OTTAWA, Ontario -

The Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council revealed a potential scam that may be of particular interest to dealers who secure used inventory through private party sales or regularly visit third-party sites such as AutoTrader.com.

The OMVIC was alerted by the Oklahoma Used Motor Vehicle and Parts Commission (UMVCP) of a potential online scam specifically targeting Canadian car buyers.

UMVPC alleges Ambient Auto Center of Oklahoma City advertises on the Canadian sites of Autotrader, Wheels, E-bay, Craigslist, Kijiji and Autocatch: their ads offer high-end late model vehicles at prices that may be "too good to be true," the press release reads.

UMVPC investigator John Cobb was reported saying, "We have received numerous enquiries about this operation. Their website became active in October and yet they are not a licensed dealer. From what we have seen thus far, all their advertising is targeting Canadians."

It seems the dealership in question may not actually physically exist.  

The Ambient Auto Center's website finds claims of "hundreds of used exotic vehicles" for sale and "award-winning service", and they offer to "ship worldwide."

But according to Cobb, "This dealer has no physical presence — the advertised address for this supposed extensive dealer operation is in fact an empty corn field next to a warehouse owned by the State of Oklahoma. We are making this information public to stop this scam from finding a victim."

The OMVIC also expressed concern for Canadian dealers and buyers that buy vehicles remotely on a regular basis.

Oklahoma's UMVPC expressed interest in hearing from anyone who has dealt with the Ambient Auto Center.

They can be reached at (405)521-3623.

Hurricane Sandy Damaged Vehicles May Leak Into British Columbia

And in other news involving both the U.S. and Canadian auto markets, it appears that Hurricane Sandy's impact can still be felt though the storm is long gone.

The Insurance Corp. of British Columbia is warning dealers and consumers that flood-damaged vehicles from the American East Coast may potentially make their way up into British Columbia.

According to a press release from ICBC, the organization is predicting a similar situation this time around that the industry experienced after Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc on New Orleans.

“More than half a million vehicles were seriously damaged in the flooding caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and thousands were imported into Canada despite the fact that those vehicles are not legal to drive on our roads,” said Mary Polak, minister of transportation and infrastructure. “Because the safety of motorists is our top priority, several steps have been taken to prevent these vehicles from being registered in B.C. but we want to help protect British Columbians from purchasing them in the first place.”

And dealers may need to watch private sales carefully if they use these as an avenue for acquiring used inventory.

ICBC is advising prospective car buyers to check for water damage, damp or musty odours, rusty brackets, mismatched upholstery and to search the car’s history reports online using Carfax or CarProof.

And the MotorVehicle Sales Authority of British Columbia (VSA) is reminding all its licensed dealers to redouble their efforts when researching the history of the vehicles they sell.

“As dealers are required to know and disclose the history of the vehicles they sell, it’s troubling that so many vehicles get retitled and sold to unsuspecting buyers,” said Ian Christman, registrar at VSA. “This is another reason that a thorough inspection of a vehicle before purchase is vitally important.”