Have I Finally Experienced My First Gumtree Scam?

cc23 on 24/08/2020 - 15:10

Hi all,

So in these Covid times in Melbourne it has felt a little more acceptable to trust our fellow man/woman with payment in the belief they will post the item. I have bought a few bits from both Gumtree and Facebook paying via either PayID or PayPal and I've been very happy with the outcome.

So last night I saw an item at $260 that typically would be $400 at the moment due to stock shortages and jumped on it with the trust I'd built up from a bunch of successful purchases and sales. I promptly transferred via $280 ($260 + Postage Costs) via PayID to a mobile number (which I took to be a double security measure as I had both his phone number and then his name checked out when I did PayID).

But then today, when he said he would post this morning, crickets. Tried to call the mobile, one ring and straight to voicemail which said it would send as an audio message. Checked Gumtree and the name on his profile has literally changed from Nick to Peter. Should I say goodbye to my money? What's the chance of the bank being able to reverse the PayID?

Your thoughts on me being a trusting idiot are also welcome.

Poll Options

  • 114
    I've never been scammed!
  • 20
    Welcome to the club!
Electrical & Electronics

Related Stores

Gumtree
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Comments

  • Muzeeb on 24/08/2020 - 15:12
    +24

    Never trust anyone on scamtree.

    Face to face ~ cash only.

    Goodbye money.

    • cc23 on 24/08/2020 - 15:14

      Yeah I have always known this, but equally I've been having good experiences lately when I have trusted people, I guess I thought this Covid thing had united everyone in it's awful-ness a bit, so scams might be less of a thing.

      • Muzeeb on 24/08/2020 - 15:16
        +1

        I'll admit I've paid by bank and delivery once but I called the seller and had a good chat about the item. You can get a good idea by chatting.

        • cc23 on 24/08/2020 - 15:22

          Yeah good idea. I did that Xbox Game Pass deal so got too hyped and impulsive by seeing an Xbox at a good price to go with my other OzB deal.

        • DoctorCalculon on 24/08/2020 - 19:59
          +1

          Would you be able to differentiate between a non-scammer and a psychopathic lying scumbag over a phone call?
          Better to play it safe than be sorry.

          Meet in person and conduct the exchange.

        • TilacVIP on 25/08/2020 - 08:36

          Agree, just the way sometimes people reply in their messages, the attitude, their friendliness, openess & now that Gumtree has a rating system, where some members receive a highly rated "badge", after receiving x amount of good reviews all help.

          At the end of the day, if you are buying from Gumtree or Facebook, even a face to face transaction can lead to being scammed.

          ….."Sorry mate, it was working 100% when I sold it to you"……….

          • cc23 on 26/08/2020 - 14:14

            @TilacVIP: Yeah I actually had this a few years back, the person was great and very helpful, went and bought a TV off them for about $400, nice person. They were moving house at the time when I collected.

            Got it back home none of the HDMI ports worked. Got on to them and they said “yeah none of them work, but I never used HDMI really so it didn’t matter to me, so I didn’t put it in the listing”. I said I’d like to bring it back and they said I was being ‘picky’, eventually they just said, “I’ve moved house now anyway, good luck selling it on mate”.

      • [Deactivated] on 24/08/2020 - 16:18
        +3

        did you not see the supermarkets and the toilet paper run?

      • ssquid on 24/08/2020 - 18:28
        +1

        It's all good till it goes wrong.

  • Porker on 24/08/2020 - 15:17

    It's not that you're too trusting, it's that there are just too many dodgy people in the world now.

    It shouldn't be wrong to give people a certain level of trust.

    • cc23 on 24/08/2020 - 15:18

      Yeah it's a shame, I just had that stomach wrench when I made the transfer that made me feel like I'd been too hasty. And the radio silence today. Nearly vommed.

      Like on here for example in the forums I've sent $500 via PayID for eBay gift cards etc. This isn't my biggest swing in terms of random trust, but just sucks that this one went sour.

