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Staying Safe

Guidance on staying safe when using the PART-X platform.

Staying safe on PART-X

At PART-X we want to make sure that you stay safe online and when interacting with other users of the PART-X platform. Some useful tips for staying safe are detailed below, but if you have a concern, you should contact the PART-X support team by clicking the "Feedback" button at the bottom of every page.

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Masked Email Addresses

PART-X automatically masks the email addresses of buyers and sellers when replying through the site. This helps to protect you from receiving unwanted spam or fraudulent replies.

Masked emails won’t interfere with your ability to communicate on PART-X. You will still receive email replies and you can still reply to members from your own mailbox in the normal way. To learn more about messages, read our Sending & Receiving Messages article.

How It Works

When someone replies to an ad, instead of displaying that person’s actual email address, we simply replace it with a unique PART-X email address. We’ll also include a brief explanation so that the recipient understands why the email address has been masked.

Here is an example of what our masked emails look like:

Where the "trader" is the person enquiring about a vehicle advertised, and the "owner" is the owner of the vehicle.

How Do I Reply?

If you receive an email from PART-X with a masked email address, you can reply to the person from your Messages section or personal email mailbox as you normally would. This will show the "mail to" address as the masked PART-X email address. This email address is unique and will enable us to route your reply directly back to the person who emailed you.

Note:

For your safety, we recommend you only use the masked email address when replying to emails unless the ad has been posted by a business. If someone asks you to reply to a personal email address instead of their masked PART-X email, be cautious. For more safety tips, read our Safety in Messages article.
Forwarding and cc’ing other email addresses in your replies may cause interruptions in service.

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What Information Can Be Seen When I Post?

PART-X doesn't show or share any personal information with other users. When you add a vehicle advert you can see exactly what other users will see in the preview page before you publish your advert.

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Suspicious Emails

In an increasingly online world, it can be hard to know what’s suspicious and what’s not. But there’s no need to be afraid of buying online. Once you know what to look for, scams are often easy to spot. There are two basic types of email scams that it’s important to be able to recognise.

Phishing Emails

Phishing is when fraudsters pretend to be a legitimate person or company to gain access to your information. They are usually looking to get your account login details, financial information, or identification. To learn to identify phishing attempts, read Recognising.

Phishing and Spoof Attempts.

If you receive a phishing attempt, don’t open any links, download any attachments, or provide any of your information. Contact our customer support team right away to let us know. We will ask you to forward us the email, or a screenshot if it was a pop up on web or mobile. After sending this information to us, delete the email.

Money Scams

Money scams are when fraudsters attempt to convince others to send them money, often in return for something that doesn’t actually exist. This is the most traditional type of scam. Many assume that only buyers are vulnerable to these types of scams, but there are some versions that target sellers.

Although they can come in many forms, they have similar warning signs:

They Move the Conversation to a New Platform

PART-X has specific security measures in place to try and prevent scam. To avoid these systems, fraudsters will often request that you leave PART-X and contact them through a private platform. If they ask you to reply to their personal email address instead of their masked PART-X email, be cautious.

Note: Sometimes these requests can be legitimate, but if they refuse to speak anywhere other than through private email, it might be best to move on. Ask them to speak directly over the phone if they don’t want to use PART-X messages.

They Can’t Meet In Person

Fraudsters will often work remotely. This is partly because they need to cast a wide net to make money and partly for their own safety. They may have an elaborate excuse that makes them sound legitimate. Some common stories are that they work in an offshore oil rig, that they’re a member of the military, or that they’re buying a special present for a family member from overseas. If a buyer or seller refuses to meet in person, it may be best to move on.

Odd Payment Requests

Since fraudsters don’t usually meet in person, they need the money digitally. They may ask that you send them money through a method with no guarantees. Favourites include MoneyGram, Western Union, and other types of money transfer. They may also request payment through PayPal but insist that you use the Friends & Family setting so that you are offered less protection. They can even create fake PayPal emails. For more information on making safe payments, read our Safe Payments article.

Scams aimed at buyers are generally simple, but there are two types:

They ask you to pay for the item before you meet up.
They ask for a deposit for an item you haven’t seen.

There are 3 main types of scams aimed at sellers:

They insist that you ship the item to them before payment.
They send you a payment notification or receipt and ask you to transfer some funds back to them before the full payment comes through.
They send you a fake payment notification or receipt, then ask you to transfer some of that money to a shipping company. Not only do they tell you which company to use, but also which account number.

If have reason to suspect that an ad is a scam, don’t proceed any further with the transaction and reach out to our Customer Support team to let us know.

