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Category · 1 case file

Boats & Marine scam websites

Center consoles, pontoons, and cruisers listed by sites with duplicated inventory photos.

Case files
1
Reported losses
$0

How boat and marine scams are usually run

Marine fraud exploits the distance between buyer and water. Center consoles, pontoons, and cruisers are listed with photos duplicated from brokerage sites, often with the previous broker's watermark cropped out. Sellers claim the boat is hauled out and shrink-wrapped for the season, which conveniently prevents a sea trial, and offer to arrange over-the-road transport. Hull identification numbers are either withheld or belong to a different vessel entirely.

Category-specific checks before you pay

  • Demand the 12-character hull identification number and verify it against Coast Guard documentation or state registration.
  • Insist on a sea trial and a survey by a surveyor you engaged; no legitimate seller refuses both.
  • Check for outstanding maritime liens before releasing funds, because liens follow the hull, not the seller.

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