Suzuki importer warns of fraudulent sales

Suzuki Marine and The Haines Group (THG) are again urging consumers to purchase goods directly from one of their authorised Suzuki Marine dealerships after reporting a number of confirmed online fraud cases.

The company says it has seen a resurgence in recent weeks of online scams where sites purporting to sell Suzuki outboards have been taking money from customers with no intention of providing the product in return.

The Cyber and Identity Crime unit of the Queensland Police Service (QPS) has confirmed a substantial number of cases to THG where customers have been defrauded, advising of a syndicate targeting outdoor equipment sales, including outboard motors, TMG says.

Both QPS and THG are issuing this warning to consumers to be vigilant by doing their research before handing over any money.

John Haines of The Haines Group says while it’s difficult to track or have these sites removed completely, if the deal sounds too good to be true, then it usually is.

"We feel for these consumers who’ve lost their hard-earned cash as a result of these scammers," Mr Haines said.

"Suzuki Marine and THG are doing their best to warn consumers about these sites but unfortunately we’ve had a lot of unhappy people get in contact with us or QPS to advise they’ve lost money — in some cases thousands of dollars.

"The only way we can guarantee they’ll receive stock is if they purchase their outboard through their authorised Suzuki dealer," he said.

Consumers who come across what they believe to be a scam website should report it to Australian Cybercrime Online Reporting Network (ACORN) website.

To find your local Suzuki Marine dealer visit Suzuki Marine.