An investigation is underway after dozens of New Zealanders lost their cars in a common scam through Facebook Marketplace.
Police are warning Kiwis to be aware of the "common scam" after receiving more than 50 reports of the scam across Auckland in the last 12 months.
Detective Senior Sergeant Callum McNeill said so far nine people have been charged with dishonesty offences in relation to the incidents.
"In these scam reports, members of the public report that a person has purchased a vehicle from them after they listed it on Facebook marketplace," he said.
"The purchaser will pay the owner by cheque and the funds will then show as "pending" in the seller's bank account.
"The cheques are subsequently dishonoured or reversed due to insufficient funds three to six days later. By this time the vehicle is already in the possession of the scammer, who has typically on-sold the vehicle to another member of the public."
McNeill said once the victim realises they haven't received the money, they try to contact the scammer but by then the scammer would have blocked them or deactivated their account.
Police want the public to be wary of the risks of selling vehicles on unregulated websites such as Facebook Marketplace.
"Police have noticed a significant increase in reports from victims in these scams in the past year and we take these matters seriously," McNeill said.
"We want the community to be cautious when accepting payments by cheques. You should not hand over possession of your vehicle until the payment has been cleared and is no longer showing as pending in your bank account.
"We would also recommend that people selling vehicles online use regulated marketplace websites such as Trade Me."
Anyone who has been a victim of this scam should make a report to Police.
This comes after hundreds of Kiwis received a text message scam earlier this week, impersonating the United Parcel Service (UPS).
"We have attempted to deliver your package UPS016448296GB, but there is an unpaid customs charge," the scam text reads. "Follow the instructions here."
Te Tari Taiwhenua Department of Internal Affairs said if the recipient uses the link and adds their bank details, the scammers could access their account and steal money from them.
