Another 'scammed on Gumtree' would really appreciate help

Another 'scammed on Gumtree' would really appreciate help

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Discussion

northwest monkey

6,370 posts

188 months

Thursday 14th August 2014
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KFC said:
He doesn't live in Cornwall. He's deliberately picked somewhere remote to remove any chance of most people wanting to come collect in person. Which (if correct) points towards it being a scam from day 1, rather than falling out and a civil dispute as Ginge84 is saying.
100% this. The amount of people living in the Highlands, or Mid Wales, or Cornwall with valuable & desirable stuff to sell is incredible....

bottledatsource

41 posts

116 months

Thursday 14th August 2014
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ging84 said:
This does not sound like a scam at all
this sounds like someone was genuinely selling an item, got sent the money, then fell out with the seller, making it a civil dispute over money rather than fraud

what were the voice mails you left the seller and what was in the emails?

when he said, ring the police i'll tell you where I live etc etc, did he actually tell you where he lived?
Are you on a wind up, not asking to be nice but your post history including this is either calling people idiots or posting st.

mellowman

352 posts

247 months

Thursday 14th August 2014
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Just to chip in, having been in on the original Scammed on Gumtree thread...

I think the fact that the contact details don't add up make it pretty clear it's a scam, albeit with a twist.

I wonder whether it's more than one person, because my initial dealings were with a person who wasn't obviously a twunt - only after the money was transferred did the txtspk slang and oikishness come out.

If the money's being withheld and there's no sign of the goods then it's clearly fraud.

Can you find any evidence of similar contact details being used? Gumtree can tap into accounts and ip addresses, but they'll only pass this on to the authorities.

If he's emailed you the pics there's a chance he's used the email address elsewhere - have you Googled for it?

It looks like you may have to be patient for a while and give a statement about the fraud in due course.

Keep us posted...

mcrdave

Original Poster:

191 posts

190 months

Thursday 14th August 2014
quotequote all
Cheers, similar situation here, the bloke seemed to have a split personality. Very convincing story about his motorbike about his caravan business how his wife told him to sell the bike etc etc. The phone call I got at 6.40pm was the same guy but a flurry of abuse and as you said 'oikishness'.

Just gone through the whole Gumtree fraud form and filled everything in.

Only thing I haven't done is contact his bank and ask them to investigate it, probably pointless but will try at lunch.

I really really want to call his number and tell him I'm coming for him but I know i have to be patient and hope the authorities get somewhere.

I'll update if I get anywhere.

Cheers for all the help guys

mellowman said:
Just to chip in, having been in on the original Scammed on Gumtree thread...

I think the fact that the contact details don't add up make it pretty clear it's a scam, albeit with a twist.

I wonder whether it's more than one person, because my initial dealings were with a person who wasn't obviously a twunt - only after the money was transferred did the txtspk slang and oikishness come out.

If the money's being withheld and there's no sign of the goods then it's clearly fraud.

Can you find any evidence of similar contact details being used? Gumtree can tap into accounts and ip addresses, but they'll only pass this on to the authorities.

If he's emailed you the pics there's a chance he's used the email address elsewhere - have you Googled for it?

It looks like you may have to be patient for a while and give a statement about the fraud in due course.

Keep us posted...

mcrdave

Original Poster:

191 posts

190 months

Thursday 14th August 2014
quotequote all
Mini update, the bank details i posted earlier were wrong it seems this is the bank his account is linked too

RBS
14 Hall Quay, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk
NR30 1EH

mcrdave

Original Poster:

191 posts

190 months

Thursday 14th August 2014
quotequote all
Rang them, no joy, as expected, they told me to pursue it through my bank.

KFC

3,687 posts

129 months

Thursday 14th August 2014
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mcrdave said:
Mini update, the bank details i posted earlier were wrong it seems this is the bank his account is linked too

RBS
14 Hall Quay, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk
NR30 1EH
You're wasting your time with stuff like that. Anyone can easily look up the sort code and tell you the branch address - all that info is public.

Either chalk it up to experience, try and find another scam ad and take revenge, or go contact the police. Anything else is just an utter waste of time.

mcrdave

Original Poster:

191 posts

190 months

Tuesday 19th August 2014
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Ok, i might be jumping to conclusions but I've a feeling this is the same guy. A new poster ie never been on Gumtree before, same price as last time (ie too cheap for what it's really worth), similar location, no email address again. What's the best thing to do? I don't want to cock up someones genuine ad but I need to try and use this ad to my advantage without raising suspicion.

http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/go-pro-gopro-her...


mcrdave

Original Poster:

191 posts

190 months

Tuesday 19th August 2014
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Gf has left a message on the answerphone. So if same as last time, he'll ring back tomorrow morning and we'll take it from there. Game on.

