Ebay, Gumtree & Autotrader Vehicle / Car Scams

[Rod Jones]

Re: Ebay & Gumtree Vehicle / Car Scams

Another comment on my blog. I've replied with links to the reporting page and this topic, but in the meantime will share the details here.

Bank's Name:Barclays PLCAccount Number:43862453Sort Code:20-49-86Beneficiary name:EB. VPP

Robert Hill

Selling mercedes ml on gumtree

Works offshore

Cloned ebay invoice

Wants to you Aberdeen transport to send vehicle to me.

All the signs of a scam.

Please add him

I've paid the guy I wish I read up on your site earlier : (

[Tools]

Re: Ebay & Gumtree Vehicle / Car Scams

Thanks Rod, I have passed it direct just in case they delay

[Boycie]

Re: Ebay & Gumtree Vehicle / Car Scams

@ Tools

Of course the procedure if a bank account is closed because of involvement of fraud is that the person (or identity) should be blacklisted with CIFAS making it impossible for that person (identity) to open an account with another UK bank. If that doesn't happen closing the account alone is largely pointless.

I have to say that there are dupes, and some come to SW, some are foreign students and some are UK people desperate for work (and some are recruited unwittingly through job sites0, and they are victims themselves, but without their involvement, unwitting or otherwise, this crime wouldn't be possible and, as much as I have sympathy with them, the price of their folly has to be losing their bank account AND getting blacklisted by CIFAS.

The account closure and blacklisting would represent a means to punish those involved in this crime without involvement of the authorities because of the serious implications it has on a person, but then there are ethical and political issues, especially as it would affect so many people, but that's what happens when a situation is allowed to get out of control.

I and others are actively seeking out bank accounts being used by these criminals and I publish details and ensure that they're reported, and I don't mind the criminals knowing that I'm seeking them out because that makes life difficult for them.

As mentioned previously, banks engage in competition with each other to open accounts on the basis that they represent a notional future source of income, but when the account is initially opened they make a loss, say £50 in set up costs, which in the case of a money launderers account will never be recouped. Opening money launderers account is therefore a loss making task aside from the fact that it brings the bank involved in to disrepute. I, for one, don't want to hold an account with a bank known for holding the accounts of criminals.

[Tools]

Re: Ebay & Gumtree Vehicle / Car Scams

As mentioned previously, banks engage in competition with each other to open accounts on the basis that they represent a notional future source of income, but when the account is initially opened they make a loss, say £50 in set up costs, which in the case of a money launderers account will never be recouped. Opening money launderers account is therefore a loss making task aside from the fact that it brings the bank involved in to disrepute.

Things are changing in this area too, if an account is opened and is not operated as would be expected of a "normal" account then (following certain procedures which for obvious reasons I cannot post publicly) it will be scrutinized and possibly put on notice of closure to the account holder. A genuine account holder would take measures to keep it active, whereas the "mule" account holder would be unable to respond as they had given false contact details.

[Tools]

Re: Ebay & Gumtree Vehicle / Car Scams

@Rod

As of 10 minutes ago Barclays frdops were not aware of any reports on that account. Could you aask the victim to email me Julian.Siddle@legalbeagles.info

[Rod Jones]

Re: Ebay & Gumtree Vehicle / Car Scams

I've just posted another reply, but if he has notifications turned off he won't see it. I've just sent him a message using Google+.

[Boycie]

Re: Ebay & Gumtree Vehicle / Car Scams

@Tools

The general public may not like the idea but criminals can be identified from simple 'profiling' techniques. It isn't perfect and cannot be used in isolation, but it can be used to identify high risk accounts, even at the opening stage. Though I didn't primarily have a lot of 'face to face' contact with customers in my career I could still identify 'wrong uns' simply because the transactions were unusual.

Presumably with the free circulation of people within the EU accounts can be opened against nation ID cards as primary ID, which means that where national ID card issuance isn't properly regulated, there is a hopeless security hole. I've seen some nationals joking on Facebook at how easy it is to get hold of 'extra' ID cards. It's some reassurance that banks are taking steps to operate more effectively, but I'll await developments before I award plaudits.

I've come across this news report today

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/07...dsters_jailed/

A pair of phishing fraudsters each received long jail terms after they were convicted of making £15,000 through online scams before using the funds to finance the travel of other crooks into the UK.

My target criminals working on Autotrader UK are heavily involved in phishing, so I am delighted by this news and, as I know they monitor my posts on SW, I'll gleefully post details there. It also makes the point that these criminals aren't just performing crime in one area. They are professional criminals and from Facebook I get to see other things they are involved in.

It's a good day when I hear that banks and the police are working to stop these criminal operations.

Heavy jail sentences doled out to phisherfolk - cops

Music to my ears.

Also note

…. both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud, six counts of possession of fraudulent ID cards and possessing equipment to make fraudulent ID and bank cards

Nice work by the police.

[Tools]

Re: Ebay & Gumtree Vehicle / Car Scams

I am aware that they recently managed to arrest several individuals who had a "spare room" as a fake document production line.

