UPS UKASH UKCASH Gumtree Scam and scams in general

dgtjunior

sophieem wrote: »

The exact same thing has just happened to my brother, £130 on some decks from ebay, ask him to get u-kash vouchers, never hear from them again! Surely you need more than simply the code to be able to cash the vouchers? Has anyone had any success getting any money back or heard anything from her/gumtree? It's appalling that gumtree are still letting her list! And that ukash are obviously doing nothing to make their system safer. Just before xmas as well. Absolute scum.

I got a refund from UKASH. See one of my previous posts on this blog for how to do it. Post number 350 on page 18. Don't delay and good luck!

GTK

Hi. Update below of some of current “phrases” the scammers using. Note, the scammers trying to tempt buyers to give their mobile to “ask” or “chat” (and so avoiding using Gumtree’s secure email):

your number will be helpful for urgent sale. ty
conatact on my ph............
contact me ph...................
mobile contact before please..
for the contact of my contact # and call me
Contact number is helpful in your message
A contact number would be appreciated. Have a great day
contact number helpful for urgent sale. thank you
Contact details are required in your reply if you have any questions.
please include you contact number
Please include in your message a number to chat for any questions.
WILL HELP TO MESSAGE ME YOUR MOBILE FOR MORE INFO,ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE ASK.
Priced accordingly, please leave a mobile to get in touch.
Please submit your ph num otherwise no reply from my side. Serious buyers needed only!!

The following ads are all duplicates to old “sold” ads (from ebay), and now each reported to Gumtree.
Ad ref 1005747811 (ebay 140896150709)
Ad ref 1005741106 (ebay 221163133985)
Ad ref 1005750410 (ebay 200860148351)
Ad ref 1005721416 (ebay 150965078609)
Ad ref 1005666645 (ebay 130822194138)
Ad ref 1005668283 (ebay 281037990934)
Ad ref 1005659221 (ebay 300835972994)
Ad ref 1005830292 (ebay 160942334799)
Ad ref 1005831109 (ebay 181044300672)
Ad ref 1005791373 (ebay 160943571357)
Ad ref 1005788549 (ebay 121037537722)
Ad ref 1005749513 (ebay 281039715415)
Ad ref 1005748507 (ebay 170962870592)
Ad ref 1005701618 (ebay 170960252529)

If you want to check a “new” suspect Gumtree ad yourself, and see if it may have been “sold” on ebay, then you can go to ebay to search and select “Advanced”. In “Search including” options you must tick the “Completed Listing” box. Enter part of the Gumtree ad’s title or the part of the ad’s details. You may need to try “All words, any option”, and check the “Title and description” box too depending on your search string. If there are many results, you may need to sort the results page to find the “oldest” ad.

See post #489 (Pg 25), where there is a summary of other posts that may help spotting, reporting and getting compensation.

Following Cheekychap's suggestion, I am lobbying Gumtree and ebay, to see if they could place “sold” or “ended” watermarks on ebay photos when a user views the “SEE ORGINAL LISTING” option. (ie once an ebay ad is no longer live, the ad's photos cannot be copied). Although not perfect, this would impact the scammers process, as most of the scam ads on Gumtree are currently just straight copies from ebay, after the ebay ad had sold (and the sold price known). This measure would simple to do, and similar to what ebay already does when it shows the “Bidding has ended on this item” summary ad image.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Makita-slide-compound-saw-/160942334799?pt=UK_Home_Garden_PowerTools_SM&hash=item2578e9234f
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/200860148351?ru=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fsch%2Fi.html%3F_from%3DR40%26_nkw%3D200860148351%26_rdc%3D1
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/150965078609?ru=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fsch%2Fi.html%3F_from%3DR40%26_nkw%3D150965078609%26_rdc%3D1
GTK

lcek

Registered with MSE just to post about this scam:

Gumtree, Roland TD-3 Drumkit A1 Condition £230

Emailed about the kit and received:

Don't know if it's been long since you've emailed, I've been out so couldn't follow up on my text message. Can't promise anything but visiting my mum shortly, wouldn't mind making a drop off

If you'll send me your postcode I can check out on my satnav the distance to yours.

