Gumtree Car Scam - Currently Active - October 3rd - Assistance Required

[Carlblues]

Hu there,

I am currently involved in the supposed acquisition of a Ford Fiesta for my Son from a seller on Gumtree.

The vehicle was posted at 9am this morning with its location in Warley, Essex. It was a fantastic deal for a 2008 (58 plate) Ford Fiesta with a market value of circa £3,500-£4,000. The car is in mint condition with only 21,000 miles siince new. FSH, V5 doc, etc are available and pictures provided.

I contacted the mobile no advertised via text and received a text response from a landline, asking me to e-mail the seller for further details, which I did.

They responded in the name of Isabella Shuman and advised that she wanted to sell the car as part of her divorce settlement and looking for a quick sale. She then sent me a dozen photos of the car, which had me interested.

I advised that I would pay a holding deposit and then meet her in Warley next Tuesday as that is where my HQ is and I would pay her the rest in cash. SHe replied that she had moved to Scotland for a nerw start and that the car was with the shipping coimpany and that I would need to provide her with my name, address and e-maiul so that she could arrrange for an EBay invoice to be sent to me, etc. This would give me the protection of a safe sale and upon receipt of vehicle allow me 5 days to make up my mind to keep the car.

Alarm bells immediately sounded, as I had viewed another car the week before on Gumtree and believe it or not got the same story about relocating to Dundee with their job and that the car would be shipped following payment via EBay/PayPal, so that I was fully protected. The seller this time being ALICE.

At present, I have advised Isabella that I am in meetings until later this evening and will discuss further when I return. She believes that I am going to buy the car and advised that she will hold it for me.

I did a google search on Gumtree Scams and came across a number of them and so contacted the Serious Fraud Office and a receptionist took the call and advised that somebody would call me within 48 hours. I then completed a report on Fraud Action and was provided with a case number.

Then I saw your site and read the comments concerning such scams. Righty (member) asked me to start a new thread as this is currently a live fraud in the process. I am looking for advise on getting these people caught in the act so to speak.

Please can anybody point me in the right direction or provide additional advise on actions.

Regards

Carl (New Member)

[Kati]

Re: Gumtree Car Scam - Currently Active - October 3rd - Assistance Required

Hi [MENTION=53672]Carlblues[/MENTION] - I'm sure someone will be along to advise you soon

Kati xx

[Tools]

Re: Gumtree Car Scam - Currently Active - October 3rd - Assistance Required

Hi Carl, I have emailed you and also replied on the Ebay thread

[JADE STEVENS]

Re: Gumtree Car Scam - Currently Active - October 3rd - Assistance Required

Hi i was scamed just last wk i lost £2,200! there is nothing i can do to get it back.:tinysmile_cry_t:

[Carlblues]

Re: Gumtree Car Scam - Currently Active - October 3rd - Assistance Required

Hi Jade,

What actions have you taken via your bank?

Thankfully I saw this coming with an offer that was too good to be true, so have not parted with any cash.

I have spoken with the banks implicated and they advised that if I had parted with funds under such an internet scam / activity that my Bank would make a full refund (Lloyds).

I have been in contact with Action Fraud to raise awareness and also sent e-mail to David Cameron and Vince Cable to take immediate action and request review of these 2 bank accounts identified.

Really sorry to hear that you have become a victim of these people.

Regards
Carl

[Carlblues]

Re: Gumtree Car Scam - Currently Active - October 3rd - Assistance Required

I also have another deal that I was looking at 2 weeks ago and with the same Modus Operandii as today's with Isabella Shuman, I e-mailed the other person to establish if they had yet sold their Fiesta. Below is the conversation with the person and also the PayPal info and Bank Account that I am supposed to make payment to.

Alice <alice@bbtsky.co.uk> wrote:
edited
Alice <alice@bbtsky.co.uk> wrote:
Done, The PayPal invoice have been sent at xxxx with all instructions how to proceed, please check your email folders also spam/bulk email folder due to internet traffic it may be be caught there.
Many Thanks
Alice

Alice <alice@bbtsky.co.uk> wrote:
My name is Alice White and I own the vehicle like I said payment goes to holding and I will get paid after you finish inspection. Payment goes to paypal account assigned on the invoice and will be released only after you are satisfied with the car, I am expecting the paypal confirmation once your payment is cleared.

Here is the PayPal info with Bank Account:
From: pp.service@post.com
To: xxxxxxedited
Subject: Your PayPal invoice for eBay purchases - item #140785144711 - 2007 FORD FIESTA ZETEC CLIMATE BLACK 1.25
Date: edited

