9 Years Jail for iCloud Phishing Scam Hacker Who Stole Nude Photos; Admin of DDoS-For-Hire . Default mode is don't trust anything when it comes to you parting with cash. This is a simplification, but I feel most people will benefit from keeping this in mind. Stick to face to face transactions and cash only or bank transfer (not PayPal). The scammers operate by contacting sellers and asking to buy items such as cars, machinery and mechanical parts, valued between $1,000 and $25,000, sight unseen. They're racing away in their getaway truck together with a scary-looking bulldog! If youre unsure about another buyer or seller on Gumtree, simple steps like double-checking their identity can help you avoid people who arent honest. Nan who pretended to be blind stole 1 million in benefits over 15 years. She also claimed that multiple sclerosis had left her unable to walk, dress, wash or go to the toilet without help. Its also possible that theyll ask you to take responsibility for an accident that wasnt your fault. Criminals pretend to be interested buyers with links to copycat websites, which could mean victims lose cash and their item. Wondering if it's a good idea to buy a preowned car? In the most common car buying scams, a buyer will offer to send money via PayPal, sometimes without having seen the car (or other item) first. 2. She was handed a 14 month prison sentenced suspended for 18 months and ordered to carry out 180 hours unpaid work. The courier will arrive at a time and date convenient for you and will pack it up." A great Scam word - "secure". In the UK, the . This scam usually involves two people one person distracts the seller, while another quickly slips oil into the coolant reservoir. "If someone's quite pushy in trying to collect the item as soon as possible after providing a transfer receipt, that's another tell-tale sign.". You can report an ad on Gumtree by navigating to the ad page and clicking the report button under the sellers name. Fortunately, I realised that the link was not original and quickly told her where to stick it. #1. Gumtree scammer Brylie Stratton (pictured) could avoid jail time, despite pleading guilty to a string of serious charges including theft, car theft, wilfully damaging property, failing to comply with a court order, and attempted theft. Apr 25, 2021 #1 I've used Gumtree many many times and never had any issues but it usually always local buyers. Sadly, this sort of fraud appears common. Scammer Mark William. Essentially, I listed an item for 300 on gumtree. If you receive one of these SMS messages: Scammers target everyone! She was very shocked and stated "I couldn't believe it when a real buyer turned up" pharkurnell on 28/10/2021 - 13:55 +1. This scam was a little complicated but by letting them pay via paypal you left yourself open to this simplest of scams. provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation AU. Police have been useless and in the process of filing a report. In fact, Australians lost more than a whopping $5.5 million to almost 8000 reports of classified scams in 2020," said Alex Merton-McCann, Cyber Safety Ambassador for McAfee in Australia . How did Russia lose HALF of its 45,000 elite paratroopers in just seven months? Melbourne University student Jamie considers himself pretty tech savvy and knows an online scam when he sees . If you see an ad on Gumtree that you suspect is a scam, you can click on "Report this Ad" on the top-right of the ad's page. Stay safe out there! I thought it was almost too good to be true. You can view the filename under File Explorer (Windows) or Preview (Mac, like this example). "We also encourage anyone who thinks they have come across anything suspicious or concerning to report it to us using the 'report ad' function.". Western Union at 1-800-448-1492. Ashlea James, 28, stole more than 11,000 from her girlfriend's vulnerable father after he welcomed her into his family. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. When arrested and interviewed in August, she denied any wrongdoing, but then admitted using all three accounts without permission. You can find details of PayPals Buyer and Fraud Protection here. The father of two, from Southport, falsely claimed benefits including Job Seekers Allowance, Employment Support and Personal Independence Payments, as well as council tax and housing benefits. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. "We work closely with law enforcement to assist with reported incidents, and urge users to report any suspected unlawful activity to the police. Matthew Corry yesterday pleaded . Theyve read most of my messages on gumtree asking about it and didnt reply. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. I will really appreciate if you can email my mum jessicafountainqueen@ gmail.com, condition and aksing price shes very interested purchasing it. "I never thought I'd get scammed and believe it or not, after 12 years in the investigation game, I got scammed myself," he said. