Ebay, Gumtree & Autotrader Vehicle / Car Scams

[Divyan]

Re: Ebay, Gumtree & Autotrader Vehicle / Car Scams

I have just seen this thread...my dad has been a victim of this with the exact same email messages from the email alice@sbtpro.co.uk.... unfortunately we had fallen for it and have lost a fair bit of money, but we are determined to to find out who it was...the advert was found on gumtree advertising a mercedes vito van...this was around the 28th September now...we have gone to the fraud dept, the police and given their bank account details to barclays.....the name of the account holder was Artur Schulz. it was actually purchased on the 1st october and be delivered by the 4th october...does anyone else have anymore details? thanks.

[Tools]

Re: Ebay, Gumtree & Autotrader Vehicle / Car Scams

Now being dealt with directly by my contact at Barclays Fraud Dept.

Bricko or I will update with any developments.

[Tools]

Re: Ebay, Gumtree & Autotrader Vehicle / Car Scams

Thanks for the further info, can you please read my private message and respond asap please

[bricko]

Re: Ebay, Gumtree & Autotrader Vehicle / Car Scams

To offer advice we need to know a bit more
When did you see the ad
When & how did you make your offer
Did you speak to the person direct or was it all by email
What personal details did you reveal to the scammer email, mobile no. etc
When did you realize you had been scammed
When did you contact your bank (date AND time please)

Hi Righty

I saw the Ad on Ebay/Gumtree on Tuesday 30th September 2014. I rang the mobile number provided by the seller which is 07914 855360 and left a message enquiring about the Motorhome (she was calling herself Alice)! I then received an email saying the Motorhome is still for sale and if it was going to be a quick sale I will let it go for the quoted price £4300.00 delivered at their costs. They also stated that the deal would go through Ebay & Paypal. They also stated that if I weren't happy with the vehicle I would receive a full refund via Paypal. The first email address they provided was: gcdi@mprobt.co.uk. and then it changed to alice@mprobt.co.uk. I never spoke to the person directly it was all done via email or text. The details I provided was my home address including postcode my mobile telephone number & email address. I realised that I had been scammed when the vehicle did not arrive on Monday 6th October 2014 at our chosen meeting point. The money was transferred from my Barclays Bank Account into the following Barclays Bank Account: Sort Code: 20-44-91, Account Number: 53311597, Beneficiary Name: Mariusz Ostrowski

I went to the bank on Tuesday 7th October with no success. On the same day I also rang the Police who took all my details and passed them onto the Fraud Squad. I tried again at the bank on Friday 10th October and again they weren't interested. I enquired again on Friday 17th October, but this time they passed me onto Barclays Fraudulent Accounts Department. In the meantime I had received a letter from the Fraud Squad quoting a reference number, and a statement basically saying unfortunately they cannot investigate all Fraudlent Claims (meaning they are not doing anything about it).

[Tools]

Re: Ebay, Gumtree & Autotrader Vehicle / Car Scams

Bricko, I have also sent you a message if you could reply to that as soon as possible please.

[Tools]

Re: Ebay, Gumtree & Autotrader Vehicle / Car Scams

No need to start a separate thread Righty, better to keep everything in one place, but please post more detail as asked.

Specifically when payment was made and account "name".

Bricko - I have passed on those account details directly to Barclays Fraud Ops.

[righty]

Re: Ebay, Gumtree & Autotrader Vehicle / Car Scams

Last but not least start your own thread

[righty]

Re: Ebay, Gumtree & Autotrader Vehicle / Car Scams

To offer advice we need to know a bit more
When did you see the ad
When & how did you make your offer
Did you speak to the person direct or was it all by email
What personal details did you reveal to the scammer email, mobile no. etc
When did you realize you had been scammed
When did you contact your bank (date AND time please)

[bricko]

Re: Barclays and vehicle scam via ebay and gumtree

Hello

I have also been scammed by this to the sum of £4300.00 Sort Code: 20-44-91, Account Number: 53311597 Barclays Bank PLC. I am having no look in trying to get the money back, although my bank are looking into it but don't offer much hope. I cannot understand why the Fraud Squad are not doing anything. I have reported this to the police who sent all the information to the Fraud Squad, I received a letter back basically saying thanks, but their is nothing we can do. It would be different if it was them who had got scammed!!

