Did your mama always say beware of a deal too good to be true? Well, that's especially the case when you're in the market for a used car.

Often too good to be true deals can mean that the car has been stolen.

"Believe it or not, many stolen cars end up for sale in local classified ads. When buying a car from the newspaper, especially from a private individual, make sure the title and registration match the name and address of the person selling the car," Larry Gamache of Carfax.com said. "Be suspicious if the seller suggests you meet in a parking lot, or can't provide you with a job or home phone number. And most importantly, make sure the Vehicle Identification Number on the dashboard plate matches the VIN on the paperwork."

In fact, with the VIN you can get the history of a used car by going on the Internet to Carfax.com. A Carfax report can tell you if a used car has ever been junked, reveal odometer fraud, and uncover the vehicle's past use, like whether it was ever a taxi or a rental car.