**Beware**Gumtree**Scam**

[Temp20221108A]

I posted several items on gumtree for sale and received a text from a woman called **** ***** asking if I still had an item (the most expensive one on the list) and to email her.

Eager to sell the item, I obliged and emailed her. She replied with the following:

Great! please consider both sold as i am willing to pay your full asking price because i need to buy it for my cousin asap,

i have read through the advert and i'm totally satisfied with it,

sadly i would not be able to come personally to collect due to my hearing loss and I'm just recovering from heart surgery so I'm home-bound.

I have a courier agent that would help me to pick it up at your preferred location after you have received your money and i'll pay you via PayPal once you are ready.

Kindly get back to me with your location so that i can inform the courier agent about it now?

I replied asking if she was local to me and if a bank transfer or cash on collection would be possible. She ignored the 1st question and said she has no access to bank because she is house bound. Then gave me a link to PayPal.

After repeatedly asking where she was from and only getting her email address as a reply, I googled her name and came across a thread detailing the email I received but using a different name. So be careful. **** ***** (******** at ****.***) 

[Maryanne2]

Just had someone email the same about my washing machine for sale. Called mirabell <removed> .. watch out! Knew it was strange!

[jezoz]

Just had similar approach via Gumtree from a 'Bernard <removed>'. The tone was a wee bit strange so i goggled the name (didnt exist anywhere) then twigged something else was happening. I'll post below in case it helps others. 

Received a text saying they were interested in my table but to only reply to them by email. Which i did and this was the scammers reply:

Thanks for the response and do as well advise on the least amount you will like to give it away and due to the nature of my job and location...i will not be able to come for inspection,am a very busy type as i work long hours everyday,i have gone through your advertisement and i am satisfied with it.

As for the payment..i can only pay via the fastest and secure way to pay online(PayPal) here.

I have a private courier agent that will come for the pick up after the payment have been made...

You can now send me your PayPal email so i can pay in right away and also include your address in your reply.

Thanks

[Scottyfelicity]

Me to - text from Stacy <removed> asking me to email her over a child's pushchair (an expensive Bugaboo). Wasted loads of time and sent her my address (for courier). Then just thought I'd google the name thinking what a cynic I was - lo and behold so many other people have had same experience. Luckily didn't get to the paying stage

[Melissahol]

I had this issue this week, 27/11/2018 same text but she was kate<removed> and hard of hearing and wheelchair bound.

[Jennifer1984]

I had the exact same message sent to me apart from she said she was deaf and wheel chair bound!!! Disgusting Theiving sum bag!! Glad I realised. Felt so fishy. Hope people see these before she gets anyone else.

[Root90]

Thank god this thread exists as I just put in the email address into google and this thread was the first thing to pop up.

I had a gumtree reply from someone called "Lynn" regarding an electric guitar asking to email her partner <removed>

The first email I received from "Jessica" is as follows:

Cheers for the prompt responses! please consider it sold and cancel every other appointment regarding it, I am buying it for my daughter, I have read through the advert and I'm totally satisfied with it and I will be glad if you can get back to me with some pics if available, sadly I won't be able to come for the inspection and pick up due to my disabilities, I loss my hearing and being on a wheelchair but I have a courier agent that will help me to pick it up at your preferred location.Regarding the payment I can only pay via PayPal at the moment and I will be responsible for all the PayPal fee/charges on his transaction so kindly get back to me with the information below.

Your PayPal e-Mail Address:

Full name:

Firm Price:

Telephone:

 

Awaiting your reply soon...

I didn't clock on at first so did give the info they asked for.

The second email from "Jessica" is as follows:

Hello again,

I am glad to inform you that i have made the payment! PayPal said that they have sent you a confirmation email so kindly check the inbox/spam folder of your email.

I had a little problem with the agent they said they can only schedule the pick up date and time after they receive their pick up fee in their head office via western union,but due to me being in wheelchair i'm unable to get to a western union shop to send it. I added the £285 they charged for the pick up and £40 for the western union charges,you will receive the total sum of £435 in your account after you have made the payment of £285 in cash at western union shop and get back to PayPal with the transfer details..Please check all your email folders including the spam/junk folder as there are attachments in the message that might have prevented it from entering into your inbox, please read it carefully and follow their instructions.

 

Here is the details needed for the transfer below:

 

First name: Jones 

Last name: <removed>

Address: 18 <removed>, <removed>

Zip Code: <removed>

City:    Istanbul

Country : Turkey

 

Please let me know once you've sent the money so that i can make necessary arrangements.

At this point a lot of red flags were raised. Who has a daughter called Jones <removed> (haha). Why are they sending me 3x the price of the item. Why the hell should I have to arrange shipment overseas if I'm selling on a local website haha

It wasn't until I googled the email address of the "Paypal" email that I found this thread so THANK YOU!

<removed>

Hopefully I've not been naive with the info I gave them, have contacted PayPal now.

Hope no one gets caught out and that this person is stopped

[tomsavvy]

So what can be done if the item has actually been sent?

I've forwarded the emails to spoof@paypal.com

Its also been sent to a U.K address and has been delivered. There is a reference number, which they will now have a copy of.

Am i covered for the value?

[Vivienetoomey]

Just had the same scam today. Jennifer wanted to purchase 2 sofas that I had advertised on Gum tree and get them courirered to Scotland. She wanted to buy them for her son. She couldn't view them as was in Scotland and in a wheel chair. Asked for my paypal email which I gave her after having spoken to paypal who advised me not to give out my address until money was in my paypal. She then asked me to set up a yahoo or hotmail email address as a payment reference as it would be quicker than my gmail. Alarms bells started ringing!!! Decided to google the name Jennifer and saw this thread. Thank Goodness!!!!

[lyricmanlondon]

The scammer always tells you that they can't collect the item but will arrange for a courier to pick it up after they have paid via paypal.

They tell you that you will receive a notice from Paypal when they have paid.

They then send you what looks like an official paypal invoice which states that the buyer has paid for your item plus an additional sum for shipping to another country which they ask you to reimburse via a link to a bank. This particular bank is just a vehicle to immediately transfer your money to a bank abroad. Needless to mention that you would never see your money again.

In my case I knew that it was a scam from the start but played along with them to see how it would transpire. They put £400 on top of my item for shipping and the Paypal invoice looks legit. If something doesn't sound normal then beware.

[Lazybabe3]

Just received a text from Gumtree with email <removed> I adverted some exercise equipment. They asked if it was available. I responded using one of my emails not attached to my name. Then they sent this. Thanks for your response,i want all please. I want you to consider this a deal as i am willing to pay your full asking price! i actually want to buy them for a relative who is in need of them, i have checked through your advert and i'm fully satisfied with them. Unfortunately, i would not be able to come personally to collect but would send my courier agent to collect after you have fully received your money, i work offshore so i don't have time at all, but like i said i am 100% OK with the advert. However, I will pay you via PayPal once you are ready and send my courier agent after you have received your money as that is the only means of payment available to me at the moment. I would also appreciate if you could remove the advert asap. If that's Ok with you please get back to me with a suitable collection time. I knew from the tone that it was fake. Who responds like that? A scammer that's who.