Three arrested over Gumtree fraud

Three men were arrested in Staffordshire today on suspicion of involvement in a major internet fraud which has conned 50 victims nationwide.

The suspects were held in Lichfield, Burntwood and Heath Hayes as part of an investigation into an alleged £15,000 deception on the popular Gumtree website.

Police say victims were tricked out of hundreds of pounds by paying for goods including iPhones and computers which never arrived.

Victims came from Lichfield and further afield.

A 21-year-old from the city, a 23-year-old from Burntwood and an 18-year-old man from Heath Hayes were held this morning on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and were taken to a Staffordshire police station for questioning.

The arrests are part of an ongoing inquiry which began in May into fraud on the website.

Today it emerged 12 other people, including 11 from Lichfield and one from Burton-upon-Trent, had been held as part of the same probe in recent months.