Scammed on Gumtree - Is It Worth Going to The Police?

brownbag on 22/11/2014 - 07:12

I was stupid enough to be scammed from a gumtree buyer (no need to tell me that I shouldn't buy on gumtree without meeting the person - I know that now!). I paid too little money for some gift cards and the item never arrived - it was clearly a fake sale and in retrospect I should have seen this.

Anyway, my question is: is this a criminal matter and should I report it to the police. Frankly I'm embarrassed about it and don't even want to tell my wife how stupid I was, and I know that I won't get my money back. But I do want to ensure that if they can be prosecuted or any action taken by police that it is done. Or have I just inadvertently given a nasty person a gift?

Financial

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Comments

  • Geewhizz on 22/11/2014 - 07:38

    How did you pay them?

    • brownbag on 22/11/2014 - 08:01

      PayPal - I may be dumb but I'm not stupid!

      • cim85 on 22/11/2014 - 08:23
        +6

        Good to hear you paid with Paypal. Very easy to obtain a refund if you lodge a 'non received item' dispute via Paypal.

        • Ramrunner on 22/11/2014 - 10:59
          +3

          Isn't it harder if you sent the money as a "gift"?

          I hope you paid on invoice?

        • cim85 on 22/11/2014 - 12:30

          @Ramrunner…..I think you may be right there re a gift.

    • Baysew on 22/11/2014 - 16:06
      +4

      Will OP get his money back ?

      OP

      and I know that I won't get my money back

      Geewizz

      How did you pay them?

      OP

      PayPal - I may be dumb but I'm not stupid!

  • cim85 on 22/11/2014 - 07:45

    Forget the coppers and if they do show any interest, they will handball it around amongst themselves! Personally I would write it off as a learning exercise and move on. Gumtree is notorious for this rubbish and its 'buyer beware' at all times.

  • stewartedin on 22/11/2014 - 08:05

    Have a read here, it's a bit long but you'll get some info' on how others have dealt with a similar experience

    http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=1819270

  • isthisreally_me on 22/11/2014 - 08:54

    Definitely get paypal refund. 100% you'll get money back if they sent nothing at all.

    • AlienC on 22/08/2018 - 10:17

      What if you used friends and family and not goods and services.

      Friend and family have no fees so most non official sales use this I would assume.

  • cysp on 22/11/2014 - 09:57
    +1

    I'm not sure if paypal policy has changed over the years but IIRC before they didn't refund anything if you sent money directly to someone unless there is money in the receiver's account first. They only provided guarantee to sales on eBay. This may have changed. Remembering the Yadnum scam makes me shudder (it was a close one for me): http://www.michael-munday-fraud.com/

    • yaziyo on 22/11/2014 - 11:59

      If it's any consolation, the scammer is ugly as sin.

  • battler on 22/11/2014 - 12:56
    +4

    bikies

  • PVA on 22/11/2014 - 19:03

    report it to the police anyway. they might not help you but if later the person is identified doing other crimes they have a list of people wronged.

  • dp1 on 23/11/2014 - 11:29

    I sold some tickets and vouchers on eBay, about 6 weeks later they were returned to sender because the buyer hadn't given PayPal the correct address. Are you certain it is a scam?

  • mfsc300 on 27/11/2014 - 21:15
    +1

    Report it here http://www.acorn.gov.au/ (Australian Cybercrime Online Reporting Network)

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