Gumtree scam and Australia. 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. Zuto Limited is a credit broker, not a lender. 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. The victim spent two days in hospital, where he underwent surgery for a badly injured foot and received stitches for a gash above his eye. Scammers are messaging Gumtree sellers with a request to click on a link to 'receive funds' for the listed item and organise 'Gumtree shipment'. Nan who pretended to be blind stole 1 million in benefits over 15 years. 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. James, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to fraud on the basis she took 11,526, over a four-month period. Wealthy aristocratic lifestyle of the ex Tatler It-girl who grew up on her family's sprawling Dorset estate: 'Digital antidepressants' to be rolled out on the NHS as health bosses give eight apps and web-based therapy Their 53 days on the run: The trail for Constance Marten and Mark Gordon had gone cold it was only by School's out AGAIN: Tens of thousands of teachers across the Midlands and eastern England are set to strike Are YOU at risk of being cancelled? These links lead to a fake Australia Post website which is designed to steal your personal and financial information. Like the ECHO Facebook page and follow @livechonews on Twitter, Security boss jailed after 100,000 tax fraud. Read on to find, You can still sell your car even if you've lost its log book. Fantastic! You can also sign up to our court newsletter here and get a twice weekly roundup of court cases sent your email inbox for free. "The unfortunate thing is when whoever these guys sell this to, when they go to update the machine it won't work as it's been reported stolen it's going to be useless machine.". Sadly, this sort of fraud appears common. I had the scammers phone number but not their address, and they appear to have blocked my number as well. Christina Pomfrey (left), Karen Kavanagh (centre), Tricamo Farid (right). A Gumtree scammer with a passion for fashion who conned men online and ran over one of her victims should escape prison time because she has an intellectual disability and a low IQ, her lawyers have argued. Copyright 2000-2020 Gumtree.com Limited. This link may look like a PayPal one at first, but it will actually have no association with PayPal. Sergeant Connor said some members of a syndicate in Brisbane had been charged but their victims were spread across south-east Queensland. It will feature reports from Liverpool Crown Court and crime cases connected to Merseyside. PayPal doesnt offer payment protection on vehicle purchases, so the most secure way to pay when buying a car on Gumtree is using our partner Online Payment Provider. !, I was already mega suspicious after the first one, then I start getting them on the regular and now I haven't received anymore. Don't waste your time. "The reason that they're targeting these higher value items is because they are then offloading these items using fake accounts usually on Gumtree or Facebook for quite reduced prices but obviously any profit they make is 100 per cent profit to them," he said. The Gumtree scammer who made thousands . Opeyemi and another scammer, Awolola Gbolahan Ayobami, were arrested in Malaysia in 2019 and later handed over to Singapore. That Gumtree-based scam also involved fake offers to sell iPhones, iPads . 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. Gumtree is a great way to sell items you no longer need giving you an opportunity to declutter, reduce landfill and make some extra cash at the same time. The BBC will suspend the 159-a-year licence fee for two days so people can watch EPHRAIM HARDCASTLE: Could Nicola Sturgeon return the Stone of Scone for King Charles's coronation as one of Just 11 MINUTES of brisk walking each day is enough to slash your chances of dying early, study reveals. James, from Ellsemere Port, claimed she had taken the money to pay for her grandad's funeral, because nobody else in her family could pay. They seem way too common. She was expecting a parcel from RM that day as well, and she would have stepped through it without thinking. Martyn James, of complaints resolution service Resolver, said: "Notifying your bank as soon as possible is the key issue.". 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. Sign up for our new Echo Court Files weekly email here. If the part after the top level domain isn't the website you expect to be dealing with, don't use the link you were given. Filename Check. Very high chance they're either in Nigeria or India, and usually the police in those locations don't care about it. Something doesn't feel right but I can't figure out what the scam (if any) is. 