I Got Scammed on Gumtree, and Was Wondering if There's a Solution?

LHarrisonA on 18/07/2020 - 09:16

Hello
My name is Harrison and am now 17 years old with little experience and would love to know if there is something i can do to get my money back.

We placed an add on Gum-tree, and this person named Charlotte Oliver wanted to buy my phone for $1,000. she said she had paid $1000 (with proof of a fake Pay-Pal notice, but the payment never came through and never will). At this time i was feeling like i had a good deal and stupid me didn't want to think it was a scam.

she then told us to send the phone to Texas, so we did, quite confidently. she then imitated pay-pal again and said that she was overcharged an additional $1,000 (in total "$2,000 out of her bank account into ours"). (that's when it got strange) we couldn't find any trace of the money, she then said that it was because we had to pay her back $1,000 for us to receive our payment of $1,000. we told her that we had no money to give, but there was no answer to that question. we did our research and found out other people had been done by the same trick. by the time we found out she was a scammer, and we had just posted the phone. so if all went well for her she would have a phone and an additional $1,000 to go with it. but we think she sold a phone like mine and was sending her customer my phone over in Texas

As soon as we sent my phone we found out the transaction was a fake and that we needed to get the phone back. we rang AusPost
straight away and told them about the incident and what we wanted to happen, they then told us that they were going to let it reach Chicago and then turn it around then, from one thing after the other it got closer to it destination and then it said it was delivered. we warned the Usps about what was happening and it still went straight through there fingers. ive been to so many places trying to find out how i could try get my hard earned cash back but no one can help, what do you think i can do

thanks for your time

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Comments

    • bigbadboogieman on 19/07/2020 - 01:14

      Easiest way to get scammers to call you is to post an ad with your phone number. This is a direct relationship because everytime I post an ad I start getting spam calls until the ad gets old or deleted.

  • iseeyou1312 on 18/07/2020 - 22:44

    this person named Charlotte Oliver

    They didn't even try to come up with a convincing fake name lol.

    • [Deactivated] on 21/07/2020 - 09:17
      +2

      You know what they say, "never trust a person with two first names"

  • Heaps for Cheaps on 19/07/2020 - 00:47
    +1

    I was scammed once on Gumtree a few years back. I was selling an iphone and a man dressed in a chauffeur's suit & hat came to my door, and told me that the phone was for Gerry Harvey and that as Gerry is 80+ YO he can't come to the door but would like to see the phone… As he pointed to an old man in the car who did resemble Gerry Harvey I got a wave and thought nothing of allowing Gerry to see the phone, however, when he reached the car, Gerry wound up his window and they sped away… I phoned Harvey Norman and ended up getting onto Gerry Harvey and he hung up straight away and then blocked all my calls from then on, which is why I do think it was him.

  • Trying2SaveABuck on 19/07/2020 - 00:51

    Live and learn i can assure you loads of people including myself have been scammed in life and i sympathies becuz it is the shitest feeling losing 100s/1000s of dollars to some scum bag it horrible and at 17 a phone (worth1k) is a lot of money to lose.

    Unfortunately even if this was Australia police wont help you becuz the law sees it is as a civil matter thus the system enables scammers (and there are loads of these losers out there)

    You cant get the phone disabled in the US just learn to left it go and accept there is no such thing as Karma that 1k phone wont come back (trust me what goes around doesnt come around these scammers get away with this shit all the time sadly)

    • bigbadboogieman on 19/07/2020 - 01:10
      +1

      I kind of disagree.. you are just not able to see what actually comes around.

    • Melong on 19/07/2020 - 09:46

      Theft is a criminal matter, obtaining property by deception is theft.

      • Trying2SaveABuck on 19/07/2020 - 09:54

        lol good luck getting the police to do anything about it tho

      • jkim on 22/07/2020 - 06:31

        The pigs in this country… Or at least Victoria… Are only interested in one type of crime. It's called traffic offences. How else did we get a bike riding non-driver traffic cop as police Commissioner?

        Good luck getting them to act on anything other than traffic violations.