Andehh

7,107 posts

205 months

Tuesday 19th August 2014
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I like to test the water by dropping in I'm in the area if the country at the weekend for one reason or another, ask if I'm alright to drop by and view it etc, ask for address and jus see how they react.

Worse case chalk it up to a lesson learnt, we've all had run ins with unsavoury characters, put it down to karma that he will get is comeuppance one day! smile

nonsense

89 posts

120 months

Tuesday 19th August 2014
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Going to cornwall at the weekend, yarmouth in a couple of weeks... you get the address, i'll get the frozen sausages!

mcrdave

Original Poster:

191 posts

190 months

Wednesday 20th August 2014
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We're going down south camping at the weekend as well, the chances of him giving an address are slim to none I'm sure.

Pip1968

1,346 posts

203 months

Wednesday 20th August 2014
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Try and reel him in with you wanting to send him a cheque by post and so need an address. I am sure if you up the offer (~£200) due to 'your rush in needing one before you go on a trip of a lifetime' he will fall for it.

Sorry to hear of your problems.

Pip

Eclassy

1,201 posts

121 months

Wednesday 20th August 2014
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Or see if you can find a cheque book that was taken during an armed robbery or murder. Write one out for the sum of Two million, four hundred and thirty eight thousand pounds and seventy two pence and pay it into his account at any RBS cash machine that accepts deposits. idea

Make sure you wear a hoody and leave none of your prints on the cheque. This should get the police interested. biglaugh

(Do not try this. It was just an evil thought that came to my mind)

CAPP0

19,530 posts

202 months

Wednesday 20th August 2014
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I have only the vaguest recollection but some time ago (maybe as much as 2 years?) was there not a similar thread on here where the location was also similar; certainly East Anglia? My senility is such that I can't remember the outcome either - maybe my vagueness will prompt someone else's memory? Just wondering is it the same person still going?

KFC

3,687 posts

129 months

Wednesday 20th August 2014
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CAPP0 said:
I have only the vaguest recollection but some time ago (maybe as much as 2 years?) was there not a similar thread on here where the location was also similar; certainly East Anglia? My senility is such that I can't remember the outcome either - maybe my vagueness will prompt someone else's memory? Just wondering is it the same person still going?
Odds on that are probably a million in one - Gumtree is full of idiots relieving other idiots of their money.

mcrdave

Original Poster:

191 posts

190 months

Wednesday 20th August 2014
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Cheers KFC. Another pearl of positive wisdom from you there, thanks for the contribution.


Hoink

1,424 posts

157 months

Wednesday 20th August 2014
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Things like this really piss me off. You won't see that money again.

If you have his real bank account details could you not do some damage? Set him up for some direct debits, etc. Not you of course, but someone might find a use with them.

The same goes for his mobile number.

KFC

3,687 posts

129 months

Wednesday 20th August 2014
quotequote all
mcrdave said:
Cheers KFC. Another pearl of positive wisdom from you there, thanks for the contribution.
My point is if you try and follow these random leads you're just going to waste even more time chasing money that is long gone.

Go on a charity site (from an internet cafe or public wifi) and sign him up for a £50 a month direct debit and then forget about it.

Next time, run a mile when you start getting excuses of why they can't take Paypal. Or ask them to Paypal you £1 for a transaction of an item to be delivered by post. This will include their verified address.... which will confirm whether they really do live in the Shetland Islands or on the Welsh coast.

Or go look up their bank account sort code, and question why someone apparently living in the Highlands banks in a council estate in Birmingham.

Mal001

1,372 posts

227 months

Wednesday 20th August 2014
quotequote all
mcrdave said:
Mini update, the bank details i posted earlier were wrong it seems this is the bank his account is linked too

RBS
14 Hall Quay, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk
NR30 1EH
My home town (well nearly). If you have any other info you want me to check out let me know.

I've had something similar on ebay whereby I bought a boat from a local guy, all went well and I collected it from his house. A few weeks later a guy from ebay contacts me to say he had paid the boat seller £200 for a mobile phone which never arrived and could I send him his address.