Milton Keynes fraudster fined thousands for selling clocked cars

An "unscrupulous" trader has been fined more than £7,000 for selling cars with false mileages and MOTs.
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Used car trader Maisam Karimi, who defrauded four customers, was handed a fine of £7,295 at Aylesbury Crown Court last week following an investigation by Milton Keynes Council (MKC).

Mr Karimi pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to operating a ‘"fraudulent" car sales business.

Using false names, Karimi advertised vehicles for sale on Gumtree with incorrect mileages and lied about their MOT status.

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He also advertised as a private seller when in fact he was a trader who also tried to restrict the rights of his customers by stating "sold as seen" and "no returns".

The compensation awarded to the victims was part of a larger confiscation order of £30,052 ordered under the Proceeds of Crime Act. Mr Karimi was also ordered to pay Milton Keynes Council £12,500 in costs.

Sue Crawley, trading standards manager at MKC, said: “When unscrupulous traders sell cars with false mileages they are potentially putting customers’ and others road users safety at risk. Their intentions are to deceive and defraud customers just to make a quick buck.

“This is one of a number of such cases that my team have successfully taken and I hope sends a serious warning to other car traders in Milton Keynes that Milton Keynes Council will not hesitate to bring these traders to justice.”

Anyone buying a second hand car should check the mileage history of a vehicle online, at gov.uk/check-mot-history-vehicle.

If you have any concerns about a vehicle you have purchased, you should contact Trading Standards via the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0345 4040506