    • TilacVIP on 25/08/2020 - 08:38

      In the world, as a total number perhaps, but I'd say stay, statistically, on Gumtree/Facebook marketplace, the percentage of scammers are actually low. ie. most sale a genuine.

  • [Deactivated] on 24/08/2020 - 15:18
    +5

    eBay 1000+ transactions, never scammed 🤷‍♂️

    • cc23 on 24/08/2020 - 15:19

      Yeah I've got a lot of transactions, love eBay for selling, the fees though often mean the deals aren't quite the same.

      • Hybroid on 24/08/2020 - 15:26
        +1

        That's kinda what you pay for though.

        eBay Money Back Guarantee and Paypal Protection cost money like any insurance does.

        Here's hoping the seller gets back to you soon.

    • Ughhh on 24/08/2020 - 16:42

      🤦‍♂️

  • trustnoone on 24/08/2020 - 15:24

    On the sellers page, are they selling other items? Is their account old (been around for a while)? Do the other items look fairly legit as well (random items being sold or other typical possible scam items)?

    • cc23 on 24/08/2020 - 15:28

      They were selling another item that seemed legit and I did check that at the time. Only a member since 2020 but so am I, had one piece of feedback from a previous transaction.

      But then went on today and the name on the profile had changed from Nick to Peter…

      • thatonethere on 24/08/2020 - 15:55

        You could try and contact them for the other item and see if you can get an address.

        • cc23 on 24/08/2020 - 15:55

          Now 'sold' too.

          • TilacVIP on 25/08/2020 - 08:39

            @cc23: I'd be more worried if it didn't show "SOLD"

          • jv on 26/08/2020 - 13:40

            @cc23:

            Now 'sold' too.

            and their name is now George…

  • Ryanek on 24/08/2020 - 15:25

    I promptly transferred

    Game over man

    • cc23 on 24/08/2020 - 15:35
      +1

      I disagree with that a bit, I promptly transferred to someone for Red Dead Redemption 2 for PS4 the other day on Facebook Marketplace who had zero friends. And they sent it via express for $30 all up! I hate that this thing will make me think like that, like so badly of people.

  • skid on 24/08/2020 - 15:30
    +4

    Give the seller a week or two before saying goodbye to your money. Takes me that long to emerge from my bunker let alone packaging something up and posting it.

    EDIT: I don't often change my profile name tho.. hmm.

    • cc23 on 24/08/2020 - 15:35

      I enjoy your positivity!

  • cc23 on 24/08/2020 - 15:36

    Like that some people are admitting to being caught out in a scam too! The Scam Club! Currently 5 strong!

    • hashtagbargain on 24/08/2020 - 15:38

      Don’t worry op, happens to the best of us.

      Gumtree means cash only, no matter how enticing the deal sounds. They should make it their slogan.

      • cc23 on 24/08/2020 - 15:40

        Yeah, I'll get over it and learn from it, just crazy to me that someone would do it for like $280, like it's a crime for which you might be caught, PayID has to be linked to a bank account, might as well say he is selling a Macbook Pro or something and go for gold!

        • hashtagbargain on 24/08/2020 - 15:42
          +1

          Might be worth while talking to your bank saying you paid someone but it turned out to be a scam. Ask them to reverse the transaction, if you’re lucky you may be able to get your money back.

          • cc23 on 24/08/2020 - 15:45

            @hashtagbargain: Yeah I have already got on to them, my only hope is that I was quick enough.

            • Candour on 25/08/2020 - 08:20

              @cc23: they should be able to initiate a fraud investigation and reverse the transaction, pending it.

          • Quantumcat on 24/08/2020 - 17:23

            @hashtagbargain: Never going to happen, unless recipient agrees to return the money

            • DoctorCalculon on 24/08/2020 - 23:39
              +1

              @Quantumcat: Exactly! The OP conducted the transfer willingly, which is the same as you gifting the funds to the other party.

    • popsiee on 24/08/2020 - 18:20

      Sure everyone knows the scams there so who would get caught out especially seeing them every 5 secs on this site !

  • hashtagbargain on 24/08/2020 - 15:37

    These are the times when I wish gumtree had a report user function.

