The Better Business Bureau in Connecticut is warning consumers of an uptick of online used car scams after multiple complaints revealed the use of a virtual office in Hartford where victims wired money to.

BBB officials say there is a high demand for used cars and that it's leading to online purchase scams in the state.  

They say scammers are listing used cars for sale through sponsored ads on social media.

They say in most cases, a victim is asked to wire money for the vehicle to a shipping or escrow company. The seller claims they will keep the victim's payment in escrow for five days to make sure they are satisfied with the purchase.

In another scam, the seller claims that her husband has recently died and that she’s trying to get rid of his old car because it’s “brought back bad memories.” The seller says someone else was going to buy the car but didn’t get the loan, so it’s ready to be shipped.

In each instance the seller attempts to make the fraud appear legitimate by assuring that the transaction will occur through a third party’s buyer protection program.

The BBB says their investigation revealed that all the company websites point to a virtual office in Hartford.

According to the FBI, scammers may fake a sense of urgency for selling the car, such as moving or being deployed by the military and receiving the vehicle as part of a divorce settlement.

To report a scam, visit BBB's Scam Tracker.