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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Mt Waverley Vic 3149
    Age
    81
    Posts
    44

    Default Scam Alert (also posted on WW Forum)

    I have a caravan advertised for sale on Gumtree. This morning I received an email with a number of questions which appeared quite reasonable
    "I'm interested in the "1970s Viscount Pop-top Caravan" ad you've listed on Gumtree.


    I have a few questions:

    1. Are there any major issues with it?
    No – it has been regularly maintained
    2. Has it been checked by a professional in the past 6-12 months?
    New brakes fitted in 2015
    Fridge serviced and 12v / vibration switch fitted 2016
    Water tank, hand pump and breather tube fitted 2017

    3. Reply via [email protected] only for fast response"


    (My response in red.)

    An hour later I received a second email from a different name (now Stephen not Murphy) and a slightly different email address. This email contained the following:

    "Due to the nature of my job and location i will not be able to come for inspection am a very busy type as i work with Irving Oil as the engineer and i am presently offshore in Atlantic Offshore. Can you send pictures to me now, I'll be paying you through PayPal, do you have a PayPal account?If you don't have an account with PayPal, its pretty easy, safe and secured to set up one. Just log on to (Paypal hyperlink) and you will set up an account in less than 5 minutes.

    Alternatively i can as well transfer the funds into your bank account via my PayPal. If that is fine with you, please do get back to me with your name on the account, Bsb and your account number so that i can transfer the funds asap"


    I became suspicious for two reasons. Firstly his employment (Irving Oil and Atlantic Offshore) is located in Nebraska. Secondly, the MO is the same as a scam that was doing the rounds a couple of years ago. Also the hyperlink takes you to a fake "PayPal" site.



    That scam went like this - after agreeing on the price and method of payment and date for pickup, there is an email apologising for the inconvenience, but something has come up and they have to arrange for a 'courier' to pick up the vehicle. The only problem is that the 'courier' has to be paid in cash BEFORE picking up the vehicle. Can you kindly pay the courier and I will increase the amount we agreed on plus a little extra for your inconvenience.

    You can guess the rest, as soon as the money was paid over and the vehicle removed an urgent message was received from PayPal or whoever advising that the purchaser had cancelled the payment.

    You may or may not get any support from PayPal, Gumtree or whoever else may have been involved as you might well have broken the Gumtree rules by exchanging emails outside of the Gumtree site . Even if you had some joy in getting back some of the money, your chances of getting the 'courier' fee is virtually ziltch.

    I thought I should do the right thing and report this to the local police station - thier enthusiasm was deafening in its silence, but I had an enjoyable walk from home to the police station and back.

    For the record my response to this second email, after no joy with the police, was as follows;

    Murphy, Stephen, whatever,
    2 names, 3 email addresses and now you want my bank details!!
    Sounding like a scam to me and has been reported to Australian Police



    Funny I haven't had any further emails. But you have been warned that these creeps are out and about again.

    Bob
    Last edited by Oldgreybeard; 17th Sep 2018 at 12:55 PM. Reason: added word

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Melbourne
    Age
    35
    Posts
    1,522

    Default

    I recently had an ad up for a lathe and i got a bunch of reallly dodgy messages really insistently asking for my email address, even getting very rude. Thanks for the heads up

  3. #3
    BobL is offline Member: Blue and white apron brigade
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Perth
    Posts
    7,182

    Default

    I've been advertising the surplus stuff from my mens shed and have had several of these operators in the last few years. When they call I make it pretty clear up front, cash payment upon collection, no couriers, no postage, no wheeling and dealing.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Charlestown NSW
    Age
    65
    Posts
    1,669

    Default

    I had the same response when I had a van for sale just before xmas last year. Almost word for word to yours.
    Ive even had messages asking my "lowest price" on stuff I have had on Gumtree for free.
    peter

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