Thinking about all of the financial scams out in the world is enough to send you into the backyard with a shovel to bury all of your cash. It doesn't have to be that way, though. If you're vigilant and use plenty of common sense, you can protect all of your assets while still making all of the purchases you need to. 

It all starts with knowledge. Brush up on a few of the most common scams found in the auto industry so you know what to look out for. 

So-called 'mobile repairmen' 
One of the most prominent scams out there today involves mobile repairmen offering to make auto repairs. These individuals aren't involved with a garage or dealer – instead, they advertise via online message boards, such as Craigslist, and try to woo unsuspecting drivers with low prices and empty promises about timely repairs. However, most of the time these so-called experts are nothing more than con men. They'll do superficial repairs – if that – and then return your car. In a few days, you'll find that there are even more problems and you've been fleeced out of hundreds of dollars. 

"These guys will do terrible work, they're unlicensed, shoddy work, wrong materials," Eric Friedman, of the Montgomery County Office of Consumer Protection, told WJLA. "They'll probably cause more problems. They'll take the money and run."

Open sale negotiations
If you go to buy a used car and the salesperson, whether from a dealership or an independent owner, leaves any part of the transaction up for interpretation, you should get out immediately. Forbes magazine recommended reading over all documents and making sure everything is set in stone before you drive away. In some instances, new owners will be contacted days later, with the seller stating that there was some type of problem with the credit application or other procedure. This could be a scheme to get more money from the buyer, but you can avoid falling into this trap by hashing out all of the details before taking the car. 

To find used cars safely, head to New Jersey State Auto Auction. This lot has hundreds of Carfax-certified cars, trucks and vans, so you can rest assured you're getting a high-quality vehicle at a bargain of a price. It even has its own repair garage, called the Total Car Care Center, which is able to address any auto issues you may have without resorting to shady personalities on the Internet.