Good result, hats off to Matt Bell, his team and all others involved. Although these were fairly small fry, a lot of subsequent information, insight and further leads will have been gained by this operation.

[Tools]

Re: Barclays and vehicle scam via ebay and gumtree

Another story you may be interested in

• International network of Romanian cybercriminals dismantled | Europol
  
  International network of Romanian cybercriminals dismantled | Europol. The Hague, the Netherlands 17 July 2014 Yesterday, an international organised cybercrime network, composed mostly of Romanian citizens, was successfully taken down in Romania1 and France2 with the support of the European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) at Europol. The cybercrime network is suspected of sophisticated electronic payment crimes […]
  
  
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[Boycie]

Re: Ebay & Gumtree Vehicle / Car Scams

Yes I did notice that Tools but I'm busy buying cars. I only buy from criminals.

I can see that the criminals are struggling from their adverts tonight and I know that we aren't helping them, and I'm doing my little bit too, and they ain't seen nothing yet. I won't specify in the open how I can tell that they're struggling, but it's useful to know and gives me encouragement to keep going.

[Tools]

Re: Barclays and vehicle scam via ebay and gumtree

You do more than a "little" bit. The work you and others do seeking, baiting and reporting is invaluable, it is only a shame that AT and the likes do not recognise that formally.

[Boycie]

Re: Ebay & Gumtree Vehicle / Car Scams

As I step up the messages I send to the criminals I'll be pursuing more bogus purchases to the point where I get a money launderer's bank account. They make it a pretty tedious process as a method of protecting them but I'll equip myself so that I can handle more and more. The purpose being to get them shut down.

I must make clear that I know that the sellers I contact are criminals. I have been doing this for a while and I can even recognise the photos they use. I am not bothering or contacting honest sellers. I am suspicious about some adverts but if I cannot prove to my own satisfaction that they are fraudulent I leave them alone. I post supporting evidence at SW. As I am contacting criminals I also take steps to protect my identity and it is not recommended that those who don't know how to to do this, get involved. Bear in mind that these criminals are located in the UK.

Though I make contact with many more fake sellers than I progress to get bank account details, I will be taking more to that stage and I'll be posting up details of the messages they send me. I probably contact between 10 and 20 a day currently. I would like to make that 50 a day and 5 bank accounts a week at which stage their operation on AT UK will be under great stress.

By giving publicity to the activity of these criminals the aim is for them to lose real victims to an extent that their only buyers are as bogus as they are.

I have cars to buy. :doggieyes:

[Guest]

Re: Ebay & Gumtree Vehicle / Car Scams

July 2013 was a busy month (I found over 1300 vehicle scams) and it's still possible that July 2014 will beat that figure. After 18.5 days I'm just passed the 900 mark. There had been a bit of a lull in activity the past few days but Saturday (i.e. today) is their favourite day so things are flooding in again.

Example : http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/ahme.nowee...p2047675.l2562


This is a list of 38 scam vehicles, mostly campervans, motorcycles and agricultural plant.

The final target for July could yet be nearly 1500. This is mainly on eBay UK but there's a fair bit on Gumtree too.

The scammers like Saturdays because eBay's "counter fraud team" doesn't work then, or at least its staff work even more slowly than usual.

[Boycie]

Re: Ebay & Gumtree Vehicle / Car Scams

I have come across an interesting example of a victim who may have evidence that the bank did not properly perform account opening procedures when one of these 'money laundering' accounts was opened. Annoyingly banks are able to hide behind privacy legislation and there is no means to uncover whether or not there is fault on their part, unless thy choose to admit it. Because account opening has virtually been turned in to a competitive sport between banks the risk is that banks will slip and slide through procedures to beat the competition. It is not just unfair to offer an abbreviated account opening procure, it is also a serious breach of money laundering legislation and potentially national security, and the FCA should be very strict on any bank who isn't complying with the legislation.

I'll have to see how this develops and I'd like to be certain that the evidence held is solid. Evidence that banks aren't properly verifying details might explain why the UK has such a serious problem.

[Boycie]

Re: Ebay & Gumtree Vehicle / Car Scams

Just recently on my postings at SW detailing hacked/phished dealer accounts I have been adding a warning that dealers should check that it's only their Autotrader UK account that has been hacked/phished. Of course I am a little annoyed that dealers should be so easily hacked and become unwitting participants in fraud. Of course this harms them too, but they are potentially at much greater risk because if their Autotrader UK account can be phished then so can their bank account and, if they can be phished/hacked then inserting a 'keylogger' would presumably present no greater difficulty. The kits can be purchased online for £10,000 - £15,000 but considering the greater potential reward economically it doesn't make sense to target buyers when the dealers represent a far better return. The best analogy is that a burglar breaks in to your house and only steals the cookies.

For the first time tonight I have evidence of not only the dealer's account being hacked/phished but also their email account. That not only potentially opens them up to their bank account being exploited but by assuming their identity the criminal could perform tricks over tax and VAT, altering where payments and refunds are sent.

As the consequences could be so serious I am going to take screen prints before I post details anywhere. Because it also represents true identity theft I also need good evidence that the adverts are fraudulent as well. It'll take me a few hours.