Is this websie genuine?

[Epiphany74]

I am about to buy a car and the buyer has requested that I do the financial transaction through a website with the following address. I am just a bit worried that it is a con or a phishing scam. What do you think? Have any of you used this service? http://protection.help-yahoo.co.uk

[ChuckFickens]

I don't like the look of it!!

the hyphen between help and yahoo doesn't ring true! if it was yahoos help pages then it really should be a full stop

[Epiphany74]

Thanks for this Chuck. It is the hyphen tha has me nervous too!

[Buenchico]

Alarm bell No.1:
The Yahoo! links on that page go to Yahoo!'s US website. The links on a genuine Yahoo! UK site should go to Yahoo! UK. (The page has been created by saving the HTML from a genuine US Yahoo! page, and then modifying it).

Alarm bell No.2:
The page you link to refers to general shopping but the page it links to is only about buying vehicles. (It's been copied from a genuine car escrow site, then modified). That's inconsistent.

Alarm bells 3 to 100 (at least!):
Here's the registration information for yahoo.co.uk:
http://tinyurl.com/yazezu9
Unsurprisingly, it shows the URL as registered to Yahoo! at their US head office, using Yahoo!'s own name servers.
Now here's the registration information for help-yahoo.co.uk:
http://tinyurl.com/yadbqbs
It's registered anonymously, to a London address where the postcode doesn't even match the street name. The name servers are those of a company based in Ghana but which provides services targeted at users in Nigeria.

Chris

[VHG]

>I am about to buy a car

That probably does not exist !!

Steer WELL clear of this transaction !!

[TTG]

Just go to a dealer or 2nd hand (not back street) garage.

[Epiphany74]

Buenchico, thank you so much for this comprehensive answer. You scared me enough to contact Auto Trader who had advertised the car originally and ask them about the seller. They wouldn't say much, but did tell me that they were informing the police about the seller and not to have any further contact. Once again, thank you. I wanted this sooo much I was blinkered to the dodgy aspects. Buyer beware, indeed.

[alfiesgirl]

Or ask him to assist you in making the transaction when he brings around the car and logbook cash on delivery kind of thing.