Warning - Gumtree scam

Just thought I'd make a post about this because I've recently had a few people trying to scam me through Gumtree and I know a lot of people on here use Gumtree and other similar websites.

Basically, be on the look out if you have posted a 'wanted' ad on Gumtree looking for a rental property. The scammers contact you directly and seem very genuine. They give you the address of their 'property' and show you pictures and give you all the information you need. However, when it comes to arranging a viewing of the property they say that they require proof that you can pay the first month's rent and the deposit before they will show you the property because they have had 'incidents' in the past with other potential tenants. They ask you to transfer the money for the deposit and rent via Western Union to a friend or relative of yours and then provide them with a scanning or photocopy of the slip as proof.

It's such a sneaky scam because you'd be suspicious of anyone asking you to transfer money up front to them without having seen the property but transferring the money to a friend or relative is much less suspicious because you know them. Unfortunately the scammer then uses the details on the slip that you sent them to access the money you sent to your friend.

Thankfully I'm pretty savvy when it comes to these sorts of things and quickly realised that I was being scammed but I think lots of people, especially perhaps young students, wouldn't think anything of doing this because it doesn't seem like an obvious scam.

Appalling :/