Arabic version: مشتَرية من تسمانيا تطالب باسترداد أموالها بعد بيعها شاحنة مسروقة

According to ABC News, Port Sorell woman Leanne Roney is trying to recover $10,000 after she unknowingly bought a stolen Fiat Ducato van through Facebook Marketplace in April.

Ms Roney paid $9,000 for the van and spent another $1,000 on registration and upgrades. She said she completed a Tasmanian Vehicle Registration Check, which showed the vehicle registered in seller Michael John Bowerman’s name, before proceeding with the purchase.

Two days later, a woman from repossession company Derwent Mercantile told Ms Roney the van belonged to Asset Rental Group, which had leased it to Bowerman through a rent-to-buy arrangement. Asset Rental Group said it was aware that a vehicle repossessed from one of its customers had been illegally on-sold to a third party.

Bowerman, 41, pleaded guilty in June to dishonestly acquiring a financial advantage. He received a 12-month community correction order, a six-week suspended prison sentence and was ordered to pay $97 in costs. An application for restitution is scheduled to be heard on August 24.

Consumer Action Law Centre chief executive Stephanie Tonkin said the case showed why platforms such as Facebook Marketplace should be included in the federal government’s Scam Prevention Framework. Federal Assistant Treasurer Daniel Mulino said additional sectors could be brought into scope where needed.