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Other Vehicle Scams

PART-X is a great place to part-exchange vehicles. But, like buying or selling anything online, it’s important to proceed carefully. Along with typical scam red flags, there are a few other things that are especially important to be cautious of when buying used vehicles.

Inspect the Vehicle

Like any used item, it’s always a good idea to inspect before buying. You can even ask the seller to meet at a mechanic’s shop and have an inspection done by a professional. If the seller says that you can’t inspect the vehicle for any reason (especially if they claim it’s in a distant location), be cautious.

Test Drive the Vehicle

Test drives are an important part of the car buying experience. However, if at any time you are uncomfortable about the situation, don’t be afraid to walk away.

When test driving a vehicle, make sure to let someone know where you’re going and who the test drive is with. If you can, bring a friend or family member with you.

When selling a vehicle, ask the buyer for their driving license and proof of insurance. If it all checks out, accompany the buyers on the test drive. Let someone else know who you’re driving with and when you’ll be back.

Check the Vehicle History

While PART-X does do a preliminary history check, it’s best to run another one yourself so that you can see all the details about a vehicle. We recommend the HPI check.

Be Cautious of Escrow Services

PART-X and eBay do not offer escrow services of any kind. If a seller claims that their vehicle is in escrow with us, this is a scam. Do not transfer any money. If they send you invoices or PayPal emails linked to this escrow service, please know that these are not legitimate. Contact us right away if a seller makes these claims.

Have more questions about buying a used car? Visit VSTAG for more tips and advice about purchasing a vehicle on PART-X.

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Recognising Phishing and Spoof Attempts

In order to protect the security of your account, it’s important to be able to recognize phishing attempts and spoof sites. Phishing is a term used when fraudsters try to gain access to personal account logins. Spoofs are websites or emails that attempt to mimic a particular company in order to trick users into providing their information. Most phishing attempts come in the form of spoof sites or emails.

Spotting a Phishing Attempt

Fraudsters go to great lengths to mimic real companies. They can use logos, similar email addresses, and even the names of employees to appear more realistic. Learning to spot phishing attempts comes down to recognising when you are dealing with the true organization, and when it may be a spoof. Here a few key signs to watch out for:

Alarmist statements

In an attempt to get users to act quickly, fraudsters often start messages with urgent claims such as ‘Your Account has been disabled. Change your password now to regain access or it will be deleted.’ These can also be positive statements, such as ‘You’ve qualified for a discount! Confirm your account information now to receive free features!’

Asking for confidential Information

In order to gain access to your accounts, fraudsters ask for passwords, bank accounts, or credit card information. Our team will never request this type of personal account information over email. We will also never send password reset emails unless you’ve specifically requested one through the ‘Forgot your password?’ button on the PART-X login page.

Bad Spelling and Grammar

Many phishing attempts come from overseas, and often use odd phrasing, incorrect spelling or bad grammar.

Suspicious Email Addresses

Legitimate PART-X emails will come from @part-x.com or @reply.part-x.com email addresses. Don’t be fooled by emails such as part-x-support@hotmail.com or security@part-x.support.com

Spotting a Spoof Site

Whenever you are asked to enter in your password, double check the URL of the page. It should read as https://www.part-x.com/. If you don’t see the S in https:// or if there is anything between part-x.com and the first forward slash (Ex. part-x.com.spoof.com/), don’t click. Many browsers also have a secure connection symbol that will appear next to the URL as a small lock icon.

When asked to use a link within an email you can hover over it before clicking to see the true URL. Depending on what browser or email application you’re using, you may see this at the bottom of your window, or as a pop up next to your curser. If it looks suspicious, don’t click.

What to Do

We will then forward the information you provide to our specialized teams to have the spoof site shut down.

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I received an Email About an Ad I Didn't Post

Whenever an ad is posted on your account, we’ll send an email to your account’s Primary email address to let you know. If you unexpectedly receive an email from PART-X confirming that you just posted an ad, but you did not actually post the ad, then someone else may have gained access to your account. Fraudsters will sometimes take over genuine seller’s accounts to attempt to defraud the community.

If someone has gained access to your PART-X account, follow the steps below:

How Fraudsters Gain Access to An Account

PART-X accounts are most often accessed through a method called phishing. Phishing is a process where fraudsters send others fake emails that look like they are from PART-X. They may also appear as pop-up ads. They will then ask you to sign in via a fake PART-X site, or request that you tell them your password. Once you’ve entered your email and password, they can use these details on the real PART-X site to access your account.

