Two men from Lichfield and Burntwood have been arrested as part of an investigation into online fraud.
The pre-planned arrest operation was part of an investigation by Staffordshire Police into fraud worth over £15,000 on the Gumtree classified advertisement websites.
More than 50 victims across the country have each been conned out of hundreds of pounds by paying for goods – including iPhones and computers – without meeting the seller and then not receiving the property.
Officers executed arrested warrants at addresses in Lichfield, Burntwood and Heath Hayes. Two men, a 21-year-old from Lichfield and a 23-year-old from Burntwood, were arrested along with a 18-year-old male from Heath Hayes on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and taken to a police station for questioning.
The Gumtree inquiry has been going on since the end of May. In the last two months, 12 other people – 11 from Lichfield and one from Burton – have been arrested as part of the same investigation, on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud, and released on police bail pending further inquiries.
Inspector Jed White, Lichfield Local Policing Team Commander, said: “People can innocently fall victim to fraud if they don’t take appropriate steps to safeguard their transactions. It can only take a minute to happen, but can make someone’s life a misery. We’re determined to crack down on this type of callous, deceptive crime. These arrests are part of an extensive ongoing inquiry by our officers.”
Gumtree, whose staff have been liaising closely with officers, advises that all transactions are done face to face. For more details visit the ‘stay safe’ section on www.gumtree.com.