Masked Email Addresses
Email addresses are all entirely anonymised within our messaging system to help protect users from fraudulent or spam message replies. Instead of displaying the user’s real email address, we exchange it for a random and unique Gumtree email address. We also include an explanation, so that the user understands why we mask real email addresses.
Gumtree users need to log in to their account to reply to ads. This enables us to run automated checks on accounts and combat any suspicious activity. To reply to any messages you’ve received from buyers or sellers, you can use the “Messages” section of the Gumtree website or your own email inbox. Replying through our messaging system means that we should be able to protect you from fraud, spam and other harmful content.
It’s a good idea to proceed with caution if the person you are messaging asks you to email them directly or contact them outside of the Gumtree messaging system, unless they are a business. The only time that real email addresses are used on Gumtree is when you are replying to a job ad or an ad posted by a business account. This is to allow businesses to properly vet the replies to their ads.
Hidden Phone Numbers
When posting an ad, your phone number will automatically be hidden behind a ‘reveal’ button. Gumtree users need to log in before they can use the button to reveal the phone number. This way, we can run automated checks on their account to help prevent any fraudulent activity.
Putting your contact information, such as your email address or phone number, into the description of your ad means that your details won’t be protected by our security measures. This increases the risk of scammers getting them. We recommend that users only use the ‘phone’ contact field to enter their phone number when posting an ad.
Now you know about how we anonymise content in ads, why not read more of our safety tips.
