Following a elaborate Police investigation, Gumtree, a popular free classifieds advert website that offers “Homes, jobs, cars, sofas, white tuxedos… anything, really” has been exposed as a community beleaguered by scammers and robbers.
Richard McCrorie and Alexander Gould placed free adverts of attractive cars and “cash only” deals helped lure unsuspecting 2nd hand car bargain hunters. Arranging to meet to buy the car meant walking into a trap that had been set by the two armed robbers. (Would have been fun if they’d tried playing this routine on 5’4” hero Kimberley Munley!)
It won’t be long before 2nd hand car buyers wise up to the need to meet in a well lit public place, but such despicable robbers will evidently move on to easier targets. Not only are private cash buyers of 2nd hand cars off the street typically male (or accompanied by a male) but they also don’t allude to their identity BEFORE meeting up. This was obviously the case in this instance – where the thugs actually tried to rob the van they thought their victims were arriving in…. only to find it full of Tazer carrying police officers!
In the online dating world it is typical for members to share their picture, occupation, employer (often unintentionally eg. through an email address or the results of a google search) and to typically travel alone. Not only does the 3G Dating Agency contact system ensure your identifying information remains concealed but if you follow the advice in our comprehensive FAQ (eg. always arrange to meet in a well lit public place to and from which you can make your own way) and make a video call before a physical meeting you can also make sure that the date you’ve arranged to meet isn’t in fact a couple of thugs.
If the thugs still think it worth trying… our database security and 3G Video Validation procedures will ensure the police don’t have to look far to find any scammers in the off chance that they manage to slip through the net!
