[ColdDish]

Your official figure is meaningless as is my observation. If no-one reports the fakes you and I both have no idea. Therefore the CS team also has no idea.

As soon as one advert is removed the same advert is posted with a different username.

You need to stop this as this fraud is widespread and is damaging the usefulness of your site. Then again you don't need me to tell you that.

The last time I looked at flats was a few years ago. My impressions are that things have gotten significantly worse.

[Todieby]

I got the same thing, from a certain Sophie Huggins.

Here is the vital part: 'Because of that I have decided to go on with this only through Gumtree. They have a program called Gumtree London (http://gumtree-london.gumtree-lr.com/how_it_works.html). It was created especially for situations like ours, when is difficult to meet. They can take care about the viewing, and the payment, and they are offering assistance and protection for both, landlords and tenants.'

Of course, it will be a different name next time. But I thought it might be useful for anyone googling 'Sophie Huggins' now to know that it is a scam.

[jtauro]

Is there no way to get hold of these scammers? By somehow asking them to meet at the western union point of collection and calling the police at that place. I have just received an email from the scammer asking me to transfer money via western union.
I think if one of these scammers are arrested that would deter the other fraudsters.

[ColdDish]

The police will do nothing if you report it. I have reported it twice and the response it that gumtree should be contacting them and dealing with it. Also the police told me they cannot do anything unless I actually loose some money.