Scam: Avanta Auction West Park FL avanta-auction.com: buyer reports $16,400 wire, no machine

The 2014 Caterpillar 430F as advertised

The site avanta-auction.com was registered on 2026-10-26; the domain was five days old when these records were produced. On that site Avanta Auction offered a 2014 Caterpillar 430F backhoe loader with an asking price of $16,400 and a stated 1,311 operating hours. The seller's own text lists both a machine serial number and an engine serial number and describes the machine as having an enclosed cab with air conditioning, a four in one front bucket and an extendable backhoe stick.

The listing includes a detailed specifications block. One short verbatim line from the seller is "Operating Hours: 1,311." The listing also names a Florida street address, a local phone number and a sales email on the avanta-auction.com domain.

What the buyer reports

According to a buyer's account filed with this publication, the buyer sent $16,400 by bank wire to purchase the advertised 2014 Caterpillar 430F and never received the machine. The payment method the buyer gave was a bank wire. No other transaction dates or shipment details were supplied to this publication.

Checking a Caterpillar 430F before you pay

A backhoe loader is a used vehicle that is easy to misrepresent in photos and text. Before you move money, carry out these checks yourself or insist the seller complete them.

• Match the serial numbers. The seller published a machine PIN and an engine serial in the listing text. Confirm those numbers appear on the metal serial plate or stamped locations on the machine in clear, legible close-up photos. Compare the font, plate rivets and surrounding paint to other photos of the same machine. Ask for dated photos of the VIN plate taken at multiple angles and in good light.
• Ask for a clear bill of sale or title paperwork that names the seller exactly as the payment recipient will appear to the bank. A signed bill of sale should include the machine PIN, the hour meter reading and the buyer and seller names. Do not accept a generic invoice that omits the PIN.
• Verify service history. Contact an authorized Caterpillar dealer with the machine and engine serial numbers and ask whether the dealer can confirm the machine was registered to the name the seller gives, or whether the machine has a recorded service history with that PIN. A dealer can also flag known rebuilds or engine swaps tied to a serial.
• Check hours against photos and wear. Look closely at the cab, steps, seat, pedals, loader bucket cutting edge and backhoe boom for wear consistent with 1,311 hours. Ask for close photos of wear points and of the hour meter showing date metadata if possible.
• Search public filings and title records. Search state UCC filings in the state the seller gives to see whether any liens are recorded against the machine, and check the state motor vehicle or equipment title records where applicable. If the seller claims a dealer location, ask for dealer license details and verify them with the issuing agency.
• Run a stolen-equipment check. Check national stolen-equipment databases and share the serial numbers with your local law enforcement or with industry recovery services before paying.

If the seller refuses any of these checks, treat that as a material warning and do not send money.

How the payment was taken

The buyer's account says the payment was a bank wire of $16,400. A settled wire transfer removes most consumer chargeback paths, so a wire to a recipient you cannot verify is a high-risk payment method. The buyer should contact their bank immediately to report the issue and ask what recall or recovery options exist. If the receiving bank account name differs from the seller details on the listing, that discrepancy is an important recovery detail to give the bank.

What we have and have not verified

We have confirmed the domain avanta-auction.com was registered on 2026-10-26; we have captured the site homepage title and the listing text as published. We have the buyer's account that reports a $16,400 wire and non-delivery. Outstanding checks include: telephone calls to the published number and email to confirm the operator will answer and produce paperwork; verification with an authorized Caterpillar dealer using the published serials and engine numbers; a search of Florida UCC lien filings tied to the seller address; and independent confirmation that the listed machine exists at the published address. These checks remain open and this record is published as filed.

If you have already paid

Contact your bank's fraud or wire transfers team immediately and ask whether any reversal or recall of the wire is possible. Prepare and keep every receipt, the bill of sale, email exchanges and bank transfer confirmations. Report the transfer and the listing to the Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov and to your state attorney general's consumer protection office. Preserve all messages and photos from the seller as these are needed for any recovery attempt and for law enforcement inquiries.

This entry is published from the buyer's account and the seller's published listing. A right of reply is open to the business named on the site and the record will be updated if further checks produce verifications.