Newsbeat

Added: Saturday, 27 June, 2009, 22:30 GMT 23:30 UK

I was almost scammed into paying for this flat which I saw on Gumtree. The guy said he was a university professor in Ireland and it would not be possible for him to come to London. I thought of speaking to him on the phone, he gives me a 070 number. This was the first time it clicked to me that this was fraud. The next step he asked me to transfer around 1200 via W/U, in my own name or friends name. I hate using W/U and thus gave up the idea of even sending him any more emails.
Was Lucky!!

Jubin Shah, Harrow

Added: Friday, 26 June, 2009, 04:26 GMT 05:26 UK

Have you lost out on a flat thanks to dodgy online adverts? (NO)

Did you manage to get your money back? (I was never hit by a dodgy online advert...So, I never had to get my money back)

Should sites be doing more to crack down on dodgy ads? (Yes)...

[dennisjunior1]

Added: Thursday, 25 June, 2009, 12:04 GMT 13:04 UK

I have to laugh at some of the people who think those who fall for this scam are ill educated.
I fell for this scam and lost £430 but they are clever, I never realised it was a scam I went thru my mum, dad and my aunty too all who are educated and they never thought it was a scam either.
The thing about these people being smart its not just london they do it in towns that really is possible to pay £400 a month and I never directly transfered money to them i did it thru a friend and they got it

lynz, glasgow

Added: Thursday, 25 June, 2009, 10:04 GMT 11:04 UK

I get dozens of SCAMS a week in my email. Am I fooled nooooo! They are usually Amateurish or grandiose or just plain dumb! Only people as dumb and/or as greedy as the senders of this noise are caught out. The rest of us have to put up with this constant background noise of junk mail. Same can be said for real estate scams. If you are not greedy, dumb and bother to do bit of research you will be less likely to fall victim to a scam.
The End!

Alex Hunt, Frendown, United Kingdom

Added: Thursday, 25 June, 2009, 07:29 GMT 08:29 UK

Last summer I was looking to move out of my parents with my 2 year old son. I was desperate to get going and placed an ad on gumtree asking if anyone had any properties in my area, I recieved a reply that had pictures of a gorgeous cottage in a town a couple of miles away, the man requested exactly what you have been explaining for me to send money to a friend to proove I had the money. When we went to drive down the street to find the property it wasnt there! Its been going on a year!

Hayley, Ashford - Surrey

Added: Wednesday, 24 June, 2009, 23:54 GMT 00:54 UK

Just because you're 19 doesn't mean you *must* be an idiot. There's time enough for that when you get a mortgage.
RULE THE FIRST: If you can't eyeball the guy selling-on the lease, get the hell away from there.
RULE THE SECOND: Get the tenancy agreement *before* you hand over any money. Read it. Honestly: read it. Check the address. Get your mates to read it.
RULE THE THIRD: Go to the address to get the keys, with a friend: go in with the guy passing it on.
Only then sign the lease and pay

Steve, Manchester

Added: Wednesday, 24 June, 2009, 23:26 GMT 00:26 UK

Me and my friend lost £300 each by a money transfer fraud exactly as described above. We found out the money was withdrawn in London but neither the police nor the money transfer company did much to about it.

V.V, Edinburgh

Added: Wednesday, 24 June, 2009, 20:06 GMT 21:06 UK

Some1 tried to scam me on Gumtree. But as I had done my research, I knew that the average rent in the area was higher than the advert. I knew it wasn't right and never pursued it. You never pay before viewing. Instead, I did a search on WU scam and it came up with some articles. I alerted Gumtree about the person that had tried this scam and they said they would deal with it and gave advice about the scam after. But I think they should put their 'stay safe' advice at the top of the search page.

Kiran, Bristol

Added: Wednesday, 24 June, 2009, 18:54 GMT 19:54 UK

Its very easy.
If you see a to good to be true posting on these sites with either Western Union or Moneygram then its a con. Real people do not want transfers through these companies, they rather want to meet in person or give a real telephone number to call !!!

Darryl Mardon, London

Added: Wednesday, 24 June, 2009, 17:53 GMT 18:53 UK

I was nearly scammed while using Gumtree website.I was asked to do a money transfer.I was desperate for a place and at this stage i had no idea that it was a scam.It wasnt until I searched on Google Money Gram that at the bottom of the page was 'money gram scam'. From this I knew it was a scam and reported 2 gumtree.I complained that they should be advertising 'Beware scams'' on every property page & no way are they doin enough to prevent these scams

Ashley, Portsmouth

Added: Wednesday, 24 June, 2009, 17:26 GMT 18:26 UK

Hi
I had exactly the same thing with Autotrader. Fortunately we did not do anything but forward the emails to Autotrader themselves who told us they were aware of the scams and simply gave advice on how to avoid them, nothing about taking the ads off the website. My hubby enquired about 2 cars & each emailed back with a long explanation of how they lived abroad, had come over to show the car to timewasters and now required proof of funds by sending them to Western Union via a friend. Very bad!

Penny, Callington, Cornwall

Added: Wednesday, 24 June, 2009, 17:00 GMT 18:00 UK

Send money to someone you don't know for something sight-unseen? Come on people, get with it!

Jared, Boston

Added: Wednesday, 24 June, 2009, 16:59 GMT 17:59 UK

Yep, I bought 2 fake V 2007 festival tickets from a guy who advertised on Gumtree. I actually met him in person and handed over the cash after some email correspondence and texting, but the tickets he gave me were fakes printed up on stolen ticketmaster paper. As he'd used hotmail and probably a pay as you go phone, there was no chance of me getting my £300 back. Gutted.

On the plus side I ended up at a party I wasn't supposed to go to that weekend instead and met my current boyfriend there!

Jane, London

Added: Wednesday, 24 June, 2009, 16:49 GMT 17:49 UK

This story is so true and could not be more timely.I went flat hunting in London in October-November 2008. Shockingly, in the space of a single week, I was approached by four potential letters, all of which wanted money transferred without viewing. Fortunately, having read all the cautions on the websites (Gumtree primarily) and my university guidelines, I was extremely wary of the offers and also told off the last 3 of them after the protracted email-'trusting on photos & God'-game. Thank God!

Dr Prithwiraj Das, London

Added: Wednesday, 24 June, 2009, 16:25 GMT 17:25 UK

It brings to mind that famous book. "Gullible's travels".

I thought it was only the elderly that were vulnerable to this kind of thing. My 12 year old gets lessons on IT and on-line security in school.

Adrian Swall, Sheffield