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Buying an aircraft safely

Most sellers on Sprinkle are who they say they are. Scammers target aircraft because the sums are large and buyers often deal at a distance. These steps protect you whichever listing you are looking at.

Before you pay anything

  • Do not wire money, pay a deposit or send a cashier’s check to anyone whose identity you have not confirmed yourself.
  • Use an escrow or title company that you choose and contact directly. Find its phone number yourself, not from the seller’s email.
  • Search the aircraft’s registration and title before you commit. For US aircraft, check the FAA registry and order a title and lien search from an aviation title company.
  • See the aircraft and its logbooks, in person or through an inspector you hire, before money moves.

Wire transfers and cashier’s checks

  • Wire fraud. A wire is hard to reverse. Be wary of a seller who wants a wire to a personal account, to a different name, or to a bank in another country. Be wary too of a change to the payment details sent by email.
  • Cashier’s checks.If you are selling, a “buyer” may send a cashier’s check for more than the price and ask you to return the difference. The check bounces days later. Do not refund an overpayment.

Texts from buyers and sellers

  • Out-of-the-blue texts.A text from someone who “saw your listing” and wants to buy unseen, often from overseas, is a common opening.
  • Pressure tactics. Be careful with anyone who will not talk by phone, pushes you to move fast, or asks you to continue on another app.

Look-alike dealers

  • Copied dealers.Scammers copy a real dealer’s name, logo and photos, and use an email or website address that is one letter off.
  • Call back.Find the dealer’s phone number on their own website or a directory, call it, and ask about the aircraft.
  • Too-good prices. If the price is far below similar aircraft, ask why before you go further.

Escrow

  • Your choice. Choose the escrow agent yourself. A fake escrow site suggested by the seller is a common trick.
  • Check the agent.Confirm the escrow company’s address, licensing and phone number from a source the seller did not give you.

How your message reaches the seller

  • Listed on Sprinkle. When a dealer or owner listed the aircraft with us, your message goes to them through Sprinkle.
  • Found elsewhere. Some listings come from other dealer and broker sites. For those, we email your message to the broker or dealer on the original listing. Their reply comes from them, not from Sprinkle.

Report a listing

  • Report it to us. If a listing or a message looks wrong, tell us through our contact page and include the address of the listing. We read every report.
  • If you have lost money.In the US, report it to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (ic3.gov) and the FTC (reportfraud.ftc.gov). Elsewhere, contact your national fraud reporting service and your bank straight away.