I have been scammed on gumtree

wealdroam

Double_V wrote: »

Yeah and the money was sent to a bank account in the UK can the bank not give you persons address ? (not to you but to police so they can chase them or any other body who deals with these scams )

The OP could/should report the issue to ActionFraud.

If enough reports mentioning the same bank account are filed, then it is possible that some action will be taken.

lovinituk

wealdroam wrote: »

The OP could/should report the issue to ActionFraud.

If enough reports mentioning the same bank account are filed, then it is possible that some action will be taken.

Agreed - this is the only real course of action to take.

Although having used AF myself a few times, I can see why some people don't bother!

hollydays

Double_V wrote: »

Yeah and the money was sent to a bank account in the UK can the bank not give you persons address ? (not to you but to police so they can chase them or any other body who deals with these scams )

The police would need proof a crime has been committed.
Someone paying someone else money isn't a crime.

Hermione_Granger

hollydays wrote: »

The police would need proof a crime has been committed

No they wouldn't.
All that is required is a statement from a victim or their representative stating that a crime has been committed then a crime reference number will be issued.
It is the job of the police to then investigate and decide whether or not there has been a crime and if there has, they are the ones who have to find evidence.


If I make a report saying that my house has been burgled without signs of forced entry, what proof could I provide apart from a statement?

hollydays

To put it another way, this is a civil matter

omelettesandeggs

You could try searching the sellers name on companies house and see if they have ever registered a business. If they have, there will be an address within the online available to view paperwork.

George_Michael

hollydays wrote: »

To put it another way, this is a civil matter

Since when has fraud been a civil matter?
If the "seller" is advertising something for sale and accepting payment with no intention of actually sending goods, it is a criminal and not a civil offence.

lovinituk

Hermione_Granger wrote: »

It is the job of the police to then investigate and decide whether or not there has been a crime and if there has, they are the ones who have to find evidence

Good luck with that when it comes to a situation like the OPs.

Hermione_Granger

I fully agree that the police are extremely unlikely to do anything but this doesn't detract from the fact that saying that they won't do anything without proof of a crime was an incorrect statement.


It is not the job of victims to provide the proof to the police. It is the job of the police to investigate reports of a crime and to obtain proof if they decide to take the matter further.

hollydays

Yes I shouldn't have said without proof ,in this specific case, I should have said this isn't defined as criminal behaviour. It's contractual.
All you have here, is one person will say they have posted an item out-the other says they didn't receive it.