Note: PART-X customer support will never ask for your password. If you receive an email asking for your account password, this is a phishing attempt.

To ensure that you do not fall for phishing attacks, learn to recognise phishing emails and always make sure that you’re logging in to the real PART-X site. When you login to PART-X the address in your web browser should look like this: https://www.part-x.com/

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Quick Safety Tips

While most members of PART-X have good experiences, it’s important to stay alert and educated about how to stay safe.

Know the Market

It’s important to know what the average cost of the item you’re looking for is in comparison to the ad you’re viewing. If it’s drastically less than similar items, be careful. Fraudsters often post a once-in-a-lifetime deal to pull in as many people as possible. The common saying stands: if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.

Do Your Research

If you’re buying an item, get to know what normally comes with it and make sure that all the parts you’ll need are there. For high-valued items, it’s also important to know what replicas look like and how to tell if it’s genuine.

If you’re looking into a service, job, or anything offered by a business, look up the company online. Make sure that their address and phone number check out. If available, look up some online reviews.

Don’t Give Out Personal Information

When speaking to individuals online, it’s important to be cautious when giving out information. Never give out your identification or banking details unless you are 100% sure that you’re speaking with the real company. Note: PART-X’s customer service team will never ask for your identification, passwords, or banking details.

Meet in Person Before Paying

A Fraudster’s greatest tool is that online translations are anonymous. Don’t provide any money until after you’ve met them in person and had a chance to inspect the vehicle. We recommend that you meet during the day in a busy, public location like a coffee shop.

Choose Safe Payment Methods

Many forms of money transfer can be faked or are hard to reverse should anything go wrong. If you can’t use cash, use a safer method and make sure that the payment has been processed before trading the vehicle.

Trust Your Gut

Sometimes a sale just seems off. If anything isn’t sitting right with you, don’t be afraid to walk away. You are not obligated to follow through with a transaction even if you’ve already agreed to a price.

Note:

PART-X is a classifieds site and not all ads are reviewed before going live to site.
PART-X does not offer any sort of protection programs for PART-X items. Any emails or websites that talk about such systems are scams, even if they may have the PART-X logo. If you receive any emails promoting these services, please forward the message to us.
This article is intended to serve as a quick overview of online safety. For more in-depth information, please browse our full Safety section.

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Suspicious Ads

Most ads on PART-X are posted by genuine sellers. When someone with bad intentions does come through the site, we have systems in place to try to catch them before any damage can be done. Despite these protections, any time you are buying or selling online it’s important to know how to recognise suspicious ads. There are a few warning signs to watch out for.

Too Good to be True Deals

In order to try and lure people into their scam, fraudsters will offer a deal that’s hard to refuse. They are likely to offer new or popular items at a fraction of the cost of similar ads. The advert may explain that the item is practically new, has all the best features, and has never had any issues. If any item, property, or vehicle seems to be too good a deal, be cautious.

If you’re the one selling the item, they may offer you more than asking price, or may want to buy everything you have for sale all at once.

Stock Photos

In most cases, fraudsters don’t actually have the item or property they’re offering. Instead, they pull photos from online. They often choose the best quality photos that are the most likely to convince you to buy. One quick method to check if the photos are genuine is to do a quick image search.

Note: While stock images can be a bad sign, they don’t necessarily mean an ad is a scam. Genuine sellers do sometimes use images from online, especially if the item is new. Don’t worry unless you see other red flags as well. If you’re unsure, you can always request original photos.

Email in Their Ad

Fraudsters will often request that you leave PART-X and contact them through a private platform. This helps them to avoid our security systems. If they ask you to reply to their personal email address instead of their masked PART-X email, be cautious.

Tip: If for some reason a seller doesn’t want to use PART-X messages to communicate, ask to give them a call. Fraudsters will rarely speak directly over the phone.

For more information about suspicious activity after contacting a seller, read our Safety in Messages article.

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Safety in Messages

When sending messages through PART-X, we mask your email on top of other safeguards to try to ensure that every interaction you have is with a genuine member of the site. Despite these safeguards, it’s important to know the warning signs when buying and trading online.

They Move the Conversation to a New Platform

To avoid our security systems fraudsters will often request that you leave PART-X and contact them through a private platform. If they ask you to reply to their personal email address instead of their masked PART-X email, be cautious.

They Can’t Meet In Person

They Rush the Process

Fraudsters want to rush people through the scam before they begin to catch on. They’ll often send long-winded, overly detailed messages trying to finish the transaction. If you’re the buyer, they’ll start sending information on how to pay them right away. If you’re the seller, they may ask a few basic questions in the same message before instructing you on how to collect their payment.