  • bigbadboogieman on 19/07/2020 - 01:06

    Someone once told me that you never finish learning even though you finish school. Life teaches you lessons all the way till the end. All lessons have a cost - consider losing the phone a cost for this life lesson. Learn from it and so the cost is not wasted.

    • Ti-au on 20/07/2020 - 15:44

      "even though you finish school"

      Well that's a sad indictment on Universities.

  • neo on 19/07/2020 - 01:07
    -5

    I am getting sick of all the troll posts on here. This is a BARGAIN website for goodness sake.

    If you're not trolling, you deserved to get scammed with stupidity like that. Sending your phone to Texas? WTF

  • CrazyBargainCatcher on 19/07/2020 - 09:06

    First Reg Flag- Send The Phone Overseas.
    Pretty sure Gumtree AU is Aus only…

    • BinaryPirate on 20/07/2020 - 00:45

      Ebay owns gumtree. It's all over the world these days

  • subydooby on 19/07/2020 - 09:19
    +1

    Gumtree should send you an email or have a big warning banner when you post an ad, they are facilitating the criminals and should do more to help out new users.

    • Ughhh on 19/07/2020 - 09:36

      Unless people use common sense, there's only so much gumtree can do.

      • Ti-au on 20/07/2020 - 15:50

        Lets get it right.

        Ebay want people to use their service - they don't want to scare people, hence there is a distinctive to scare people (via warnings).

        Gumtree could do a lot but it requires investment and potentially scaring customers. Gumtree certainly will not do this.

        • Ughhh on 21/07/2020 - 13:47

          Considering that many dumb buyers ask simple questions that have already been answered in the ad…. Yeh nah. You could send them an email with bed red fonts and they'll still ignore. No one really thinks something bad can happen to them.

          I dont disagree that gumtree could do more. But ultimately, only you can save yourself.

  • haimrevolution on 19/07/2020 - 09:26

    Unless you sent it to a crazy address you can probably contact local authorities to explain and they will pay that person a visit. They probably don’t know it’s stolen equipment and if the police came and told me the story I wouldn’t want it so they may just send it back to you.

  • Itsagooddeal on 19/07/2020 - 09:36
    +1

    The only thing you could do is email the FBI and tell them about the comments the person who wanted your phone was saying about either wanting to "teach the government a lesson" or something that could sound like domestic terrorism in the US.

    Tell them that after you sent the phone you reflected on their veiled threats towards others and wanting a phone that was not US and you felt you had to say something

    Give them the address and pay pal "fake" invoice you have.

    I am sure the FBI may want to have a chat with them.

    Revenge is a dish best served cold

    You won't likely get your phone back but……..

    • SnakeCasablanca on 20/07/2020 - 12:46

      Step 1: Get scammed.
      Step 2: Lie to the FBI about domestic terror threats.
      Step 3: ?????????.
      Step 4: Profit.

      If OP follows your advice they might learn a few more life lessons before they turn 18.

      I assume your comment was made in jest. As is mine. :)

  • Hirolol on 19/07/2020 - 11:14

    Oldest trick in the book
    You would think people learn by now.

    On a more serious note can we limit new posts please??
    New accounts shouldn’t be able to post so soon

    • itstuan on 19/07/2020 - 23:07

      Why? How long should they wait in your opinion?

      • ozbjunkie on 20/07/2020 - 00:14
        +2

        Until they have time to read 1 new post highlighted in the newsletter, on each of the topics below:

        1. I was breaking the law while driving and was fined by police, please help.

        2. I was in a car accident, I am at fault, and I am uninsured, please help.

        3. I have sent money or items overseas using gumtree, please help.

        So… Waiting approximately 1 week should suffice.

        • itstuan on 20/07/2020 - 00:42

          Should probably post one deal too and have at least 50 votes lol

        • Hirolol on 20/07/2020 - 14:45

          Haha exactly!!

  • screensaver on 19/07/2020 - 11:19

    Experience is expensive

  • thanatos350 on 19/07/2020 - 11:23
    +1

    I kinda feel bad for OP and I think some of you are forgetting how naive we all were at 17.

    In saying that, most of us get (profanity) over in some way around that age and this will serve as a lesson in humanity. You trust people until you're (profanity) over, then never again.

