Methodology

How CarBluff's scoring works

By the CarBluff team · Last updated July 30, 2026

CarBluff scores known scam patterns in the text of a listing. It does not, and cannot, inspect a physical car. This page explains exactly what's automatic, what depends on what you tell it, what the score means, and (most importantly) what it doesn't mean.

Quick answers

What the scanner evaluates automatically

Every scan runs 22 automatic checks across three categories, built entirely from the listing's link, price, and the seller's own wording:

• Link forensics (4 checks): whether the domain is the real marketplace or a look-alike, masked short links, phishing domains, off-brand "dealer" sites.
• Language analysis (11 checks): wire-transfer and gift-card requests, shipping and escrow stories, deployment/hardship back-stories, "buyer protection" claims that don't apply, urgency pressure, and the other verbal patterns scammers reuse.
• Price, mileage & location (7 checks): price vs. year, mileage vs. age, price vs. a market comparison you can optionally supply, and whether the ad's stated location matches where the seller says the car actually is.

These 22 checks require nothing from you beyond the listing link or pasted text. CarBluff reads the ad and runs them itself.

What requires your own observation

Six additional checks are based on things only you can see or confirm, since they're not present in the ad's text: whether the photos look stock, watermarked, or reused; whether the listing has no photos at all; whether the seller's profile is new or empty; whether the seller has several other cars listed; whether they've refused a call or video; and whether they've pushed for an odd meeting spot. Ticking these boxes is optional (the scan runs without them), but a listing you've looked at closely is scored more precisely than one you haven't. CarBluff does not reverse-image-search photos itself. If you want that check done, run the photo through Google Lens yourself and tick the box if it turns something up.

Why "no photos" is scored as harshly as a payment red flag: a real seller almost always has at least one photo, even a bad one, because they're standing next to the car. Tick this box and the score is dropped into the same 0–40 Likely Scam band as gift-card payment demands or a fake escrow service. That's not because zero photos always means a scam (a seller might genuinely be waiting on better lighting, or just posted in a hurry) but because its absence is one of the strongest single signals available, on par with a request for untraceable payment, and the cost of a false alarm (you look closer, and it's fine) is a lot lower than the cost of missing a real one. If the seller adds photos later, just untick the box and rescan.

What the 0–100 score means

• 0–40, Likely Scam: multiple strong patterns found, or a single critical flag (a critical flag alone forces the score down into this band regardless of anything else).
• 40–60, High Risk: meaningful patterns found; slow down and verify before doing anything else.
• 60–80, Proceed With Caution: a few minor patterns; still worth the manual checks below before you meet.
• 80+, Low Risk: no known scam patterns found. No tool can certify a physical car sight-unseen, and CarBluff doesn't pretend otherwise.

What CarBluff cannot verify

This is the most important section on this page. A high score means no known scam patterns were found in the text you gave it. It is not proof the listing is legitimate. CarBluff cannot verify, and does not claim to verify:

• That the physical car exists or matches the ad
• That the seller actually owns the car
• The car's VIN, title status, or accident/salvage history
• The car's mechanical condition
• Whether the asking price is actually fair for that specific car's condition and history
• Any legal question about the sale

Every one of those requires an action in the physical world: an in-person inspection, a VIN lookup, a pre-purchase mechanic's inspection, and a title check. CarBluff's VIN check guide and each platform guide's "how to check in 60 seconds" section walk through exactly what to do next.

How the Deal Score works

CarBluff's Deal Score estimates whether a listing's price looks typical, high, or low. It does not use live market data. If you enter a comparison price for similar listings, the Deal Score compares this price against that number directly. If you don't, it falls back to comparing the car's mileage against the national average for its age, which is a weaker signal and is labeled as such on the report. Either way, the Deal Score cannot see this car's trim, options, mechanical condition, or accident history, and it is never shown as a substitute for an in-person inspection or a real comparable-listings search. A branded or missing title lowers the score. A listing that already scored as scam-risky never shows a "good deal" band, regardless of price, because a suspiciously low price on a risky listing is a red flag, not a bargain.

The Deal Score is part of the Unlimited plan. It is a first-pass heuristic, not a professional appraisal, and the exact scoring constants are expected to be tuned over time as CarBluff sees more real listings run through it.

Before you buy

Regardless of score: inspect the car in person, verify the VIN and title match, run NICB VINCheck for theft/salvage records, get a pre-purchase inspection for anything you're seriously considering, and never send money before you've seen the car. Price and location checks are calibrated primarily for the United States.

Sources

• FTC: What to know if you're buying or selling a car online
• NICB VINCheck
• NHTSA VIN decoder
• BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report