**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 ****.***) 

[Kezza2647]

This was my message I received today. Similar to a lot of the posts on here: 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

[MALC3]

Me too but didn't fall for it.

[ceeceevee]

We got phished that way this morning too. Same sob story about being wheelchair-bound, etc. The stink got overpowering when the courier thing turned up and so we stopped all comms, looked it up here and reported it to Gumtree.

All the scammers got in the end is my wife's name and email but the feelings of shame and anger are something else. Turns you off from using Gumtree at all!

[marlene11]

Put furniture for sale on gumtree and have now received 3 responses all similar to the other people. All had various illnesses and were unable to attend but would send a courier and suggested using PayPal. I told them I was not interested and would only accepted cash. Heard nothing more from them.

Don't be caught out by these fraudsters !!

[joependlebury]

Thanks for the heads up! Thought something was fishy, when she quoted the courier she was looking to use wanted £300 to deliver a pushchair I was selling. The fact she asked for me to bank transfer the £300 for delivery, was the final giveaway, having supposedly sent it to me via PayPal first. Be weary of this fraudster! So glad I discovered this thread, but surprised PayPal haven't yet done something about it, considering the fraudster is still operating under the same email address, as you stated in March 2007!

[Claudinecamp]

I have had exactly the same message today. How is this still going on and they haven’t been caught?? The woman threatened to report me to PayPal straight after I had called her bluff!

[JenniL]

I have just been sent a similar message - different details but asking me to send money via Western Union before the money for my sale item could be placed into my PayPal account.  That was all I needed to check out whether or not this was a scam.  Low and behold I'm not alone.  Will certainly be suspicious of anyone else who wants to pay for an item via PayPal.

[Sonnyboy82]

I had exactly same thing today As I never used PayPal to sell before was unsure but when I was sent an email for payment and I had to send $250 out of my own pocket to a currier I was thinking scam. On gum tree you now have option to send them PayPal option not other way round

[radchief]

Got the same thing. I was guilible enough to give my email, name and number, but got a succeeding email from them detailing about some absurd Western Union transfer with a lot of money involved. I’ve cut off communications but I’m worried considering the information I’ve supplied, is there anything I should do? Feel pretty stupid tbh.

[ceilidhhiggins]

I had one almost the same just this week. Initial contact via gumtree asking me to email their colleague who did not have an account. This is the email I got. Seemed unusual but not a scam at first. After some back and forth and me telling them I wouldn’t send the pram until I had the money in my PayPal account I got one asking for me to transfer $650 to Western Union account in Turkey for the courier. As this was so ridiculously high and odd I then googled and realised it was a scam. Luckily all they had done was waste my time! Cheers for the prompt responses! please consider it sold and cancel every other appointment regarding it, I am buying the baby stuff for my daughter who just get birth to a new born baby and also moving to a new house with her husband,I am read to pay your full asking price,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 or bsb and acct details: Full name: Firm Price: Telephone: Awaiting your reply soon...