Reasonable price and accurate description, it's worth the money, no bad surprises. I won't go any lower.
Can be reached on 07425-620661 low signal strength area but check emails regularly.
Ta,
Janet.
P.S. Will let you know before heading out, cash only please.

Then when I asked about delivery....

Of course, nothing goes according to plan Unfortunately I've just got called into the office so very busy till next week, hectic lifestyle. However, back at work we have some shipments for large items with parcelforce all week long. Just thought it would save you time and hassle if I'll send it along with them free of charge hihi company benefits .

I asked around and it seems you can pay cash upon delivery/inspection. It's quite simple since they're able to wait for you to check it out, if not as described they can just void the shipment with no extra charge.

If that's alright with you I'll need a name, address, contact number and also date&time suitable for the delivery.
Second option - if you want to pop in and collect you'll have to wait till next week or so when hopefully I'll get my head around.
Let me know either way. No need to worry If my reply is delayed since I'm just having fun working long hours ... or not )
Janet.

You can check out Janet's profile on Google+ here : plus.google.com/112229177905204505953

Unfortunately filled in my details, then received...

Great, I've just finished filling out the forms online and scheduled the delivery for Friday am, 9-10am ( at your end). The courier company will also handle the payment. If you'll accept and sign for the parcel the driver will then leave you a receipt and bac's me afterwards. They sent out an email notification on how to proceed. Did you received it ? Check your spam or junk folder as well, maybe it got caught in there.

Let me know if you have any queries, I'll be glad to help out!

Best wishes for a happy New Year!
Janet

The time arranged wasnt what I had asked for so I replied and asked to change the delivery time, and also to query the odd system of emailing images of voucher codes, sounded a bit dodgy...

Just a click away re-scheduled for Friday am, 9-10am. I've received a copy of the payment instructions. They do indeed take payments in cash but not directly because drivers apparently aren't allowed to receive cash in hand. It seems you'll have to use cash or debit/credit card to buy a ukash voucher from a local shop/supermarket or newsagent that has the PAYZONE or PAYPOINT sign. You'll need to scan the voucher or take a close-up picture using your mobile phone and reply with it to the email from parcelforce. Also keep the voucher/s receipt for the driver who will verify it, nothing simpler

Here : payzone.co.uk/Store-Locator or paypoint.co.uk/paypointlocator you can find the nearest shop and ask for the UKASH voucher. From what I understand the shopkeeper will add 20% VAT if you pay an invoice therefore if you'd buy the voucher for online poker or betting website you won't pay the VAT.

Hope this helps,
Janet.

At this point I realised there was no drum kit, or likely a Janet, and so googled the "Parcel force" email address and found this MSE thread...

For those of you looking into it the details provided from "Janet" were...

janet78brown@gmail.com
07425-62066

The email from "parcelforce" was the main alarm bell, same address as above, royal-mail@courier-updates.info - the info in the email was the same too..

Glad I was able to find the forum and confirm my suspicions before I took the risk!

cheekychap00

janet brown [EMAIL="janet78brown@gmail.com"]janet78brown@gmail.com[/EMAIL] gumtree ukash parcelforce scam
beware beware beware
thanks for that icek
oh and when in ebay on the completed list where there are too many ads it can help to put in a min and max figure
ie if the item is on gumtree at say £200 then this usually means that you will find the item around roughly double that price ie £350 - £450
and note that the scammers are changing the title so if it comes up nil then cut the title to minimal words and see how it goes
also got the reply to freedom of information request from parcelforce which i will try and post tomorrow

Tuni

Hi, following on from the previous threads - I saw a Garmin 62s for sale and placed an enquiry. I then received a text (sometime later) Requesting I email. I then decided (don't know why) to Google the persons email address. I then came across this website with the above information.