They Skip Details

Since fraudsters aren’t actually looking to buy or sell anything, they don’t usually ask any item-specific questions. If they do ask questions, they’ll be rushed and very basic.

In many cases, they’re also using pre-written responses that don’t mention the exact type of item in their reply. They may use general terms like ‘the item’ or ‘your vehicle.’ In some cases, they simply copy and paste the ad title into the message to make it appear specific. For example: ‘I would like to buy your Honda Civic 2016 Blue.’

Too Good to be True Deals

In order to try and lure people into their scam, fraudsters will offer a deal that’s hard to refuse. If you’re the buyer and offer less than their asking price, they’ll accept on the first email. After all, they’re losing nothing in this deal unless you walk away.

If you’re selling the item, they may offer you more than asking price, or may want to buy everything you have for sale all at once. They may even offer extra if you remove the ad right away to ‘ensure the sale.’

Odd Payment Requests

Scams aimed at buyers are generally simple, but there are two types:

They ask you to pay for the item before you meet up.
They ask for a deposit for an item you haven’t seen.

There are 3 main types of scams aimed at sellers:

They insist that you ship the item to them before payment.
They send you a payment notification or receipt and ask you to transfer some funds back to them before the full payment comes through.
They send you a fake payment notification or receipt, then ask you to transfer some of that money to a shipping company. Not only do they tell you which company to use for the transfer, but also which account number.

If you see any of these signs, don’t proceed any further with the transaction and reach out to our customer support team to let us know.

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Safety at the Meet Up

Once you’ve come to an agreement and decided you’re going to make the trade, it’s important to meet in person. Meeting in person helps to prevent miscommunication, allows you to inspect the item one last time, and reduces the risk of scams.

Agree on a Safe Location

Unless you’re selling an item that can’t be moved easily, it’s best to meet somewhere other than your own home. A public location will help ensure safety for both parties, especially if you can’t meet until the evening. Try to choose somewhere with plenty of light, other people, and if possible, security cameras. Meeting in coffee shops, fast food restaurants, or even the parking lot of police stations are good choices.

Bring a Friend

Bringing a friend or family member with you is always a good idea. They can keep you company while you’re waiting and help ensure everything goes smoothly.

Inspect What You're Buying Carefully

Even if you’ve seen photos and the seller ensures you that it’s in perfect condition, it’s important to inspect the item thoroughly first. Even genuine sellers may not notice small stains, cracks, or other issues. If you’re buying a vehicle, taking the vehicle to a mechanic together to have it inspected can settle any final concerns.

The inspection is equally important for a seller. Ensure that the buyer looks over the item, turns it on, and knows about any wear and tear beforehand. That last inspection will make sure that both you and the buyer are aware of the items condition. This step will ensure that nothing is left unsaid that could cause issues later.

Once you’ve agreed to the deal, it’s time to complete the payment. Continue reading about safe payments.

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Safe Payments

Once you’ve met, inspected the item and come to an agreement, it’s time to finalise the deal. There are many options to transfer money, both online and in person. Let’s take a look at the benefits of each.

Deposits

Requesting or offering deposits for items on PART-X is not recommended. However, some sellers do request one. Never pay a deposit on an item you haven’t seen in person. If you have seen it and you’re not completely comfortable leaving a deposit, it may be best to move on to another deal.

Cash

Cash is often the safest option. It’s generally accepted by everyone and is very hard to fake convincingly. However, it’s not impossible. If you’re accepting cash, especially for a large purchase, make sure you know how to recognize counterfeit currency.

Carrying cash as a buyer can have its own risks and be less convenient. Consider the situation and decide what’s best for you.

Cheque

Cheques can be more convenient than cash, but they can bounce. If you want a cheque, the safest option is to ask for a certified cheque and go to the bank with them to cash it before the item is signed over.

PayPal

When used cautiously, PayPal is a great tool for sending and receiving money online. When accepting a PayPal payment, always double check that the payment has actually been deposited into your account. PayPal payment confirmation emails can be faked, so make sure to check independently of the email (without using any links). If the payment confirmation email claims the payment won’t appear in your account for any reason, contact PayPal (directly through their website, not the email) before proceeding.

PayPal has some protections in place to help both buyers and sellers, but these protections don’t extend to all PayPal transactions. We do not recommend using PayPal’s Friends and Family payment option, as this skips their internal security and doesn’t offer protection.

If you’re ever not sure about a PayPal transfer, you can contact PayPal directly for help verifying it. Learn more about fake PayPal emails.

