anyone's experienced this in gumtree? if it is a fraud?help

chrisjing2000 · Joined: 17 Oct 2006 Posts: 4

I am a beginner in gumtree. selling several stuff for the moment. there are three letters, with the same wording/content, asking my detail to issue the bank draft. the detail is as follows

DEAR SIR.
THROUGH THE INTRNET I DISCOVERED THAT YOU WANT TO SELL philips wireless earphone Sbc Hc8412
IN THE AMOUNT OF GBP 30, IN WHICH I HAVE INTEREST ON IT.
OUR PAYMENT IS BY BANK DRAFT.
WHILE WE URGE YOU TO FURNISH US THE NAME, ADDRESS AND TEL. NO FOR
YOU TO RECEIVE THE PAYMENT.
WAITING FOR YOUR URGENT REPLY.
THANKS
L. MUFFY.

have anyone experienced the same? could you suggest me if it is fraud?
Many Thanks for your urgent reply and kind assistant.

goose · Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2006 9:39 am Post subject:

Hi Chris,

This definitely sounds like a scam. Don't send any details through.

Cheers,
goose

darren · Joined: 27 Apr 2006 Posts: 313

haha that's too funny for words.

ps it's defo a scam.

adorebags · Joined: 17 Oct 2006 Posts: 2

Don't send any personal details this will be a scam. Be on your guard at all times !

chrisjing2000 · Joined: 17 Oct 2006 Posts: 4

i did give my name and address when i received the first letter. silly me! just feel something wrong today when another two mails coming.

it is a bit late now. anyway, i will see what is going on next

just publish this, wish others be aware of such scam

BOD · Joined: 18 Oct 2006 Posts: 26 Location: Swansea

Why do scammers allways give themselves away by using wording like: furnish, urge and in the amount of... GBP.

Nobody speaks like that dinguses!

clazza · Joined: 23 Oct 2006 Posts: 2

I've had the same kind of replies. One is from a Roland Stokes and the other is from Alex Webb. Both want to buy my car but will have an agent come and inspect and collect it then will pay by way of bank draft or cheque. One of them uses the same phrasing as your email such as FURNISH blah blah.
I am very intrigued to see what sort of scam it is though but i assume it is some kind of money laundering.
The Roland Stokes dude said he would pay me my money then the outstanding money that clears in my account will be paid to "the agent" which will be his fee.
I did also receive an email from the "agent" which was a company called APEX GLOBAL LOGISTICS.
Hmmm, i do wonder Rolling Eyes

pippa2301 · Joined: 15 Oct 2006 Posts: 13 Location: west midlands

Ill tell you how this works.

Someone emailed my company last year saying they wanted to purchase 20 Big Keys Keyboards and 20 adapted computer mice for disabled children in africa.

We sent them a quote for the Items and for shipping which they agreed to pay. They said they were owed money from a Toy company in Ireland who would send us a cheque.

When the cheque came it was for £5000 which was £3650 too much. I emailed him to say they had paid too much and he asked us to send him the difference by Western Union Credit Transfer.

We banked the cheque which cleared and we sent the goods to his shipper in london as instructed. We also paid the difference to the account given.

Two weeks later we had a phone call from the bank. The cheque was from a batch stolen from the toy factory 6 months previously. They deducted the £5000 from our account.

We call the shipping company in london who did not exist. I got a friend to go to the address to find it was an empty shop unit.

We lost over £800 worth of stock(cost price) and £3650 from our bank. My little business selling adapted computer equipment for disabled children went bust 2 months later.

1. NEVER trust anyone who wants someone else to pay
2. A CLEARED cheque is no guarantee you have money in the bank
3. Check shipping companies exist before you send anything
4. Ask for postal orders or cash on delivery or collection
5. Never pay a fee to collect winnings from a lottery you never entered in the first place.
6. Never give anyone your bank details via email and never give passwords or dates of birth at the same time as bank details.
7. If someone asks for your account number and sort code, never give them your card number (the long one) or security code(3 Digits on back) at the same time.
8. Never believe sob stories from bereaved spouses or children of african farmers who need to get money out of the country.
9. If something seems too good to be true, IT PROBABLY IS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE.
10. Always report scammers.

Shocked

Keep your eyes open, these guys are clever little sods.

Regards

Pip

darren · Joined: 27 Apr 2006 Posts: 313

Sorry to hear you got duped by them. It's a very common scam that has various different ways of working but generally involves you sending the balance.

bra girl · Community Moderator Joined: 10 Oct 2006 Posts: 143

1) This is most certainly a scam so we suggest that you sever all contact with this person.