Dear edited Thanks for using PayPal. The seller has requested the payment through PayPal and we offered to cover all the risks for you and the seller. It is our responsibility to inform Buyers about our Sellers. You are dealing with a verified PayPal member, protected by our PayPal services such as insurance and dispute resolution, and you may buy and sell with confidence in all eBay transactions with this seller. You should proceed accordingly to complete the transaction in a safe manner. The following is a notice from PayPal Trust & Safety Department regarding: Item Title - 2007 FORD FIESTA ZETEC CLIMATE BLACK 1.25 Item Number - 140785144711 Item Price - £1,200.00 Buy safely using eBay's Buyer Protection Program This vehicle is eligible for up to £10,000 in Buyer Protection when your transaction is completed through PayPal It may take a few moments for this transaction to appear in your account. For any questions contact PayPal Live Support by clicking here Complete the transaction in 5 easy, secure and safe steps! 1. eBay accepts the transaction and offers purchase protection to the buyer (if the transaction is declined, no further action is required from either the buyer or the seller); 2. All information received will be processed by PayPal under the direct review of eBay Inc. 3. The Buyer follows instructions and sends the payment to the assigned PayPal representative bank account. After the payment is cleared and verified by PayPal under the review of eBay Inc, it will be secured into a non-interest bearing trust account. Payment being secured, the Seller is notified by PayPal to deliver the vehicle to the Buyer. The Seller has 5 (five) business days to start the deliver procedure. The seller must deliver the vehicle for inspection along with the certificate of title, signed Bill of sale in the Buyer's name, all keys and all ownership documents. The vehicle must be delivered along with all documentation requested by the Buyer in order to allow him to change the registration in his name as soon as he will decide to accept it after the inspection period will be over. If no delivery procedure is started, a full refund is immediately sent to the Buyer. As soon as the delivery procedure will start, the Buyer should wait for the vehicle and documentation to be delivered. 4. After the inspection period is over, the Buyer must contact PayPal with the result of the inspection of the vehicle. The Buyer receives the vehicle and has 5-7 (five-seven) business days to inspect it. The inspection period will not begin until PayPal has confirmed delivery of the vehicle by either Buyer’s or shipper’s notification. 5. If he refuses it a full refund is immediately sent to the Buyer if the reason that determined the Buyer not to keep the vehicle is strictly related to the vehicle's condition i.e (different from what the seller has advertised, described and agreed to sell to you). The Seller will have the obligation to make all necessary arrangements in order to take the vehicle from Buyer’s possession in maximum 3 (three) business days. If the vehicle and documentation are as advertised, described and agreed, the Buyer should accept it. If the Buyer accepts the vehicle, the payment will be sent to the Seller within 3 (three) business days. How to proceed from this moment? The conventional method of transferring funds to a PayPal member cannot be used due to the large amount that must be paid. Payment must be submitted via bank transfer to the PayPal representative bank account assigned for this transaction. PayPal will secure the payment until the Buyer receives, inspects and accepts the vehicle. Or, if it is the case, PayPal will refund the payment to the Buyer. Protecting the security of your payment is our primary concern. PayPal representative Bank account* : Payment details: Bank Name: TSB Account number: 00367260 Sort code: 77-70-60 Beneficiary Name: Konrad Rozniakowski *Bacs, CHAPS and Faster Payments are accepted. Invoice#: 56119925 Subtotal: £1,200.00 Shipping(Free): £0.00 Deposit: £0.00 Total: £1,200.00 Consult your bank or financial institution for more information on how to complete a bank transfer. Please note that it is extremely important to use the exact details of the account. The beneficiary name must be as written above. Include "56119925" on the "reference" field of the bank transfer instructions. Failure to use the exact information as stated above will result in your bank transfer being returned to you at your own expense. We recommend the online transfer system, because it saves a considerable amount of time.Online Banking saves you the trouble of going to a bank and wasting your valuable time (payments can also be made on the weekends). If this is your first time making an online transfer, please go to your bank’s website in order to read about the procedure. The electronic transfer from bank to bank is considered to be the safest international payment method. The transfer data are transmitted through an encrypted communication channel. CONFIDENTIALITY AND NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT * Do not disclose any information related to your PayPal purchase agreement to any third parties (i.e 1. your seller, 2. your bank) 1. Of to where your funds are being sent. 2. The actual reason the bank transfer is to be sent to your assigned representative. Questions? Please do not reply to this email. This mailbox is not monitored and you will not receive a response. For assistance, click here to enter PayPal Live Support PayPal protects your bank account number the same way we protect your credit card number – it's not exposed to merchants when you pay. Once you transfer the payment to your assigned PayPal representative bank account as per the instructions and non-disclosure agreement above all your money will be fully guaranteed and fully protected. This message is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged, confidential, and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. You are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender immediately and destroy this message. Sincerely, PayPal Copyright © 1999-2014 PayPal, Inc. or its Affiliates. All rights reserved. PayPal Email ID PP841 PEOPLE BEWARE OF THESE SCAMMERS!!!

[JADE STEVENS]

Re: Gumtree Car Scam - Currently Active - October 3rd - Assistance Required

This must be the same person who scamed me out of £2,200. Do you have any more information on this person? Contact number address i would pass this onto Action Fraud. Pam

[Tools]

Re: Gumtree Car Scam - Currently Active - October 3rd - Assistance Required

Hi Jade, can you give me more details please.

[Carlblues]

Re: Gumtree Car Scam - Currently Active - October 3rd - Assistance Required

Unfortunately,

I have a telephone number for Isobella though nothing for Alice (case above).

If your query relates to Isabella, did you send money to her for a Ford Fiesta (based in Warley, Essex). When contacted she said she had divorced and had moved to Aberdeen?

Carl

[Tools]

Re: Gumtree Car Scam - Currently Active - October 3rd - Assistance Required

I've removed identifiable details for you, any other posts please make sure you do the same.

[Carlblues]

Re: Gumtree Car Scam - Currently Active - October 3rd - Assistance Required

Oops...thanks Jules.

[Tools]

Re: Gumtree Car Scam - Currently Active - October 3rd - Assistance Required

For your protection not ours

[Carlblues]

Re: Gumtree Car Scam - Currently Active - October 3rd - Assistance Required

Yes indeed, though Roman Andrei has my address details from their EBay invoice. Hey Ho!

[Tools]

Re: Gumtree Car Scam - Currently Active - October 3rd - Assistance Required

Don't worry too much, they rarely leave the comfort of their keyboard and they have a few bigger targets to hit before they get to you.

[Carlblues]

Re: Gumtree Car Scam - Currently Active - October 3rd - Assistance Required

I would like to see them try!