**Beware**Gumtree**Scam**

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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 ****.***) 

[hadn130]

Absolutely the same deal. I very nearly fell for it, but something felt wrong when i saw the yahoo email address and typos in the email so I pulled out. The 'buyer' was very persistent. I'm glad i found this forum. 

[Flumpy26]

Exact same person, exact same email this morning (26th November 2020). I have another buyer who seems slightly more legitimate but is also wanting someone to collect on their behalf so I am now automatically skeptical. I’ll update with that name/scam format too if it turns out not to be legitimate.

[bobmof]

Just had the same trick attempted.  Poor buyer just had throat surgery and is on wheelchair so wanted me to buy Amazon gift card.  I stopped responding to buyer.

[Mary254]

My sister has just had a very similar scam but from a woman saying she wants her to pay her courier through amazon gift card because she has upcoming heart surgery and can’t pay him (automatic red flag as this makes zero sense) to me this sounds like an automatic scam but it makes me so angry that some people will fall victim to these cowardly keyboard trolls

[JSS61]

I have just had the same email from a wemmy wale asking me to do this. I told them no thank you. Partner in crime was ecquo

[Kaymo1964]

I had the exact same message. Thank you. Didn’t think they could scam through PayPal !!!!!! Beware everyone

[Neilavard]

Sounds almost identical to what I've just experienced. Very clever and could fool many. A SCAM .

[zilewis]

I have just had this nearly happen to me, a man named Joseph replied to my ad for a wardrobe, asking I contact his wife via email.

The email convo with Louise seemed genuine until she said that she will pay an extra £50 for me to buy an amazon gift card for the delivery guy, this rang alarm bells for me so I replied to her saying why was she able to pay me via paypal but not the delivery guy? I then googled and found this article. 

Is there a way for me to report the user on Gumtree? I have reported the email address as phishing on gmail.

[latinoheat76]

Hello R, The Guy with the Van just got back to me. Right now everything is set, I gave him your information. He would contact you to schedule a pick up date and time. I also got His Van REG: BL57VBC (For you can confirm when he comes)His name is Nate. But I have a little problem which I am sure you can help me solve. The Van guy wants his money through an Amazon Gift card which I couldn't get due to my present condition(I'm home-bound). I'll include the £215 he charged me for pick up and delivery to the PayPal payment I'll send to you. You will help me go to any nearest store to purchase the gift card for the Value of £215. I will also include an additional £20 for your time and fuel. I will be happy if you can do this for me. Please let me know in your next response ASAP, if you can help me get the gift cards for the Van guy and I will proceed with the payment immediately. He will collect the cards from you at the time of pick up. Regards, John.

[Sgpeg2016]

I have just had this exact scam artist too !!! Name of Peter. Exact wording, exact scam. When I said I would proceed by buying a gift card he said "Have you got emails from PayPal as the money is already been deducted from my account and PayPal has stated in the email that if you fail to comply with there instruction you will face legal action". Told him to take it up with Pay pal and guess what - emails stopped.