In today’s economy, saving money by buying a used car, or making money by selling a car, seems to make a lot of sense. However, if you decide to use one of those vehicle sales magazines or the Internet, you must be diligent in making sure you won’t get scammed – or worse.

Of all the stories I have investigated of people who have had a bad experience in buying or selling a used car, none rivals one involving an Orange County couple. This horror story began when the couple listed their car on an Internet sales site. Unfortunately, their timing was terrible. They had listed the car shortly after a deranged man read a booklet that outlined a step-by-step guide on how to murder someone and get away with it. The booklet, that unbelievably is available on the Internet, explains that in order to commit the perfect crime you need a certain type of car that cannot be traced by satellite. Looking to locate such a vehicle, the man went on an Internet search and found what he was looking for in the car the couple had just listed for sale.

Making contact with the couple, the deranged man arranged a meeting so he could see the car. The couple, in an effort to be safe in dealing with a stranger, suggested they meet in a public place, and he had no problem with that. After seeing the car, the man said he would like to purchase it. They exchanged information and the man said as soon as he got home he would transfer the money. He then casually suggested that if they wanted to expedite the payment he would be willing to come to their home and use their computer to make the transaction right in front of them so there would be no need of suspicion. The couple, so extremely pleased that they had made a quick sale and got their asking price from such an accommodating fellow, didn’t give any further thought to allowing him into their home. This story has a horrific ending. Once in their home the man executed them making off with their car and whatever other possessions he decided to help himself to.

While this is the worst case scenario of a car sale going wrong, other scams that are not so deadly happen all the time. I recently heard from a woman who told me that she had found a car she liked in both a vehicle sales magazine and on their Web site. When she contacted the seller she was told he was getting rid of the car because he was leaving California to begin work as an overseas missionary. He further told her he had just learned he had to leave sooner than expected so he would be willing to sell her the car for a much reduced price.

This guy had a mission alright, but it had nothing to do with saving souls. After providing her with more photos of the car, that was conveniently in Sacramento, explaining how few miles it had on it, and what great condition it was in, he asked if she could wire the money to his overseas bank where he would be in training for his mission. He told her that as soon as the money was transferred he would have the car delivered to her Los Angeles home. As you can imagine, the money was wired, but the car was never delivered.

So, what can you do to avoid being scammed or worse? The following are a few tips for dealing with a stranger on a sale or purchase of a vehicle.

1) Always demand to see a vehicle before considering a purchase.

2) Never go to someone’s home or have them come to your home. Arrange any meetings at a secure location – like the parking lot of your local police station.

3) Never meet with a stranger alone. In fact, tell a little white lie and mention that you brother-in-law, who is a police officer, will be accompanying you.

4) Never tell anyone you are meeting with that you will be showing up with cash.

5) Never agree to turn over any payment without taking possession of the vehicle. Always make sure the payment is made as the car and the title are turned over to you.

6) Always have a car’s Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) checked with your local police department before buying from someone you don’t know.

Finally, here’s something I learned from police detectives – be wary of buying those cars you see with a “For Sale” sale sign parked on a street or in a parking lot, especially on a Saturday or Sunday. Detectives say crooks steal vehicles on Friday nights and then put them up for quick sale at low prices on weekends.

I was told that on one recent weekend check, police found about 25-percent of the vehicles being offered for sale had been stolen. These deals usually have too-good-to-be-true prices, and the sellers are so trusting of you that they are more than happy to let you take the car for just half down and then arrange to have you make the balance of the payment sometime later that week. It sounds like such a good deal, until you realize the phone number you were given is bogus, never hear from the seller, but do hear from the police when you try to register the stolen vehicle.

If you have had a consumer-related problem, or been scammed in some way, contact Judd McIlvain by clicking on www.TroubleshooterJudd.com. You can also click on to the same site for Judd’s Internet television show, Wednesdays at 1: pm.