Most experiences on Gumtree are safe and successful, especially when you follow our Stay Safe Advice. But sadly not everyone has honest intentions.
If you’re worried that your Gumtree trade has broken the law (maybe you suspect goods bought in good faith are stolen), or you’ve been the victim of cyber crime (perhaps you’ve had money stolen from your account with a phishing email), you need to report it.
Use these steps to help you decide when to escalate your issue and who to tell.
Try the seller one more time
They might have a good reason for being slow to respond or send your item out. Tell them your concerns. If they’re genuine, you might resolve the situation quickly without involving the police.
Decided it’s fishy? Report it quickly
For goods you suspect are stolen: report it to your local police station or call 101.
For fraud and cyber crime: Report it online to Action Fraud or call 0300 123 2040.
In all cases, have the following information to hand:
- Details of what’s happened, including names, addresses, dates and times
- Details from the Gumtree trade, like the ad reference number and any emails you or they sent.
Next steps
You’ll get a crime reference number and the authority you reported the crime to will get in touch to tell you what happens next.
A report to Action Fraud will go to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB). They’ll assess whether there’s enough evidence for the police or appropriate law enforcement organisation, like Trading Standards, to investigate.
If the police contact us for more information, we’ll do all we can to help.
