now in, but also because he did everything that was recommended when buying a used car.

He performed all recommended checks, including a check against the Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR).

A PPSR search usually tells a buyer if a car is stolen, in debt, or an insurance write-off.

“The vehicle was allegedly stolen on 16 June before being presumably sold fraudulently the next day to the third party, who then sold it to Mr Ishfaq,” WA Police told Daily Mail Australia.

He paid $6,500 for the 2018 Holden Astra, a make and model that usually retails for at least $17,000 in Western Australia according to other online listings

It is understood that the car was not reported stolen until the day Mr. Ishtaq purchased the Holden, June 30.

Therefore, it was not listed as stolen in the PPSR report.

“I am a student in Australia and have worked incredibly hard to earn the money needed to buy the car,” he told 7News.

“This situation has put me in a state of tremendous stress and strain as I am now without the car I rightfully purchased.”

WA police say all parties with an interest in the car must file a claim.

They must also submit a legal statement detailing the grounds for a claim.

It is believed that Mr. Ishtaq has received the documents and is in the process of filing his claim.

WA police said the investigation is “ongoing.”