  • striker5950 on 19/07/2020 - 11:44
    -4

    omfg if i had 2 cents for every gumtree scam post i've read on ozbargain.. its like these people dont have a brain

    • [Deactivated] on 19/07/2020 - 14:20

      The OP is only 17… This is an "expensive" lesson for him at this point.

    • itstuan on 19/07/2020 - 23:05

      How many have you actually read here? do tell.

    • ozbjunkie on 20/07/2020 - 00:15

      I would have approximately 86 cents.

      Not a great improvement in my financial situation. But this is ozbargain.

  • hopper on 19/07/2020 - 11:52

    I once got scammed for a watch that i tried to sell, felt bad for 1 week, not that i lost $200 but accepting the truth that i got fooled. Instead of feeling bad I made $400 profit from selling other watches in a month.
    Just make sure u don't repeat the mistakes again.

  • randomusername2017 on 19/07/2020 - 17:34

    OP seems to be conspicuous in abscence…

    Last Seen
    2 hours 18 min ago

  • gesco on 19/07/2020 - 18:09

    This might be a complete coincidence, but maybe the same person: https://doit.umbc.edu/news/?id=93551

    • fredk1000 on 19/07/2020 - 21:59

      That name is mud now.

    • HarrisonA on 20/07/2020 - 14:42

      yes, its the same but a few numbers a little different.
      but there might be a whole organization working for that name (made up name)
      Maybe ???????

      • eckers19 on 22/07/2020 - 13:25

        btw something similar happend to be me on ebay but figured out it was scam so reported it and didnt lose anything

  • dunderpaper on 19/07/2020 - 18:49

    Ive been scammed on Gumtree before, similar situation with a fake transaction. My advice, its a bit of coin yes, but take it on the chin and learn from it.

  • fozzie on 19/07/2020 - 19:12
    +1

    So sorry Harrison you have to go through all this. I would be upset and I’m old, must very upsetting for you :(

    • HarrisonA on 20/07/2020 - 14:02
      +1

      yes, it was a bit of a shock.
      i just hate how gullible i was when i sent it,
      but thanks for looking out for me and other like me (:

  • life is suffering on 19/07/2020 - 20:23
    +1

    Sorry for your loss OP but this is very unfortunate. but be safe in the future

  • [Deactivated] on 19/07/2020 - 22:01

    You got scammed on gumtree, geez why were you even on there to begin with anyways, you make my online purchasing via foreign countries look like a safe option.

    Maybe it is.

    oh your young, sorry

  • HeWhoKnows on 19/07/2020 - 22:15

    Always wait till you see funds in your account

  • TimApple on 19/07/2020 - 23:32
    +1

    You remind me of my little brother who at 19 years old tried to sell his $500 camera for $1,000 to someone in Africa. He paid $60 for shipping etc, and shipped it away.

    I only asked him casually during dinner what he did with his old camera and he told me he sold it to someone in Africa. I freaked out and said he got scammed. Took him 2 months of ringing UPS and AusPost etc, but he actually miraculously did get his camera back in the end. He was out $60 AUD though and that was a very cheap life lesson.

    Don't know if you'll get your phone back, I doubt it, even back then I told my brother he's probably gonna be out $60 AUD and whatever the camera's worth. He was working at a fast food restaurant back then and he was so sad because $60 is a lot of money for someone getting paid $15 an hour.

    It's a life lesson. Learn it well and don't make the same mistake again.

    I also did stupid things. I bought a dodgy car, I gave money to a fake beggar, and so on. The older you are, the wiser you'd be. You're still young don't worry too much mate.

    • 2025 on 20/07/2020 - 18:43

      Some guy tried a similar scam on me. I changed the eBay listing to say “picture - canon 7d mkii” and the description was “photo - perfect condition 7d” or something in broken English that would have lived up to scrutiny under the not as described test for a 6x4 print

      He shut up and never replied when I pointed out he was just about to scam a photograph of my 7d. Not the actual camera lmao

  • Eeples on 20/07/2020 - 00:13

    The post reads a bit like a sociology experiment.

