Scammer on gumtree Kate <removed>

momac1989
New Community Member

So I posted up a pram for sale on gumtree. I had Kate <removed> email me asking if it was still available. She then told me she was willing to pay the full price and was buying it for her cousin but couldn't collect it in person due to hearing loss and being in a wheelchair so would need to get a courier to collect it from my preferred location and would pay me via PayPal. I sent her my home address and PayPal email thinkin she was a genuine buying. Then I received an email from who I thought was PayPal telling me she had paid £400 into my account but it was pending until I paid £300 of my own money to the courier before funds would be released to me. Alarm bells went off. Shouldnt cost £300 for a courier to pick up a pram. She mailed me telling me she was having issues with her banking and asking that I send the courier the payment via bank transfer for her. But reading the fake PayPal email it was asking me to pay my own money before her money would be released to me. Never heard of that happening and I didn't trust it. I asked her to cancel her payment and told her I didn't have that much money so she demanded I got it off friends or family. I told her I've no family and just recently lost my mum. She then told me I better follow instructions or she's going to report me to police and reporting my PayPal email address. I luckily realised in time that it was a scam but others might not be so lucky. Her email address was <removed>. I searched the email address on Google and seems like she's been doing this for a couple of years. Mainly targeting gumtree users and seems to like going for women selling prams.

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15 REPLIES 15

laura_je_cooper
New Community Member
This happened to me yesterday, but the name was Olivia. Exact same email. I thought it was genuine until I started asking if she was sure her courier could collect the pram. She just kept blanking the question. This was from my Shpock add. I’ve then today had a text from a Kate (I instantly found it weird because it didn’t come up with a number, it came up with a name) asking me to email them about the pram. I knew it was a scam, but wanted to see what they’d say. So I emailed and then received the exact email I had yesterday. Absolutely disgusting.
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Daisychain1980
New Community Member

I have just had exactly this. For a pushchair, albeit she said she couldn't collect as was 9 months pregnant. Asked me to email her on <removed> account luckily I realised it was a scam before sending my PayPal details. Thank you for posting this.

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Meeshkyins
Contributor
Contributor
Me too! I just had her text and email me today! I thought something seemed off! So glad I googled her name!
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nutmeg27
Member
Member

She's back! Under the email josekate91 - a gmail account.

Tried to get me today on gumtree for a guitar.  
Anyone you do not know who's not willing to use buying/selling apps in the way they are intended are probably scammers, period.

 

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Brif72
New Community Member
This has just happened in the last hour to me over a sofa bed I’m selling on GumtreeUK. Luckily I spotted this and have sent them a response. **bleep**!
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PayPal_Schae
Moderator
Moderator

Hello @Brif72,

 

The PayPal Community welcomes you!

 

Wow, I'm very sorry to hear that you may have been caught up in a fraudulent buyer situation! Please keep in mind that PayPal will never ask you to spend your own money to have funds released. PayPal will also never ask you to enter your password unless you're on the login page. There are a number of ways you can tell if a PayPal transaction or contact is legitimate, which can be found on the PayPal website

 

I hope this leads you to some beneficial information!

 

Thank you,

- Schae

*If you see a post that was helpful, please benefit the Community by giving it a thumbs up (kudos) or accepting it as a solution.*
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