2) If you take a look at our FAQ's section, we do not advise ever sending goods or money at any stage. As a local community site, Gumtree promotes local, face to face transactions.

castlelgr · Joined: 30 Oct 2006 Posts: 60182 Location: southampton

DEAR SIR.
THROUGH THE INTRNET I DISCOVERED THAT YOU WANT TO SELL philips wireless earphone Sbc Hc8412
IN THE AMOUNT OF GBP 30, IN WHICH I HAVE INTEREST ON IT.
OUR PAYMENT IS BY BANK DRAFT.
WHILE WE URGE YOU TO FURNISH US THE NAME, ADDRESS AND TEL. NO FOR
YOU TO RECEIVE THE PAYMENT.
WAITING FOR YOUR URGENT REPLY.
THANKS
L. MUFFY.

L.Muffy...for gods sake cant they come up with a better name than that

darren · Joined: 27 Apr 2006 Posts: 313

costaek · Joined: 19 Nov 2006 Posts: 1

Hi guys,

It's definitely a scam (unless this guy buys 10 cars per month)... This is what I got from him earlier today:

Hi ,
Thanks for the mail and most espiecially for the Prompt response also for the details, i am ok hence i am still interested in buying it from you at the price.
Due to my Profession as a Medical Doctor and my tight schedule, working
shifts, oncalls etc i would not be able to come over personally for the inspection, therefore,i have made arrangement with an Agent, so i have
decided that they would be the company that would be responsible for the inspection, insurance and also collection. So In regards to the Payment,
i would want you to send me your Full name (so that a cheque can be raised
on your name) and also your contact/mailing address so that the payment can be made out to you asap.
Moreso, I would like to inform you that i will issue a cheque to you to cover the price of the car + transportaion cost, so when the cheque arrives and clears you will deduct the price of the car, the balance would be transfered the Agent who will come for the Inspection and collection.
Hope this is ok by you and hope to read back from you asap.
Best Regards
Roland

Probably gumtree admins should send members an email warning them! I am definitely not responding...BE AWARE!

muchi_chi · Joined: 30 Nov 2006 Posts: 3

OMG! Thank god for this post.... it saved my life! LOL! I've just posted an ad on gumtree selling my car for 1200 pounds and this guy called Roland Stokes replied and said that he was interested in buying it. WELL... the catch is that he can't come and pick it up because of his "professional" and he's sending an agent instead. I thought .... wait a minute, this is a bit dodgy isn't it. So I googled his name and found this post!! Amazing! Thanks guys for the warning. He was planning to come and pick up the car this weekend. *phew* Anyway, come to think of it, I should reply and tell him to come and pick it up anyway and have the cops waiting for them!

jpnobes · Joined: 30 Nov 2006 Posts: 1

Feel quite shaken now....Just did the same thing and googled Roland Stokes after having EXACTLY the same email from him about my car. I actually am a hospital doctor, so know how rubbish his story is. Have not given him my address or bank details thank goodness, but as I am new to this stuff and obviuosly naive, it wouldn't have been long! Is there any way we can report these idiots to the police?

muchi_chi · Joined: 30 Nov 2006 Posts: 3

Well, he emailed me his mobile number. Maybe he can track him down? OR give the number to the police?? What's the best thing we can do to prevent him from scamming others?

londoner · Community Moderator Joined: 03 Feb 2006 Posts: 238

Hi there,

I would highly recommend reporting any scammer like this to the police, especially if they are operating within the UK.

Do NOT send money to people like this as per the warnings on this forum and all over the Gumtree site.

muchi_chi · Joined: 30 Nov 2006 Posts: 3

Well, I guess that's the best approach! I'll try contacting the police about it. I just wish that I could meet him in person and have the police waiting for him there!! Gosh, I hate these scammers!

john205 · Joined: 30 Nov 2006 Posts: 12

Most of these bankers draught and Western Union scams are based in Africa. The lottery scams usualy in Holland.
The odd use of language usualy gives it away.

personaly I would only sell something valuable to someone IN PERSON (which probably means a buyer within 15 miles.) Might take longer but at least you can't be ripped off.

john205 · Joined: 30 Nov 2006 Posts: 12

"Well, he emailed me his mobile number. Maybe he can track him down?"

If it's a pay as you go phone (probably is), forget it. The registration details for that number will turn out to be bogus