The Better Business Bureau is warning of an imposter website that uses the name and address of a legitimate Kansas business.

The fake website (www.germans-autosales.com) displays the name and address of the actual German’s Auto Sales, Inc. based out of Emporia, but the business confirmed that it is not associated with the website.

BBB became aware of the scam when a Scam Tracker report was submitted by German Alvarado, the owner of German’s Auto Sales, Inc., which has been a BBB Accredited Business since 2019, has an A+ rating and has no complaints or negative reviews.

Alvarado reported the situation on March 31st, saying that an imposter website was using his business name and physical location on the website. Alvarado confirmed to BBB that he doesn’t list his cars for sale.

BBB research uncovered that the domain germans-autosales.com was privately registered with no name disclosed on March 2nd, 2023, and expires on March 2nd, 2024. The registrant contact address is The Netherlands.

The fake website contains text with grammar and punctuation errors, as well as photos of vehicles for sale. BBB found no licensing information for the fake business with the Kansas Department of Revenue’s motor vehicle department. But the actual German’s Auto Sales, Inc., is licensed in the state of Kansas.

The BBB is warning consumers to be cautious when purchasing vehicles online and to do their research before making any payments. Consumers are also encouraged to check with their local BBB and other online resources to verify the legitimacy of a business before making any purchases.