The title washing scam works where crooks buy seemingly “nice” cars at auctions – with salvage titles – and fix them up to where at first glance you will see no evidence that the car was buried in water for days at a time. I have no idea how they get these things running again, but I know they are somehow able to get them going long enough to sell them for a huge profit.

Then they take them to another state and re-title them. Re-titling makes the salvage title go away…and a clean one appear in its place…and that is what is known as “title washing.”

Of course title washing doesn’t just happen to flood damaged cars because any totaled car, like a car that was in a severe wreck can be fixed up to look nice and then be re-titled in another state.

This is how to avoid the title washing scam…

• Rust: You need to inspect very closely any area of the car for signs of corrosion and rust. Look in the trunk where the spare tire goes. Look under the hood to see if any of the wires or connections show signs of corrosion. Again, this is especially so with newer low mileage cars selling cheaply…or even if they aren’t selling cheaply.

• Body Damage: Sight down the car and look for any evidence of panels not quite matching up or new paint, etc.

• Be Suspicious Of Newer Cars: Be especially suspicious of newer or new cars with almost no miles that are being sold cheap.

• Mold: Look for any indication of mold, whether visually or by smell. You may have to pull up some carpet somewhere like in the trunk area.

• VIN: Check to make sure the V.I.N. (Vehicle Identification Number) on the paperwork matches the V.I.N. on the vehicle.

• Vehicle History Report: A vehicle history report might be a good idea because a vehicle history report should (theoretically) show the vehicles entire history. If anyone reading this knows for sure that a vehicle history report will always give a true 100% history of a car, then it would be great if you left your comment below please.

• Vehicle Inspection: I have never been a victim of title washing but if you don’t yet feel comfortable about inspecting a used car, and especially if you are buying a more expensive car, then it might be a good idea to take someone with you that can do it for you.

You can avoid the title washing scam by paying close attention (which you should be doing with any used car you buy), and so what if you have to pay someone $50.00 for an inspection if it will save you TONS of money down the road.