Meet in daylight at a place of your choosing, never at a parking lot picked by the seller alone.
Ask for the registration certificate and match the VIN on the document with the one on the car.
Run the VIN through the report before you agree on a price — mileage and accident history change what the car is worth.
Pay only at the moment of the ownership transfer, never as a deposit to hold the car.
Check the VIN before you payMileage records, accident history and previous owners in one report.