Money Wiring Services such as Western Union/MoneyGram

We do not recommend using direct money transfers services such as Western Union or MoneyGram. Electronic transfers are hard to verify because payment confirmation emails can be faked by fraudsters. Should the deal fall though, or if it turns out to be scam, they offer no protection. If you decide to accept payment through one of these methods, don’t give them the item until you’ve been able to confirm with 100% certainty that the funds are in your account.

Note: If any buyer sends you an electronic transfer and then asks you to move some of the funds somewhere else – especially if they require the funds to be moved before you actually receive the money – don’t do it. This is likely an SMS scam. If you encounter any requests like this, please report it to our customer support team.

Bank Transfers

Like money wiring services, bank transfers may appear to offer a safe way to transfer money between a buyer and seller. However, once you have sent funds they are almost immediately transferred into the account of the recipient. If a deal was to fall through, or you were unhappy with the item you had paid for, your money is not protected. Transfers offer few options for a refund beyond the good will of the seller. We always urge caution when transferring money by bank. We recommend that you are completely satisfied with the item before committing to the transaction.

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Vehicle History Check

Buying or part-exchanging a car is exciting. But it can also be stressful. To help you avoid getting your fingers burned, you should always run a Vehicle History Check yourself on a vehicle ad.

What you should check for:

If the car is listed as stolen on the Police National Computer
If the DVLA has recorded the vehicle as scrapped
If an insurer has written off the car because it’s either very damaged or stolen
If the DVLA has recorded the car as exported or imported.
Any mileage discrepancies
Any outstanding money owed that relates to previous sales

Some providers of vehicle check services include:

https://www.instantcarcheck.co.uk/
https://www.cartaxcheck.co.uk/
https://www.caranalytics.co.uk/

Take a look at our Vehicle Scams article for extra tips on staying safe with PART-X.

Do Your Homework

We carry out the free Vehicle History Check when someone posts the ad on our site. Things can change in the time between the vehicle being posted and you viewing and deciding to buy. So always check that things still stack up.

We’ve put together lots of extra guidance to help ease your worries when buying a used vehicle. Head over to The Inside Track to get started.

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Reporting an Ad

At PART-X, we rely on our community to help us keep everything as it should be.

Reporting an ad

You can report any ad from its page. You’ll find the report button on the right, just below the seller’s contact details. Please report an ad if you think it’s:

illegal or fraudulent
spam
a duplicate
in the wrong category
against posting rules

Share any information you think is relevant. Read through our safety advice and review our posting rules and you’ll be a shining example of how to keep yourself and other users safe on Gumtree.

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What to Do If I’ve Been Scammed

Whether you've been defrauded by someone or you think you've discovered stolen goods, you should always contact your local police to report the incident and get a reference number. If the police take the matter further, the investigating police officer will contact us. We'll do all we can to provide the police with any information that helps their investigation.

Before You Go to the Police

If your item hasn't arrived, it may not be a case of fraud or stolen goods. It could be that you're just dealing with a seller who is slow to send an item or keep in contact. In either of these cases, please try contacting the seller directly one more time to resolve your problem.

Is It a Crime?

If you report your case to the police, they'll decide if it should be investigated as a crime or civil dispute. If the police feel that your case doesn't involve a criminal intent by the other party, they may advise you to take your own civil action to recover your losses. This is done through a local court or tribunal, which deals with small claims. For this, you'll need to know the name and address of the other party. A police officer will be able to help you with this process.

How Do I Make a Police Report?

The simplest way is to go to your local police station or call the local police operator on a non-emergency number. In most cases, your report can be taken by telephone and followed up later. To report fraud and cybercrime, you can also file a report online through Action Fraud.

What Evidence Do I Need?

The police may need these from you:

Essential details such as the nature, date and time of the offence
The name and contact details of the victim and suspect(s)
Any email exchanges between you and other person
If relevant, the Ad reference number or a printed copy of the Ad on Gumtree

If you decide to report a fraud to the Police, please get them to contact us. The majority of the police have our direct email and if they don't, ask them to contact us through the Help Desk. Gumtree is happy to help the police in their investigations once you've reported it.

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Reporting to the Police

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 both 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.

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Contact the team at PART-X

If you have a problem, a question or something nice to say, please click the "Feedback" button that you can find on the bottom of every page. Simply tell us your email address and question, and if it's related to a problem you're having and possible, send us a screenshot of what you're seeing on your screen.

We'll do our best to respond to you within 24 hours, but often it will be within a much shorter timeframe.

Many thanks from the PART-X support team.

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