A HEREFORD couple have been scammed out of £3,500 after buying a car on eBay.

Lee and Donna Jenkins-Davis say they have “lost everything” after falling prey to internet fraudsters.

The couple – who had a child three months ago – sold their car to buy the Audi A3 needed for their growing family.

But the pair never saw their investment, and were re-directed to a fake site that took their money and raided their account.

Lee and Donna, from Belmont, now face a tough Christmas and an uphill battle to reclaim any of their money.

Donna, aged 32, is on maternity leave, while Lee, 28, sold their Vauxhall Corsa to help pay for the Audi.

The couple were told the A3 was at Hamburg for shipping, as the owner had moved from Bournemouth to Munich.

They received emails featuring the eBay logo and transferred the money through Escrow as the limit exceeded PayPal.

“All the emails we received said they would check the trustworthiness of the sale and had an invoice number,” said Lee.

“On purchasing the vehicle the money transferred, but we were left with no car.

“These scammers got access to our PC and we had to change our bank details. We’ve had to start all over again.”

eBay has not commented on their case, but the website insists that customer safety is paramount.

The firm is part of the Get Safe Online initiative – which includes the Serious Organised Crime Unit – and encourages users to report any fraud issues to the police.

Pete Butcher, Hereford police spokesman, says complaints are not uncommon.

“It’s quite a low number when you consider the number of transactions, but we do get a number,” he said.

“I would just be cautious. Always look for a UK address and never bet more than you’re prepared to lose.”