Another 'scammed on Gumtree' would really appreciate help
Discussion
Hi,
Having just read the scammed on Gumtree thread with a positive result gained I thought this is worth a shot.
Feel like a complete tool right now. Was after a Go Pro, found one on Gumtree and after loads of decent transactions on there I guess I gained a false sense of security. The guy rang me back, we talked about the camera, about his motorbike all seemed aboveboard. Asked how he wanted paying, I said we could do Paypal but said he's upto his limit on Paypal so could we bank transfer. I left it a day and thought about it.
Today I asked him to email me a photo of his name in front of the camera for my own piece of mind, which he did. I transferred the money.
Alarm bells rang when I couldnt get hold of him all afternoon. Left messages and emails, nothing. So about 30 mins ago he rang me and said 'You're not getting your money you little w*nker', 'ring the police I'll tell you where I live etc etc'. He actually rang me twice and repeated this, I kept him on the phone an asked him if he sleeps well at night doing this and was generally calm which seemed to annoy him further.
Anyway, I feel like a complete t*t right now, have rang my bank Natwest and reported it, they're going to try and get the money back from his account RBS (unlikely I know) and am going to speak to the cops tomorrow to get a crime number.
He banks with RBS I have an account number and sort code plus a mobile and an email. Pretty much nothing to go off but if anyone has any ideas on how to pursue it I'll be up for it.
So if anyone wants a Go Pro, probably best not doing what I did.
Here's the ad too:
Having just read the scammed on Gumtree thread with a positive result gained I thought this is worth a shot.
Feel like a complete tool right now. Was after a Go Pro, found one on Gumtree and after loads of decent transactions on there I guess I gained a false sense of security. The guy rang me back, we talked about the camera, about his motorbike all seemed aboveboard. Asked how he wanted paying, I said we could do Paypal but said he's upto his limit on Paypal so could we bank transfer. I left it a day and thought about it.
Today I asked him to email me a photo of his name in front of the camera for my own piece of mind, which he did. I transferred the money.
Alarm bells rang when I couldnt get hold of him all afternoon. Left messages and emails, nothing. So about 30 mins ago he rang me and said 'You're not getting your money you little w*nker', 'ring the police I'll tell you where I live etc etc'. He actually rang me twice and repeated this, I kept him on the phone an asked him if he sleeps well at night doing this and was generally calm which seemed to annoy him further.
Anyway, I feel like a complete t*t right now, have rang my bank Natwest and reported it, they're going to try and get the money back from his account RBS (unlikely I know) and am going to speak to the cops tomorrow to get a crime number.
He banks with RBS I have an account number and sort code plus a mobile and an email. Pretty much nothing to go off but if anyone has any ideas on how to pursue it I'll be up for it.
So if anyone wants a Go Pro, probably best not doing what I did.
Here's the ad too:
Sorry Ging84 but that wasn't the case at all. I sent the money so why would he have 'fallen out' with me?
The next contact I had from him after the transaction was an email saying he's just been offered £230 for it. So my next response was I'm not going to match it so I'd like my money back.
This is where i know things had gone 'bad' since that point I have been trying to get the guy to give me back the money but the only contact I had was the phonecall at 6.40 pm tonight where he basically mocked me for being a mug (fair enough) said to ring the police, said he will tell me where he was then hung up...
The next contact I had from him after the transaction was an email saying he's just been offered £230 for it. So my next response was I'm not going to match it so I'd like my money back.
This is where i know things had gone 'bad' since that point I have been trying to get the guy to give me back the money but the only contact I had was the phonecall at 6.40 pm tonight where he basically mocked me for being a mug (fair enough) said to ring the police, said he will tell me where he was then hung up...
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?
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?
Not sure what angle you're trying to get on this ging. In the emails and voicemails I asked mike to call me back to arrange the refund. Nothing more, nothing less. No aggression or threats were made, no voices were raised. There was nothing to gain by doing that.
A man who calls me up to tell me I'm a fool and a little w*nker for falling for it is a man trying to deal with his own sense of guilt. I guess he isn't a 'scammer' as such, just a small time fraudster who gets off on this kind of deal, but hasn't quite got the balls to go to the big time scams just yet.
That's my take on it, you can believe what you like ging.
A man who calls me up to tell me I'm a fool and a little w*nker for falling for it is a man trying to deal with his own sense of guilt. I guess he isn't a 'scammer' as such, just a small time fraudster who gets off on this kind of deal, but hasn't quite got the balls to go to the big time scams just yet.
That's my take on it, you can believe what you like ging.
ging84 said:
you now say he emailed you to say he'd had a better offer and you asked for your money back
You asked for you money back in an email, which you didn't get a reply to, you tried to phone him couldn't get hold of him this afternoon on the phone so left voicemails and emails, and this evening he calls you back in an angry state calling you a w
ker, you don't consider that a falling out?
you don't think it is relevant what you said in those voice mails and emails?
This is not how scammers generally work, they don't phone people up call them wkers and tell them to call the police, when they can string it along for weeks saying there is a problem with postage, it got lost in the post, the refund is on it's way etc etc, meaning any trail will be very cold by the time anyone gets round to calling the police.
You asked for you money back in an email, which you didn't get a reply to, you tried to phone him couldn't get hold of him this afternoon on the phone so left voicemails and emails, and this evening he calls you back in an angry state calling you a w
ker, you don't consider that a falling out?you don't think it is relevant what you said in those voice mails and emails?
This is not how scammers generally work, they don't phone people up call them w
kers and tell them to call the police, when they can string it along for weeks saying there is a problem with postage, it got lost in the post, the refund is on it's way etc etc, meaning any trail will be very cold by the time anyone gets round to calling the police.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
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...
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...
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...
http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/go-pro-gopro-her...
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