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. Gumtree.com Limited, registered in England and Wales with number 03934849, 27 Old Gloucester Street, London, WC1N 3AX, UK. How did Russia lose HALF of its 45,000 elite paratroopers in just seven months? April 23 Hang up on an immigration scam accc.gov.au. When arrested and interviewed in August, she denied any wrongdoing, but then admitted using all three accounts without permission. This image was sent to use as 'proof' of ownership of a lost puppy we had in the clinic. Items on Gumtree subject to scams tend to be slightly cheaper than others, but not cheap enough to raise suspicion. Apr 25, 2021 #1 I've used Gumtree many many times and never had any issues but it usually always local buyers. Ask them to reverse the wire transfer and give you your money back. Yes, you could be vulnerable to PayPal scams through Gumtree. 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. Gumtree fraud's drone scam snares thousands of dollars A Central Queensland man used a Gumtree ad to fleece a victim of thousands of dollars during an online drone selling scam. Very quickly I get a reply via WhatsApp asking me about the item, I provide a description of the condition etc and they say they would like to buy 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. Gumtree scam. Its a version of the paypal on collection one . Wondering if it's a good idea to buy a preowned car? While many Gumtree users have a positive experience, there are unfortunately a few bad seeds that seem to ruin things for the rest of us. John is the latest to be targeted by a syndicate of scammers operating on online trading sites, predominantly Gumtree, using doctored receipts to take items without paying. I must say the link had my actual advert with the exact pictures of my item, my name and price etc it looked very similar to my gumtree ad. A spokeswoman for Gumtree said user safety and security was their main priority. ", Have you been affected by this scam? A Gumtree scammer with a passion for fashion who conned men online and ran over one of her victims should escape prison time because she has an intellectual disability and a low IQ, her lawyers have argued. I had just sent my tax files to my accountant the day before I got that text. This way, youll avoid the buyers who are just contacting you for a bargain price. They're racing away in their getaway truck together with a scary-looking bulldog! She warned the program was Stratton's 'one and only' chance to avoid time behind bars and that she must attend every court-ordered appointment and assessment. When the price is just under the usual. Gumtree.com Limited is an Appointed Representative of Compare The Market Limited who is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Scam victim John said he spoke to the supposed buyer, who had clear mechanical knowledge of the product, a number of times. 24 May 2022. 345 7692 64. how to avoid scams when selling your car privately, Be wary of buyers who offer to send money via PayPal without seeing the item first, Be very cautious if a buyer claims to have overpaid, especially when you have not received an official payment confirmation, Dont let someone rush you into sending or receiving money. Scammer William Riley. The father-of-four rushed to hospital with serious leg and arm injuries after he was run over and dragged 50 metres down Little Bourke Street. She also claimed that multiple sclerosis had left her unable to walk, dress, wash or go to the toilet without help. The 65-year-old, from Runcorn, pretended to be blind and used her husband's dead wife's name and stole her details to steal money from the public. If youre considering reporting a scam to the police, its worth taking a look at our article on reporting first. 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. If something doesnt feel right, walk away. This can lead the seller to ignore their better judgement to help the 'sale' go through. Myron Jobson, personal finance campaigner at interactive investor, said: Financial scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and thus, are becoming harder to recognise. To avoid car purchase scams via PayPal, make sure you only set a date to hand off the car after youve seen the amount reflected in your bank account. However, you could still be vulnerable to sophisticated car scams. 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. Some pocketed hundreds of thousands over the years, Get the latest crime reports and stories from Liverpool Echo straight to your inbox. That was quick thinking, I almost got hit by the recent post office text messages but I had managed to read an article about it a week prior. Taking your time and staying vigilant will give you extra peace of mind when buying and selling, Make sure any emails you receive are actually from PayPal and not from a fraudulent website, Only log in to PayPal through the legitimate PayPal URL or the PayPal app. We do our best to stop scam replies. What to do if you have been scammed or see a scam. 