    I’ve been approached recently by a number of parties who initially show interest and then go for the “me cards not working, Can we do bank transfer” move. Gumtree is turning out to be scumtree in my experience.

    • cc23 on 24/08/2020 - 15:42
      +2

      I think this is why Facebook has taken over so much, people have so much more invested in their Facebook accounts and it is fairly easy to check legitimacy compared to a very disposable Gumtree profile.

  • cc23 on 24/08/2020 - 15:47
    +3

    Ahhh, finally got some confirmation it is a scam. https://slick.ly/au/0434219244

    Goodbye money, I will miss you.

    • TilacVIP on 25/08/2020 - 08:42

      How long has he been a member???

      • cc23 on 25/08/2020 - 08:47

        Not long.

        • TilacVIP on 25/08/2020 - 08:50

          Not a good sign for now.

  • cc23 on 24/08/2020 - 15:56

    Odd thing is the pictures seemed legit as I did a reverse image search on them before purchase, so I think he does have an xbox, just doesn't want to get rid of it…

  • bobbified on 24/08/2020 - 16:01

    If it's the first time you've transferred to an account for using PAYID/Osko, it could take 24 hours for the money to get through. I would call my bank straightaway not to try stop the transaction!

    • cc23 on 24/08/2020 - 16:03

      He said he got the money… but love the hope!

      • bobbified on 24/08/2020 - 16:09

        Do you still trust what he says? There's no harm in trying!

        • cc23 on 24/08/2020 - 16:12

          Very true, as I say I lodged it with the bank already. Not sure whether to ring them again to confirm it is absolutely a scam.

          • bobbified on 24/08/2020 - 16:18
            +2

            @cc23: If there's even a 0.1% chance of stopping that transaction I'd be getting on the phone now. Sometimes they can do amazing things.

  • FireRunner on 24/08/2020 - 16:20
    +1

    A bit of a too good to be true getting a $400 item for $260 + post. Not impossible but definitely sus.
    I generally avoid buying and selling when needing to post. If I do, I only risk it with low value (<$50) transactions (provided nothing seems amiss)

    • cc23 on 24/08/2020 - 17:54

      Yeah the thing is I’ve had a couple of wins recently on eBay and Facebook where things looked too good to be true, but were just people with no idea of the value of their item, so I was confident based on that thinking it could just be a great deal.

  • Lexan on 24/08/2020 - 17:07

    If the price seems too good to be true, it probably is …

  • Lexan on 24/08/2020 - 17:11
    +1

    This Singapore show Crimewatch just came out 2 days ago. Worth a watch. Carousell is similar to Gumtree.

    https://youtu.be/Fvl267zXdJE

  • rambao9 on 24/08/2020 - 17:14
    -1

    Given that it's PayID and same bank to same bank, it's very likely you can recover the money by contacting the bank.

    This just sounds like a scam not well thought out in that sense.

    • cc23 on 24/08/2020 - 17:14

      Not same bank to same bank sadly at least not that I know.

    • illz on 01/09/2020 - 19:58

      Not true. PayID is irreversible.

      • LFO on 02/09/2020 - 14:47

        Incorrect.

        PayID is no different to BSB and account number.

        PayID is just an easier way to remember … and a way for the bank to ensure email address and/or phone number (only choices for PayID) are up to date.
        It does not imply anything else. Just another way of saying BSB+AccountNumber

        A transaction is just a transaction and can always be reversed.
        It might not be able to always recover funds, but it could be reversed.

  • Quantumcat on 24/08/2020 - 17:24

    Use PayPal if you are getting stuff posted.

    • Melb69 on 24/08/2020 - 17:44

      I'm not sure Paypal covers a non shop transcation.ie one to a person. It then becomes like a cash transaction.

      • FireRunner on 24/08/2020 - 18:18

        You do get PayPal buyer's protection unless you opt for Friends and Family payment method.
        It's definitely safer to go paypal as a buyer but I don't think it foolproof

        • skid on 24/08/2020 - 21:54

          The note at this page says that Buyer's protection does not apply to Gumtree purchases.

