Gumtree scam

Justin2168 · 18 October 2016 at 6:18PM

Hi I'm new here so I hope this is in the right place on the forum.
I recently looked to purchase a new van for work and found a well priced van, though not an unbelievable price.
I sent the deposit of 10% to hold the van after speaking extensively with the owner and travelled down to collect it. The address was wrong..somebody else occupied the property. I figured it was at least only 10% I'd lost until I realised that on my small phone screen I had double tapped the zero and transferred the whole amount.
Whether or not the guy was scamming lots of people out of deposits or not I don't know..it was a well planned scam as he even had the nerve to call me and arrange a time the morning of supposed collection.
Santander will do nothing..even with a crime number. The guys bank account is also with Santander. They have informed me they need to write to the receiving bank to see if they can retrieve the money, and I was told that they basically have to write to themselves and wait for the reply which will take a minimum of 3 weeks. Is this normal for an internal transfer mistake/scam?!
I'm guessing by this time the account has been emptied.
Is there anything I can do here short of offering rewards if I can find inside help?
I also have the phone number which I assume can be traced to the last phone that sim was was used in. I doubt the phone has been discarded..just the sim.
Frustrated to say the least..the police asked me to call them in six weeks if I haven't heard from them, to see if they can be bothered with it all.
I need a PI licence because I'd sure as hell find him if I had access to information !
If there is anything I can do to help myself here please let me know!

CKhalvashi · 18 October 2016 at 6:38PM

Report to Action Fraud and police is the way to go, and you have done this.

The bank haven't made an error, as they've only followed your instruction, and can't go into someone else's account for you, so sadly this isn't an option.

The only option at the moment is to sit tight and see what the police can do.

Justin2168 · 19 October 2016 at 2:15PM

Thanks...I know it's my own stupid type error. I told the bank the moment I realised...I guess I'm just surprised that my bank had to write to themselves to see if they could help get it back rather than just starting the process immediately for me. Had the guy banked with someone else I could totally understand that. I just wondered if this was usual to write to yourself, and whether anybody in a similar circumstance with a different bank to me had experienced this. You'd think they'd want to help out if they could, especially when it's one of their other customers using their bank account for fraudulent behaviour.
Such is life in the digital era I guess. I wouldn't have miss wrote it on paper that's for sure. We live and learn...

teddysmum · 19 October 2016 at 5:11PM

One of my sons fell for a similar scam, a few months ago, but in his case it was a breakdown truck. The truck was supposedly in the Manchester area.

I don't know the details, but he paid into some kind of temporary account,which cannot be traced to the 'owner', so lost his £50 deposit.

System · 19 October 2016 at 5:57PM

You essentially sent money to a random bank account (on the basis of an internet ad) and now want it back.

A fool and his money are soon parted - a story as old as time itself.

iainscomputer · 19 October 2016 at 8:25PM

I'm constantly amazed by people who pay money to someone they don't know for a vehicle they haven't seen.
There are lots of vehicles out there, go and see it in person. The only way I would buy a vehicle unseen, it would have to be brand new & from a reputable checkable source. Payment would be credit card or finance only.
There's one born every minute.

prosaver · 19 October 2016 at 8:29PM

it was on BBc rip of britian a few days ago ..cant understand how the bank wasnt helpfull to the police

takman · 19 October 2016 at 10:13PM

I agree with "iainscomputer" i don't know why so many people do this!. I have actually never paid a deposit for any vehicle in my entire life. If i see a vehicle i want to buy i then arrange to go and view it and make sure its ready to buy that day. If i like it then i buy it there and then, if i don't then i don't buy it. I don't have to worry about paying deposits or going back later to collect vehicles, its a lot easier and more efficient.

maninthestreet · 19 October 2016 at 11:50PM

Never pay a penny for a vehicle that you haven't inspected in person...

konark · 20 October 2016 at 12:13AM

Isn't Gumtree designed for 'face-to-face' transactions only- they even put a warning on the site.

Justin2168 · 20 October 2016 at 10:06AM

I'm not a fool...I actually typed an extra 0 when paying a 10% deposit. £160 loss wouldn't be so bad. Please read my post before you start throwing insults.

Gumtree scam

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