Gumtree - buyers asking me to email them pictures

[KeenoOnVino]

I’ve posted some things on Gumtree for sale and on two separate listings two different people have sent me the exact same badly worded message asking me to send the pictures to their email address. Awhile ago on a separate listing I did this and nothing came of it. However I’m now hyper aware of scams, people hacking you etc. I have no idea why me emailing them photos would put me in a bad position, it’s just dodgy that on 2 different listings I’ve had the same request. Written exactly the same way. Any reason people do this? Am I missing something?

What are you selling? Perhaps they want to set up their own listing and pass off whatever you're selling as their own?

If it's shoes, don't do it!

Could be they are selling lists of active email addresses to advertisers.

Hmmm - one listing is furniture and one is an expensive formal outfit - surely they could just screen grab the pictures? That’s what I don’t understand? Perhaps they want my email address? But for what point?!

Can you just add more pics to the original ad?

For harvesting active email addresses to sell on

Or

Once you send, they enter into more email exchange with you and perhaps send you a link to something or an attachment, which would have virus. Or start one of the many fraud schemes, sending overpayment and their shipper will collect from you, you pass on overpaid amount etc.

If they want more photos, add them to the listing. Be firm on your payment choice (don’t accept any over payment, don’t accept cheques), have them collect.

Ah, that makes sense. I told the first person no, that the photos are on the listing and she could see them there. But when I got the second request I thought perhaps I was being over cautious. But thank you!

I’ve never heard of that over payment fraud scheme? How does that work? I know about only accepting cash on collection....

The overpayment works like this- buyer gives you a payment for more than the item (usually a cheque or PayPal payment, sometimes other methods), they ask you to keep what they owe you for the item, often saying you can keep a bit more for your trouble, and forward on payment for excess to a third party. The original payment to you is fraudulent and either the money never materialised (ie, fraudulent cheque) or reversed (PayPal claim for item not received etc) and funds reversed out of your account,

You’re then in a position of having been taken for total amount (purchase price and over payment) and if the item was collected, your item is gone too without actual payment.

I've had the same..

I've had the same..

they are attempting to scam