Confirm contact information.  Before you turn over the keys, verify the buyer's address and phone number. An email address is not enough. Be particularly wary if the buyer is located overseas. We suggest you keep all transactions local and face to face.

Secure payment first.  Do not transfer the title until you have the equivalent of cash at the agreed upon purchase price. Use caution if the buyer proposes a complicated payment arrangement, such as a payment process that involves multiple steps; receiving payment through a friend or agent of the actual buyer; or receiving a check for more than the purchase price and writing the buyer a check for the difference.

Beware of counterfeit cashiers and certified checks. Before you deposit a check into your account, ask the issuing bank to verify that the check is genuine and that the account contains sufficient funds to cover the check amount. Wait until the check clears before transferring the title.