Head gasket scammers target private sellers

Two incidents in Felixstowe involving Audi A5s took place on November 11 and November 20. Both involved men tampering with the car during a test drive to make it appear as if the head gasket had failed before demanding a price reduction.

The first incident involved pouring oil on the windscreen and the engine, while the second saw oil smeared on the engine and in the exhaust, as well as added to the coolant.

The scam also appears to be affecting classics, too. A reported incident in the Suffolk village of Barrow saw two males view a Jaguar XK150 and pour dirty oil into the water header tank and on the engine block in an another attempt to make the victim believe the head gasket was at fault.

Although this was most likely a later X150-generation Jaguar reported incorrectly, it still highlights that both classic and modern classic owners should be on their guard.

This is far from a new scam, but it could still catch out the unwary. Police advice to is to be mindful of who you invite to view your vehicles and monitor their actions at all times, as well as retaining all vehicle documentation prior to the transaction being completed.