GUMTREE UK has warned it will take action against sellers who attempt to defraud other users.

A spokesperson for the classifieds classified ads website issued a statement to the Gazette following the conviction of 22-year-old Cody Claydon, who scammed two buyers out of £500 for iPad tablets she never had.

The company said: “Gumtree takes fraud seriously and we are committed to tackling scams and educating people about how to avoid them.

"Our dedicated advice page on how to spot a scam can be found on our website and we encourage anyone who thinks they may have come across a scam to report it to us immediately.

"Our dedicated safety team can investigate and take action such as blocking the offender from the site and aid the police in their investigation.

"We are constantly working closely with the police and other authorities to ensure our users have a safe and successful experience on Gumtree."

A report commissioned by Gumtree last month said the cost of online scamming in the UK was calculated at £1.59billion.

Surprisingly, a survey of the public also revealed 35 per cent of customers would ignore their suspicions of being scammed and continue with the transaction.

Three in 10 people (29 per cent) regarded the bargain price of goods as worth the risk.

For more information, visit help.gumtree.com.