The little padlock symbol on a website theoretically means a site is safe, but it can be manipulated so it's good to also check other elements such as the “About Us” or “Information” pages.
The SA Insurance Association’s this week launched a "VIN-Lookup" website to help used-car buyers check whether a bargain set of wheels had been previously scrapped and illegally rebuilt.
The SA Motor Body Repairers’ Association (Sambra) has criticised the new VIN-Lookup website for not going far enough to protect consumers from unwittingly buying potential “death trap” cars.