I'd already responded to the email and received a reply - identical to the one above. As I'd already related the county I'm from and the Gumtree advert was Cambridge, it seemed a logistical nonsense to say it could be "dropped off" I replied saying I was extricating myself from the deal and have since reported the advert to Gumtree. Below is the reply I received - as you will see it's identical to the one above. I'm just glad I haven't gone any further with this person but worried as they have my mobile number and email!!

""Hi,
Don't know if it's been long since you've emailed, I've been out so couldn't follow up on my text message. Can't promise anything but visiting my mum shortly, wouldn't mind making a drop off

If you'll send me your postcode I can check out on my satnav the distance to yours.

Reasonable price and accurate description, it's worth the money, no bad surprises. I won't go any lower.
Can be reached on 07425-620661 low signal strength area but check emails regularly.
Ta,
Janet.
P.S. Will let you know before heading out, cash only please.""

GTK

Hi Tuni, brilliant you were suspicious and double checked. I have reported the Gumtree ad, it was scam ad ref 1005779418 (ebay sold item number: 200866696058)

Currently, one way to be “more” safe on Gumtree is “not” give your mobile initially when replying to For Sale ads on Gumtree, and so wait and see if the “seller” emails to you via Gumtree’s secure email system. For this particular scam, the scammer's tend not to like leave a “trail” (evidence) on Gumtree’s secure email system. (Noting, Gumtree’s email system is better than ebay's, as Gumtree’s secure system totally hides the buyer’s/seller’s real email addresses from each party but allows communication to be recorded/scanned for your own safety). If the Seller does not reply via email it is likely a scam, especially, if the seller has also (a) not provided their own contact number, and (b) “asked” for you leave a mobile/contact number on the ad, as in your ad “Contact number is helpful in your message:)”.

Gumtree needs to make this advice “clearer” on their “Reply to Ad” form, as Gumtree is saturated with such scam ads across the For Sale ads, and ebay needs to making using “sold” ebay ads harder to copy.

So far, no one has reported (on this thread) an issue of identity theft from mobile/email addresses. But, suffice to say, safe practice should mean you use a separate “spare” (or secondary) email address for any “public” communication to complete strangers, especially when finances are involved. I also use a separate (secondary) PAYG mobile SIM for such communication to/from Gumtree ads.
GTK

GabbaGabbaHey

Another scam from the same (janet78brown@gmail.com) scammer is at http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/omega-seamaster-aqua-terra-co-axial/1005858531

The watch is advertised at about half of its real value (if it were genuine).

I've emailed "her" asking whether I can come and view the watch today or tomorrow and told "her" that I have cash waiting. May as well have some fun and waste some of "her" time ....

GTK

Hi GabbaGabbaHey, well spotted. I have reported to Gumtree too to stop anyone else being scammed. Gumtree Ad ref 1005858531 is copied form ebay’s sold item: 271118677744.

These scammers “need” buyers to reply by mobile to start the scam (and so not to use Gumtree’s secure email), but it also means it is easy to spot scam ads too. So on this ad, they added “Please submit your ph num otherwise no reply from my side. Serious buyers needed only!!”.

Update, thanks for this new scamming phrase, that has caught (and reported to Gumtree) 10 ads posted yesterday using the same line. Plus another 5 with "ph num" used in a similar way. GTK

dgtjunior

GTK wrote: »

“Please submit your ph num otherwise no reply from my side. Serious buyers needed only!!”.

GTK

Seems like these lowlife are on the run with this scam now; having to resort to this extra wording smacks of desperation to keep it going just a bit longer. But it's such an obvious indication that's its a scam attempt, so even the most gullible bargain hunters won't fall for this.

Good work by the bloggers on here on shutting these cretins down for good soon.

GabbaGabbaHey

GabbaGabbaHey wrote: »

I've emailed "her" asking whether I can come and view the watch today or tomorrow and told "her" that I have cash waiting. May as well have some fun and waste some of "her" time ....

Ad has now been removed from Gumtree (as well as GTK, I had also reported it).

I've since received the exact same email that Icek and Tuni did. I have replied with a post code that's near me, and told her that I went to a cash machine this morning and have the money waiting. While she's wasting time responding to me, she's not scamming somebody else, so I'll play her along for another while.