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. :). Lucas pleaded guilty to two counts of encouraging or assisting the commission of an offence and was handed 21 months behind bars. Benefit fraudster stole 120,000 posing as family friend. People listing items on Gumtree obviously want to sell them, especially when lockdowns meant viewing and selling items has been almost impossible for months. They would not exist if people did not fall for their tricks. Scammers then insist on immediately transferring money by electronic bank transfer, before sending a photograph of a fake receipt and a copy of a fraudulently obtained driver's licence. Ethel McGill, 68, faked dementia and pretended her dead father was still alive in order to claim 750,000 in fraudulent benefit and pension payments. Another red flag for me was the lack of negotiating in the price, without even coming to see it. I was on Gumtree and saw a Nintendo Switch for $200 which I thought was a pretty good price. 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. The victim while sharing their experience tells that as soon as their client listens to an ad for a caravan on Gumtree, they received a message requesting . Be confident enough to refuse a sale if you feel doubtful. The fraudster gets in contact over Whatsapp. In order to ensure the safety of sellers and buyers, Gumtree follows strict guidelines for online safety and has partnered with OPP to offer you a secure payment option. Just hours before stealing the iPhone, Stratton had done a runner on another man in north-east Melbourne by stealing his $1400 Apple MacBook Pro laptop. Or like the ECHO court cases Facebook group for the latest news, stories or updates. Luckily Duke DeTain, Chief Wheeler, 2 officers and a faithful police dog are on the scene. Edit: Just to add that HTTP redirects are common. Hi Adam I am sorry to hear about your experience. Today I nearly fell for quite a clever gumtree scam which I'm sure has fooled many people and want to raise awareness so others can avoid it. Anthony Kenny, 36, devised a Gumtree scam to steal almost 5,500 from students and minimum wage workers. Gumtree.com Limited, registered in England and Wales with number 03934849, 27 Old Gloucester Street, London, WC1N 3AX, UK. If you've ever watched scambaiters such as Jim Browning in action, you'll have heard the . You can learn more about setting up payments with OPP here. Despite that, I STILL got scammed in the end. "What I found out since is the driver's licence and the details were of a gentleman that he actually scammed the same day.". Among the treasure trove found by police at Stratton's home were Louis Vuitton bags (stock image), a Louis Vuitton and Gucci purses, an Apple Watch and a Kathmandu jacket. 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His profile picture however was of a young guy standing on top of a hill. You should be wary of red flags, including a seller offering you a deal that seems too good to be true or a buyer telling you that they dont need to see your car before paying. 14 June 2020 at 10:31AM in Ebay, auctions, car boot sales, post & parcels. Jan-17-2018 05:10 AM. Several cases of Gumtree scams have are being reported in Australia. Saving Private Ryan actor Tom Sizemore's family say the actor, 61, has 'no further hope' after going into a Ed Sheeran reveals wife Cherry was diagnosed with tumour while pregnant which couldn't be treated until Matt Hancock was warned it was 'inhumane' to impose restrictions on visiting care homes and elderly were at Jacob Rees-Mogg 'had a Covid test for one of his children couriered to his home amid a shortage', according Time to veto keto? 345 7692 64. During the epic trial, it emerged that Barton had obtained power of attorney for some of his residents and became executor and beneficiary of their wills. You'll see our other email options too. The family lived in a gated property and used the money to jet off on flashy holidays to America, Dubai and Portugal. I think tbh in this day and age everyone could benefit from knowing a bit about the anatomy of URLs. April 22 SES warns of 'donation' scam as fraudsters take advantage of disaster news.com.au. This will cause some smoke to come out of the engine during the test drive, allowing your buyer to potentially get a discount on the listed price. Scammers will register their own domain names (the "24pays-online[dot]xyz" part), and then use a subdomain (the "gumtree-uk" part) to make it look like a link from a familiar website. A serial fraudster has been jailed for swindling more than $47,000 from Gumtree sellers, all while serving a suspended sentence for an earlier string of scams. Gumtree has a helpdesk, help.gumtree.com, where buyers and sellers can where they can learn more about avoiding scams and buying and selling items safely. A fraudster posing as a seller may send fake PayPal links, emails or receipts to make it look like youre sending them payment through the platform. Only deal in cash when your item is picked up or you buy something and pick that