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. Two years later she told Liverpool Housing Trust that her father was with carers in Scotland. However, in March 2008 she started to pay the money into her own bank account and changing the payment details to make it look as though this money had been paid to the care home. They found 35,000 and more money in the kitchen, along with some Mexican currency. There are some simple steps you can follow to help make sure someone is a genuine buyer or seller on Gumtree: Unfortunately, it is possible to fall for car selling scams on Gumtree. Fraudsters are targeting consumers using fake Gumtree websites that are used to steal bank details. She has pleaded guilty to a string of charges including theft, car theft, willfully damaging property, failing to comply with a court order, and attempted theft. In one case I was in Southampton selling a few glass food containers (available from any Ikea) and she was in Aberdeen. We ensure that your email is masked on Gumtree to prevent unwanted contact, Using cash payments is an option (except for with large amounts which you may feel uncomfortable about), Be aware that bank transfers offer very little protection if, for example, youre not happy with an item, PayPal, on the other hand, does generally offer more protection. Something like mybay.ebay.com would be more credible. Acting Detective Sergeant Russ Connor warned users of Gumtree and other trading sites not to hand over items until a payment had been fully verified. Today I nearly fell for quite a clever gumtree scam which Im sure has fooled many people and want to raise awareness so others can avoid it. I consider myself quite diligent and "scam-proof" but this one very nearly got me which is worrying for those who may not have such an eye for scams. She then sends me a link which looked something like the below: She also sent me a screenshot which said that she had payed for the item and is awaiting confirmation. You may click a link only to end up at a different URL than when you clicked. They seem way too common. If youre considering reporting a scam to the police, its worth taking a look at our article on reporting first. They went as far as buying a postage label with my name and address and sent me a picture of it prior to me sending any payment. The ACMA is warning Gumtree users to be wary of scammers sending fake WhatsApp or SMS messages. !, I was already mega suspicious after the first one, then I start getting them on the regular and now I haven't received anymore. for not saying how many customers they had refunded. I clicked on the link in a panic but the website didnt work. In the case that youve been scammed on Gumtree, you should use our reporting mechanisms to let us know. 1. Gumtree.com Limited is an Appointed Representative of Compare The Market Limited who is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. They are getting way too crafty. It's gotten a lot more trivial to set up HTTPS recently, so scammers are now using it. The best thing to do is to get a thorough inspection of your car and list all the faults in the advertisement. A 20-year-old who was caught using fake 50 notes to buy expensive phones through an online selling site has narrowly avoided jail. A Gumtree scammer who was found with a swag of . Dont follow links sent to you by buyers or sellers on Gumtree, Check your PayPal account on the PayPal site or app to validate transactions and messages, Keeping all communication through Gumtree will give you an extra level of security. You can follow his Facebook page for all his reports from court. The filename should make sense. 08:53, Fri, Jun 25, 2021 | UPDATED: 15:43 . Published: January 10, 2013 5.20am EST. Scammers are messaging Gumtree sellers with a request to click on a link to 'receive funds' for the listed item and organise Gumtree shipment. This is the oldest trick in the book, but unfortunately, it seems that fraudsters keep getting away with it. A spokesperson for Gumtree said: While most of our users have a safe, successful experience on Gumtree, we understand that there has frustratingly been a rise in cybercrime during the pandemic. They pretend to be interested in buying an item without viewing it, ask for it to be posted, then claim to have paid by sending a link to the seller. Gumtree scam and Australia. 1. Ask them to reverse the wire transfer and give you your money back. I am peeved but equally grateful that this happened to me, otherwise, I would still be naive to their very blatant existence. The WhatsApp profile had a picture of a women in her 40s and nothing really looked suspicious so I played along. 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