Gumtree Suspicious Messages

Jackdawson79 on 26/03/2024 - 14:01
Last edited 26/03/2024 - 14:13 by 1 other user

l put a pole saw up for sale on Gumtree.

About ten seconds after l posted it l got a message from someone saying his father wants to buy it and gave me his father's email address and told me to email him, which l thought was strange, so l didn't. Then a few minutes later l got a message supposedly from Gumtree tech support saying my pole saw had been bought and to link my PayPal account so they can pay the funds in, l was suspicious, so l didn't. Then a few minutes later it said the account of the buyer has been blocked and the account supposedly from Gumtree tech support was also blocked.

What exactly was the scam, how does it work, do many people fall for it?

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Comments

  • Sye on 26/03/2024 - 14:07
    +38

    Is this still available?

  • Jackdawson79 on 26/03/2024 - 14:08
    -3

    no l deleted it from sale

  • Duckie2hh on 26/03/2024 - 14:12
    +9

    1) I have paid, here is the "screenshot". My dad is picking it up this arvo.
    2) I overpaid, please refund me $50.
    3) I tried to pay into your paypal but there is a limit lock. Please pay paypal $50 to increase your transaction limit.

    • joka on 26/03/2024 - 17:16
      -1

      I wonder if an old fragile person actually shows up to collect.

  • holdenmg on 26/03/2024 - 14:12

    Why wouldn't you list it on https://www.ozbargain.com.au/classified

  • Baysew on 26/03/2024 - 14:14
    +6

    It's the old Pole Saw scam, that's the second time I've fallen for it this year.

  • 87percent on 26/03/2024 - 14:15
    +1

    i'll offer you $10, but i'm working in the mines and i can only pay via paypal and would need shipping

    • CyberMurning on 26/03/2024 - 14:18
      +5

      i'll offer you $1,000 just because i really like your item, but i'm working in the space with NASA and i can only pay via paypal and would need shipping to the moon

      • jv on 26/03/2024 - 14:26
        -2

        but i'm working in the space with NASA

        Are you mining on the opposite side of the Shackleton Crater?

  • Muzeeb on 26/03/2024 - 14:16
    +2

    Probably just someone who's angry about a 6 month settlement.

  • Broke-Ken on 26/03/2024 - 14:19
    +10

    This thread needs a Poll, saw it coming.

  • jv on 26/03/2024 - 14:24
    +1

    Will you accept PayID and send via UPS ?

  • Dollar General on 26/03/2024 - 14:41
    +1

    Gumtree Australia is owned by the same mob that own HotCopper.

    Say’s it all really

    • Gdsamp on 26/03/2024 - 15:05

      Bearish signal

  • randomusername2017 on 26/03/2024 - 14:53

    How long have you been using gumtree?¿

    How many transactions involved gumtree in an intermediary/escrow role?¿

  • altomic on 26/03/2024 - 15:08
    +3

    My son is graduating in law from a leading NSW university and I'd like to buy this pole saw for him.

  • Cluster on 26/03/2024 - 15:14
    +2

    My son works on an oil rig and would like to buy this pole saw. Oops, I overpaid shipping by $200, can you give me a refund?

  • El cheepo on 26/03/2024 - 15:18
    +2

    Who on earth even bothers with gumtree anymore?

    Marketplace is a cesspool too, but at least you can generally vet your buyers and make an educated guess as to their legitimacy based on their account.

    • ihbh on 26/03/2024 - 16:27

      Who on earth even bothers with gumtree anymore?

      You'd think, eh?

      I was after some gardening items, monitored Marketplace and Gumtree daily. The day I forgot to check Gumtree in the morning and only checked at 11am, one sold for an excellent price in the next suburb 1km away, with pickup that day in the f*king rain. I was #2.

      I had to wait months and by good fortune saw something first on Marketplace for same price, much newer, but had it was 20kms drive away.

    • WT on 27/03/2024 - 14:08

      sold over 1k of stuff recently, all local and cash

      if you wait a day to reply most of the scammers are blocked by gumtree

      Pretty much in the first few hours expect someone wanting your email or to email them so they can phish for your email or they are a "buyers agent" with money ready to go

      I dont give out my address over gumtree, I tell them to call or text on the day when they know they will be in the area for the address

      Pretty much everyone who has bought something has been a member for 10+ years. YOu can click on their profile to see age

      people will send offers, but the only real low ball I have had is on a BBQ, they offered FB market place prices which are bbq's you wouldnt feed your dog from they are so gross

      • El cheepo on 27/03/2024 - 15:15

        I have sold items on both, but i find Gumtree to be pretty useless these days.

        Maybe for some items it gets a better audience, but overall i hate getting a dozen email scam offers.

        I much prefer to get “is this available?” - then ghosted instead of random stories about why someones great uncle on an oil rig needs my secateurs and is willing to pay $1000 right now to ship them.

        I also prefer marketplace for selling cars if im too stingy to pay the $150 to car sales as i think paying gumtree for car sales is a joke these days, given the lack of serious buyers on there.

  • ihfree on 26/03/2024 - 15:31

    I think Gumtree has become worse than Facebook Marketplace. I listed items on both platforms recently.

    Facebook - all legit users enquiring, AFAICT. 3 sales.

    Gumtree - I almost instantly had messages from dodgy people asking about paying via PayID, Paypal, and Venmo.

  • JimmyF on 26/03/2024 - 17:37

    do many people fall for it?

    Its like fishing I guess. Toss out a 1000 'requests' and wait for 1 or 2 takers.

    These things are all bots, so they can spam 1000's out at once and wait for someone to bit, then a real person comes in to play.

  • 2esc on 27/03/2024 - 10:09

    Last thing i tried to sell on gumtree i had a person asking for my email. I conversed back and forth a few times avoiding the topic of my email to see where they take the conversation after the 3 request for my email gumtree stepped in and deleted the conversation. Cant remember the wording but gumtree policies.

    I had 3 dodgy emails about this particular item but other items i have now and in the past have not had any of this type of message. I assume these scammers software are targeting particular items for sale?

    • WT on 27/03/2024 - 14:10

      its anything newly listed, so 9/10 any email you get in the first few hours is a bot and its always the same line out of like 4

  • CL123 on 27/03/2024 - 12:07

    I have been getting strange messages on Gumtree for quite a while.
    One 'profile' in particular that sent a message to me got deleted a few days later so obviously was not a real person.

    I got one person who i gave my address to was waiting for her to show up and then got text messages with photos of her car that supposedly broke down on the way to my place. Needless to say she never showed.

    Now I am very suspicious of every message I receive and am reluctant to give out my details in case it is some sort of scan.
    Not good for the real people who really want to buy or pick up something on offer, but better to be safe than sorry.

    • altomic on 27/03/2024 - 14:22

      never give your address when arranging date and time.

      firstly give your phone number and suburb, and then organise a day and time, and then tell them to text you when they are their way and you'll provide the full address.

      it means they have to actually text you from their number, but also gives you a better chance they'll actually show up - because apparently they are "on their way".

      it usually works for me 9 out of 10 times. that they do show up.

      • ihbh on 27/03/2024 - 19:03

        I've had people in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney give me their email address and say husband's mobile number (he was at home) effortlessly for free stuff. Maybe the more well off are more gullible trusting.

      • CL123 on 28/03/2024 - 10:15

        Thanks altomic for that tip.

        After I write the above message I saw I had 2 messages on Gumtree from the same person but I couldn't see the message because Gumtree already had a red message saying "this user has been blocked".

        Pity people are not trustworthy anymore or that we don't even know if we are messaging with a real person.
        Times they are a changing.

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