    OP, I hope you got enough data to complete your homework.

    Put me down, despite this post, for not dumping on a 17yo for being scammed.

  • Raj09 on 20/07/2020 - 00:55
    +1

    Sorry to hear. Gumtree should be always face to face. Do not fall for any deal which are too good to be true. And please do not fall for the Nigerian prince 😏👑

    • HarrisonA on 20/07/2020 - 13:56

      haha, first time i have heard of him (Nigerian prince 😏👑)
      but ill watch out of any others scammers and maybe waste the time that they could be spending on others.
      :)

      • Raj09 on 20/07/2020 - 22:09

        Hahaha. Yes do some research on Nigerian scams. They are similar to these. Sorry to hear you got scammed

  • Badkitty on 20/07/2020 - 04:29
    +1

    I Haven't read all the comments so maybe this has been said but couldn't you: Contact the person the phone was sent to (as you think it's Charlotten's customer) advise them that it's stolen goods; they send phone back to you and then claim back the money they sent to Charlotten as scam/theft depending on their payment method.

    Could that work? Worth a shot, nothing to lose anyway.

    Oh and if you could find out how the person in the US paid Charlotten isnt that a clue to finding Charlotten because whatever that method was it's linked to a bank account. Unless they paid in vouchers which frankly would be hilarious in a dark humour kind of way.

    • HarrisonA on 20/07/2020 - 13:52

      it sounds like a chance, ill take it.
      but what if the guy in Texas was involved in the whole plot as well

      • cruiseronroad on 22/07/2020 - 10:16

        Charlotte doesn’t exist mate. There is no customer.

        Best bet is to try and get the package returned before delivery. Being that you’re SOL

  • Badkitty on 20/07/2020 - 04:44

    Oh oh ohhhhh - you didn't just scam Ozbargain did you, you evil genius you!? Cause this would be a pretty smart way to find potential loop holes for a scam in planning stages - just sayin' Evil music plays in background PLOT TWIST.

    LOL. X

  • smartazz104 on 20/07/2020 - 07:18

    Gumtree is for face-to-face transactions only; not for online payments, and certainly not for international buyers

  • pippohippo on 20/07/2020 - 08:31

    Sorry to hear this Harrison. Watch CheckOut on YouTube. They're hosted by the ABC and talks a lot about scams, and other useful buying tips as well. I's very education to watch and learn about life.

  • ssjwill on 20/07/2020 - 10:17
    -2

    get a spider bite so your spidey senses start tingling next time

  • Ticalos on 20/07/2020 - 14:33

    Don't beat yourself up too much, Harrison. It is indeed an expensive lesson, but we all have been through these kind of stuff one way or another, it is part of growing up that you have to get screwed over to learn. Looking back to my 17-year-old-me, I did various of stupid stuff that I wouldn't dare to mention, and I was sorta smart boy :D. Keep your chin up, and next time try to be extra cautious and google anything that is fishy before doing any kind of action.

  • Hangryuman on 20/07/2020 - 15:20

    ah so grasshopper - today's lesson …

    what's the reverse of caveat emptor - 'Caveat subscriptor is a Latin term used in trading to mean "let the seller beware"' - https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/caveat-subscriptor.asp#

    'caveat venditor cautions that the seller is responsible for any problem that the buyer might encounter with a service or product' - https://www.yourdictionary.com/caveat-venditor - so they tried to get you on that too.

    I lost a shipload more money than that when I was younger and naive - so you made the mistake - learn the lesson - and know how not to repeat it in future.

    easy one for phone - meet in person in a public place, size them up before you hand them your phone as to whether you think they can grab it and run, and then cash only, you like it, and no 'oh I don't have the cash on me now, can I transfer by phone bank transfer … ?' - nuh uh - pre-condition of meeting in public place is you bring the whole cash amount, show me before we start talking or I'm walking away …

  • Heaps for Cheaps on 20/07/2020 - 16:34

    In any case, money is gone, but hate to see people ripped off by scammers on Gumtree & Kogan.