up. I'm selling a violin just now and I have had two non-local buyers contact me wanting to use "courier gumtree". . Always be wary of buyers who insist that they dont need to check out the car before they purchase it its very unusual that a genuine buyer wont want to see the car first. eBay.mypay.com would be dodgy. They then face a 'banking lottery' when it comes to getting that money back. She left court shielding her face with her hands and made no comment while surrounded by a media scrum. When using Gumtree, keeping the following in mind can help you to spot and avoid potential buying and selling scams: We aim to keep Gumtree a positive and secure place to buy and sell, so if you feel unsure, feel free to refuse a sale and you can use our helpdesk to report anything suspicious. 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 . He says faked receipts looked like the real thing and that identifying the perpetrators had been difficult. John (not his real name) from the Sunshine Coast handed over a diagnostic mechanics tool that retails for about $13,000, but did not receive the money for the sale. 08:53, Fri, Jun 25, 2021 | UPDATED: 15:43 . Ellis eventually pleaded guilty to two counts of making a dishonest representation to obtain benefit and three counts of dishonestly failing to notify a change of circumstances, and was jailed for two years and three months. There are some simple steps you can follow to help make sure someone is a genuine buyer or seller on Gumtree: Collect the buyer or seller's full name and do some research online to make sure you can trust them. If you receive one of these SMS messages: Scammers target everyone! Then in December that year, he was convicted of 25 counts of fraud, relating to a 2010 scam, and was jailed for two years. I got as far as clicking on the payment link before alarm bells started ringing. Alleged Gumtree scammer arrested. Published: January 10, 2013 5.20am EST. The best thing to do is to get a thorough inspection of your car and list all the faults in the advertisement. Jump into, Looking for a family car? Tell us your story: Mirror.Money.Saving@mirror.co.uk. Claims by a buyer that they overpaid you can be a tell-tale sign of fraud, and you shouldnt grant requests for a refund unless youre completely sure that the buyer did overpay. URLs from proper companies are more likely to use HTTPS, whereas scam sites often don't bother to set it up. John Griffiths, 38, was sentenced in the County Court on Thursday to a minimum 18 . Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Email my Mom directly mel.anman.04@ gmail.com highly interested in this! Many customers will not know that, and could easily be taken in by something that looks legitimate. Scammer Gary Wernher. . Introductions are limited to motor finance. Couple stole over 100,000 in benefits to fund expensive holidays. He MUST seize it, starting with the Budget, writes ANDREW NEIL. Inside the forest palace 'Putin shares with his gymnast lover and their secret children': Luxury estate Vanessa Bryant settles with LA County for $28,850,000 over misuse of photos from helicopter crash that What does the 1st March say for MY star sign? A 20-year-old who was caught using fake 50 notes to buy expensive phones through an online selling site has narrowly avoided jail. Prominent Member. The court also heard Stratton met up with two sellers within hours of each other on July 30. Which in reality means it will not be safe even though you may think it does. Briefly: This might help to illustrate simply what I say below: https://love2dev.com/img/domain-name-structure-diagram-980x469.png. Ashlea James, 28, stole more than 11,000 from her girlfriend's vulnerable father after he welcomed her into his family. Its also possible that theyll ask you to take responsibility for an accident that wasnt your fault. Karen Kavanagh, 60, a former council worker, admitted stealing 260,000 from a cash strapped local authority to pay her own debts. Alan Barratt, 62, and Susan Dalton, 66, tricked people into . 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More people need to be made aware of how easy a scam like this is to fall for. direct to our customer service team. 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. The crook befriended then betrayed wealthy pensioners at luxurious Barton Park Nursing Home in Oxford Road, Southport. Gumtree.com Limited is an Introducer Appointed Representative of Zuto Limited who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, FRN 452589. Council worker stole 260,000 of care home cash to pay her debts. 2. The Gumtree PayPal Scam: Spotting Internet scammers is harder than you think. By Kylie Stevens For Daily Mail Australia, Published: 01:28 GMT, 21 April 2021 | Updated: 02:24 GMT, 21 April 2021. In actual fact, the true turnover was four times that. An obese fraudster who rorted almost $325,000 via a protracted Australia-wide Gumtree racket has been jailed.
