I'm worried that, as a vehicle seller, I might become a victim of car-related crime. What should I be aware of?

You're on your way to selling your car to a new owner. Someone has seen your advertisement on CarCast, and they've decided to get in touch with you. During the selling process, however, make sure you protect both yourself and your personal identity.

Being transparent is a good way to instill confidence in potential buyers - so providing your name, email address and a home and mobile telephone numbers will make sure they know they're dealing with an honest person.

Don't forget that thieves can often pose as potential buyers, so be aware of buyers that ask, up front, for details of the vehicle, your personal details or your vehicle's VIN or chassis number. Crooks could use this information to create their own fake or cloned advert. Genuinely interested buyers will come to see the vehicle in person.

As a trustworthy seller, you'll want to let potential buyers inspect your vehicle's documents - just make sure they don't make copies or take photographs of them. They could use this information for less than honest purposes!

When offering test drives, make sure that the person has a full and valid driving license, as well as insurance that will cover them whilst driving your vehicle (don't forget - it's not theirs yet!) and, above all else, never let the buyer go on a test drive alone, never leave your keys with the buyer and never get out of the vehicle to allow a test drive whilst leaving the keys in the ignition - your potential buyer may drive off and never come back!

With regards to accepting payment for your vehicle, make sure that the money is in your account and that it won't leave. There are a number of different ways to pay for vehicles - cash, cheque, banker's draft or bank transfer. Each comes with it's own advantages, but each with it's own pitfalls.

VSTAG, the Vehicle Safe Trading Advisory Group, recommends that you request an immediate bank transfer via the CHAPS (Clearing House Automated Payments System) system. There is usually a £20-£30 charge that will need to be made, but the payment is irrevocable - which means that once the money is in your account, it's not going anywhere.

Remember that whilst payments made via fraudulent cheques and banker's drafts may show up in your bank as cleared funds, you will often only find out that the payment was fraudulent long after your car has gone.

The Metropolitan Police Service, in partnership with a number of motoring websites, has issued a set of guidelines on how to stay safe when buying and selling vehicles. Head over to the vehicle buying and selling advice guidelines on the VSTAG website for more information.