    People are only selling items because they want to put the money into things that matter & it really annoys me that thieves can be so callous… but then, even when I went to sell a guy my X-Box, he presented me with a fake cheque, and after I got all his details inc. phone number, car rego etc, the police told me they could do nothing.

  • drfuzzy on 20/07/2020 - 17:09

    Compliments to Harrison (the OP) for showing such maturity in his responses, more so than some other posters here.

    I know this is a lot of money and very stressful but you'll look back in future and see it as a small bump on the road of life.

  • screensaver on 20/07/2020 - 17:40
    -2

    Dont invest so much in a phone. Coles has perfectly good phones for $79 with $35 credit

  • [Deactivated] on 20/07/2020 - 19:37

    It’s obvious that the scammer would have disputed or reversed any PayPal payment actually made, so it matters not too much that seller was naive and never checked properly. PayPal is a pretty rogue company, not recommended unless it’s real actual friends transferring money. PayPal is scammer heaven, makes the real cost of sales on eBay at least 25% of item value on average when you factor in dodgy complaints on top of high fees. They only survive such poor service because only game in town for a long time. The new eBay managed payments system coming in late 2020 with PayPal alternatives is no doubt related to the utter shit experience people have when selling with PayPal. So many people have stopped selling on eBay because of PayPal that eBay have to make changes sooner or later.

  • Kkkzo on 20/07/2020 - 20:16

    I knew someone who fell for this scam and reported it the guy did end up getting charged and had to pay his victims. So file a police report.

  • eggboi on 20/07/2020 - 22:39

    As old as this scam is, i still really feel for you OP and sorry to hear what happened. Some constructive advice going forward, i now only use facebook marketplace (gumtree is packed with scammers and fb requires too much data for scammers to be able to abuse throwaway accounts for long.) Also i prefer Osko payment over cash (instant bank transfer) as you can link it to your mobile number and get the buyer to send you $0.01 to check that its instant. It will also show their bank account name on the transaction So you can verify against the fb account name. Then have them transfer the full amount to you at purchase and confirm in your banking app that its received before letting them take the item. as always, face to face transactions only! Verify payment yourself, never rely on receipts. And check any cash payments for counterfeit notes. 50s and 100s are commonly faked. RBA website has good guides on how to easily identify fake notes.

  • Evan950 on 20/07/2020 - 23:14

    Some thing that you can do is block the phone's IMEI, which will brick the phone for the new owner.
    That owner could then chase it up with their police and they may be able to find their own leads.

    • xuqi on 21/07/2020 - 12:43

      Phone was shipped to TX USA, so IMEI blocking will be of no use.

      Worthwhile doing anyway, in case it's shipped back to OZ for re-sale.

      • Evan950 on 21/07/2020 - 15:22

        why will it be of no use in USA?

        • gromit on 29/07/2020 - 16:39

          IMEI blocking is country by country. So you would need to get it blocked here and then in the US or anywhere else you suspect it might be used. Getting it blocked in the US will be tough from Australia given the usual method is reporting it to your carrier in the US which he won't have.

  • kaleidoscope on 20/07/2020 - 23:50

    sorry man, this must be tough. Take it as a life lesson and move on.

  • Magnastar on 21/07/2020 - 03:25
    +1

    The best scam of all is to write a story of being scammed and have a white knight offer to help you out and replace your scammed item for you therefore achieving a scam based on a scam that was never a scam to begin with.

    Maybe it's just my drunk at 3:24am on a Tuesday sceptisiscm talking but I feel like this is a scam in itself

    • Hangryuman on 21/07/2020 - 10:01

      'Maybe it's just my drunk at 3:24am on a Tuesday sceptisiscm'

      or solipsism

      too much navel gazing girlfriend - you need to get out more …

      • Magnastar on 21/07/2020 - 10:22
        +2

        My sore head is struggling to make sense of any of that so I'll just assume it was an insult and assume the collective view of the respondents of this topic is to feel very sorry for the bloke who posted it. I've seen it on Facebook before with single mums etc making up sad stories about being scammed and their kids needing this and that only for someone with a bleeding heart to give them whatever they claim they lost, so it's not entirely beyond the realm of possibility that it is actually a scam especially given in 2020 a 17 year old being that polite is almost unbelievable in itself.