          • FireRunner on 24/08/2020 - 22:00

            @skid: That refers to purchases made through gumtree I.e. a PayPal request in the chat. If the purchase is made through sending an invoice or sending payment to a sellers account, PayPal buyer protection still applies

            • TilacVIP on 25/08/2020 - 08:48

              @FireRunner: On the flipside, what stops buyers from scamming genuine sellers when paying with PayPal where the buyer has protection, claiming they either didn't receive it or found something entirely different inside the package????

              I guess for the same reason the seller may refuse PayPal payment.

  • Melb69 on 24/08/2020 - 17:52
    +2

    OP I feel for you. No one wants to lose their hard earned cash. You can still trust people. I posted some help I needed on this site that I wanted a small gift which was only availble from Singapore. Only $50 item though. A user PMd me and we set the order in process. He actually purchased the item upfront. Had it delivered to him in that week. By chance his sister and fam were on their way to Aus for a visit the next week. She brought it with her and we met at an agreed cafe here in Melb. We had many messages. At one point once I paid him I did think was I going to get the item.

    Suppose just keep your transaction to money you can lose like the other user with a limit of $50. Just pay the extra for local pick up for Gumtree and FBM. Chin up.

    • cc23 on 24/08/2020 - 17:54

      Thanks man, it’s Melbourne right now that’s meant I’ve done this. Would never send this much but he was more than 5km away :(

      COVID ruins all.

      • Melb69 on 24/08/2020 - 18:09

        Dam 5k limit. You were doing everything right by not going out. I have definitely not made any purchases on Gumtree or FBM as out of zone. Many missed opportunities.

  • cc23 on 24/08/2020 - 19:30
    +2

    So interestingly after speaking to the bank again, it seems I’m more likely to get my money back if I call up and say ‘I sent it to the wrong person’ than ‘I was scammed’. The guy basically said they will go down more avenues to chase money ‘incorrectly’ sent. I reminded him that actually me sending to the wrong number is my mistake, where as this case isn’t, so that seems entirely unfair. And he all but admitted the deck is stacked in the scammers favour by the current systems.

    So pro tip, if you get scammed, say you sent it to the wrong number.

    • TilacVIP on 25/08/2020 - 08:56
      +1

      That just opens up a new can of worms, where its an avenue for buyers to scam a seller. What if the Seller did actually send the item??

      I don't think the bank is just going to take your word for it and automatically reverse the transfer without at least checking on the other side, but who knows how this process works. The bank would have to be 100% sure you sent to the wrong account and may ask you what was the intended account to check??? The account number you were meant to transfer to would need to be quite close to the incorrect account number you sent too??? You could get caught out if you can't prove this claim.

      • cc23 on 25/08/2020 - 09:20

        Good point.

        Hard to think that the buyer could be a scammer, but can see if things were made too easy to reverse this could happen. But clearly, it does also happen.

        Seems odd to me that there isn't a better protection system from the banks from both a buyer and seller perspective, a bank that could offer this would be streets ahead to a lot of people as these online transactions increase in volume.

        • TilacVIP on 25/08/2020 - 10:03
          +1

          On the surface, there is nothing in it for the banks, unless, like PayPal, they charged some kind of fee.

  • Austaurean on 24/08/2020 - 19:31

    Just one more great reason to have sim purchases requireing ID checks and logged against the sim purchase. Should assist in stopping some of this kind of thing.

    • kiitos on 25/08/2020 - 11:26
      +1

      Don't they require ID checks when activating? (I haven't done so for a while so I may be misremembering)

      • hashtagbargain on 25/08/2020 - 23:07

        They do, just that the police don’t care about these low value crimes.

        • cc23 on 26/08/2020 - 14:10
          +1

          Yeah that’s it, I feel like I’d have more chance of getting back $15,000 than I do of getting back $280.

  • mlbrooke on 25/08/2020 - 10:49

    On the topic of Gumtree Scams….. why is it that Commbank seems to be the bank of choice for those that have tried to scam my wife or myself (so far we have prevailed and not lost money)….. is it simply that statistically speaking Commbank has more customers? Or something more nefarious….. when ever someone I transact with tells me their bank is Commbank, I insist on cash!