I hope someone finds the person doing this and strings them up

Re: Ebay, Gumtree & Autotrader Vehicle / Car Scams

my scammer called themselves SOFIA COLES

My double-whammy involved NEAL COLES so very likely the same person or gang.

In fact I'm hoping for an unprecedented hat-trick - Neal Coles emailed me today wondering why I hadn't paid. I replied with an excuse and he said he would send me ANOTHER invoice

I've had mules from TSB and Lloyds already this week, successful slam-dunks both, now I'm aiming for my third in four days


----------------------

:EDIT:

Still I wait the chance of a hat-trick, no invoice received (yes, I do check spam) but "Neal Coles" emailed me again today

Neal ColesToMe



Today at 11:56 AM

Please check all your email folders and let me know if you have the new invoice

[righty]

Re: Ebay, Gumtree & Autotrader Vehicle / Car Scams

Your post Buster has alerted me to something interesting that you may already be aware of, but I'll pm you and Tools just in case you haven't noticed. Even when you can't uncover specific detail to identify a scammer, a criminal operates to a plan, particularly when you know that it is an organised group at work. The information that reveals may appear worthless but actually it can be very valuable, particularly from a predictive point of view and revealing where else they're operating. This can relate to anything from the adverts they post, the emails they send to the bank accounts they open.

Eventually I find this site

http://bay2car.com

Only an email address for contact and the WHOIS suggests a Romanian origin with identity hidden behind a privacy protection service.

Having said that I doubt that anyone will seriously use the site.

There is also a worldwide firm operating who have a branch which operates out of Harley Street, London which also provides such email addresses. They have thousands of clients. I'm trying to remember their name & as soon as I do I'll post it

[Amethyst]

Re: Ebay, Gumtree & Autotrader Vehicle / Car Scams

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode...ions-episode-4

from 8.26

[dixie2013]

Re: Ebay, Gumtree & Autotrader Vehicle / Car Scams

my scammer called themselves SOFIA( wonder there they got that from?!!!!) COLES, also we hear alice/eve/evelyn quite regularly too, so will the authorities see a pattern here? and finally come to the conclusion that the vast majority of scams are being carried out by the same serious organised criminal gang, i and probably lots of other victims are now becoming dis-illusioned with operation ranavarma as they keep telling us they are investigating 3500 crimes, alls that i am interested in is the online car ad frauds, wonder how many cases out of 3500 are vehicle/plant related?, maybe we will have to wait another 12 months to find out!!!, all i want the police to do is ask barclays bank plc for bank statement for the accounts were our stolen money went and see the pattern of no transactions on the mule accounts until a wire transfer of several thousand pounds which will be withdrawn within 24hrs, if this is the case and there is a clear pattern that should make the bank realise that US VICTIMS have a case for our stolen money to be returned to us, if barclays were doing there job properly to prevent money laundering etc this crime would not have been able to take place, until we get more publicity from the media the banks and the ad sites are just simply washing there hands of the matter

[Tools]

Re: Ebay, Gumtree & Autotrader Vehicle / Car Scams

Account with TSB

[Boycie]

Re: Ebay, Gumtree & Autotrader Vehicle / Car Scams

Your post Buster has alerted me to something interesting that you may already be aware of, but I'll pm you and Tools just in case you haven't noticed. Even when you can't uncover specific detail to identify a scammer, a criminal operates to a plan, particularly when you know that it is an organised group at work. The information that reveals may appear worthless but actually it can be very valuable, particularly from a predictive point of view and revealing where else they're operating. This can relate to anything from the adverts they post, the emails they send to the bank accounts they open.

Eventually I find this site

http://bay2car.com

Only an email address for contact and the WHOIS suggests a Romanian origin with identity hidden behind a privacy protection service.

Having said that I doubt that anyone will seriously use the site.