        • Heaps for Cheaps on 21/07/2020 - 13:14

          …especially as it's a 1-post member…

  • iamhurtin on 21/07/2020 - 09:18

    I think you should ask naboo for help

    • magikz on 21/07/2020 - 22:29

      From Star Wars or Dr Fate?

  • screensaver on 21/07/2020 - 10:02

    Scammers are not the only unpleasant thing online to deal with.

  • redtshirtguy on 21/07/2020 - 12:29

    Sorry to hear mate. It's likely that you won't get anything back.

    Don't worry, all of us get scammed at some point. I bought a brand new phone off eBay once and it never came. Paid by direct deposit at the time. Never doing that again!

  • xtracrazy69 on 21/07/2020 - 12:55

    Was it a home address or PO Box that you sent the phone to? I had a Mate who had someone in the USA try to rip them off. They contacted the local sheriff in their town who paid them a visit and sorted it out.

  • curtturtle on 21/07/2020 - 17:45

    That sucks mate. This is why I never sell internationally. If you sell to Australia and someone scams you, there is a chance the cops can step in.

  • payless69 on 21/07/2020 - 17:51

    In finance news today: Ebay has sold its classified subs including Gumtree to a Norwegian conglomerate.

    payless69 on 21/07/2020 - 17:51 (Collapsed - Offtopic. Show)
  • sky blu on 21/07/2020 - 20:06
    +1

    All in all, it was a $500 lesson (for life).

    Not bad of a 'deal' TBH.

    • Heaps for Cheaps on 21/07/2020 - 20:24

      Would you consider sending $500 to OP and transferring the lesson?

      • netsurfer on 22/07/2020 - 11:10
        +2

        He already sent $2500 to OP's parent's PayPal account and provided a photoshopped screenshot. Now, he needs the extra $500 back.

  • Iwantthatbargain on 21/07/2020 - 22:42

    Is this her ?

  • netsurfer on 22/07/2020 - 11:15

    Try to get the $1000 back (if you / your parents actually sent the scammer $1000). Talk to PayPal and your parents' bank.

    Phone - try to get it back if possible. Phones do depreciate in value quite quickly. With Apple products, we pay a lot in Apple tax anyway. So, if you cannot get it back, don't sweat too much. Just think of it as an expensive lesson. Concentrate on making more money properly.

    A bit surprised your parents are so gullible. I guess due to their love for you, they would do anything to make you happy.

    A lot of scams out there and they are increasing. The recent Twitter hack is a good example.

  • wolfcchi on 22/07/2020 - 16:59

    As a general you should NEVER sell anything on facebook marketplace, gumtree etc without face to face transation in cash.

    • netsurfer on 22/07/2020 - 19:44

      Generally, you prefer that because that's why you pick those two platforms.

      However, if you do ended up receiving the money, you can still proceed with the transaction. You cannot really trust a screenshot. You need to check the bank account or PayPal.

  • Cave Fire on 22/07/2020 - 21:27

    Call your carrier and block the IMEI of the phone. There is no definite proof that she has on sold it to a "customer". This should have been done around the package return stage. The scammer could even have a mail redirect set up to avoid tracing of the real address. Having it in another country makes it very hard to trace as the trail ends in USA. They then ship the phone to their home country, which is likely to be Nigeria etc. Start a monthly savings fund and you will recoup the money quickly.

  • Raiden309 on 22/07/2020 - 21:31

    Gumtree is easy target for thieves. Its either this type scam or they come in two. One person in car and while another meet and see you grab your device and do a runner. Happen to me before with a laptop. If you try post anything on gumtree about it via listing those gumtree administrations will block your listing. Why? Cause gumtree want keep their “safe image” on their platform. Our law enforcement system won’t do anything. Even if catches the person, they won’t return your goods but just ask if you want press charges. If you still have serial/imie, there’s a method block device globally and brick that device. Take it as a lesson and move on.

  • Heaps for Cheaps on 24/07/2020 - 05:17
    +3

    OP has now left the building with new-found knowledge of how to pull off said scam.

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