  • LFO on 25/08/2020 - 10:59
    -1

    QUICKLY CONTACT YOUR BANK FOR A FRAUDULENT TRANSACTION !!!

    Sorry for yelling but that is what you have to do. Now!!!

    PayID is just another bank transfer/transaction, like BSB+Account Number.

    ACT NOW

    • cc23 on 25/08/2020 - 11:27

      Yeah I'm on it, have lodged it with my bank, chased down the fraud department, chased down gumtree, reported to police, called my bank again, called his bank. Done as much as I can I think. Seems the odds are stacked in his favour though from the conversations I have had with bank employees.

      • Banj0 on 25/08/2020 - 12:17

        I was dealing with somebody on Gumtree recently, and he told me the story of a seller he bought a laptop from. Problem was, they also sold the same laptop to 20 other people.

        Reported to policed, but money gone.

        Cold comfort: Police did catch up with the person and they are now in jail.

        Still…it's only a day or two for you…not at the point yet where you could say for sure that they've gone dark. They might be slow to get back to you.

        Incidentally, the person I mentioned that I was dealing with was selling something quite pricey. I'm always nervous with those transactions on Gumtree (it's only the second time I've purchased from somebody there where I can't pay and collect in person). Before I even contacted them, I researched (name checked out, and mobile matched up with an au domain for an established business in the seller's name). I spoke with the guy on the phone several times, and he was able to 'talk shop' with me about what I was buying. In the end, after a couple of conversations, I was comfortable in dealing with him (I should add, I got the impression that he was just as nervous about dealing with somebody remotely as I was). Happy ending.

        Some people do put up false names on Gumtree…not necessarily for nefarious reasons, though if you call them they should be transparent about that.

        Sorry…all that doesn't help you…but still, it hasn't been long for you yet. The name change might not mean anything. In the end, if the person is dealing fraudulently, then they are taking a risk to themselves (or somebody who is acting for them) given that they're using traceable transactions to do so.

  • jayboi on 25/08/2020 - 15:55

    Any updates OP?

    • cc23 on 25/08/2020 - 18:06

      Nah nothing that’s not in the above post. Safe to say the guys enjoying my money. What a turd.

      Sent him an extra 0.01c to see if the account was still open and it sent…

  • cc23 on 24/09/2020 - 16:32
    +1

    So just to give an update. I was contacted today by ING. After a month they called me and said the recall was ‘unsuccessful’ they said they asked for the money back and got no response. Booo.

  • Jv23 on 28/02/2022 - 20:16

    My friend just got scammed by the same number and a similar deal by the sounds of it. Name is Nicholas Ellis. Deal was $270 for an Nintendo Switch everyone's selling for about $400. Plus 5 games included. FB marketplace Pacho Ellis was his fb account which he has now taken down. He said he had received payment. My friend Paid him via Osko today a couple hrs ago. We have his BSB and Account number. If he's been doing this for almost 2 years. It just shows Police don't care about these low cost crimes unfortunately. Best we can do is report it to them I guess and bank as fraudulent.

    • cc23 on 03/03/2022 - 11:03

      Absolutely, police couldn't have cared less. Nor could bank. I never got the funds back, and never used gumtree again to be honest!

    • cc23 on 03/03/2022 - 11:07

      Also I found out they are with NAB bank. ING wouldn't do anything as it was a different banks customer. But if both are with NAB that might make it possible to claim back.

  • MrBillions on 12/04/2022 - 08:07

    Listed my drone on gumtree

    A couple turned up with a kid (for distraction support).
    Told me they can't get cash out from the machine for whatever reason but they half half a million in the account so it is not a problem…

    They paid with the banking app ext day which means they can cancel anytime after they got my item.

    Then they said it was a mistake and cancelled the payment but the cash never came back to their account so they'll come back with cash…sure…

    Told them sure no probs please come back when they have cash …never seen them again.

    Good reminder to ask for cash only

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