A GTA member in Sussex recently alerted the Gun Trade Association to a series of fraudulent activity taking place through the Gungle website.
According to the GTA, the case began when a customer asked the member – referred to here as GM – to purchase a Second World War rifle advertised on the site. The firearm did not exist. Its description and images had been copied from a US-based website and uploaded to Gungle’s UK platform.
When GM contacted the supposed seller, they claimed to be an RFD based in Ipswich. However, further correspondence took place via WhatsApp, and the telephone number listed on the advert did not function, raising suspicions.
As part of standard procedure, GM sent a copy of his RFD to demonstrate authority to acquire the firearm and requested the seller’s RFD certificate, invoice, and bank details. The documents received appeared to come from a legitimate company based in Portsmouth. While the name and RFD number matched a genuine business, the bank details did not – confirming that the contact was fraudulent.
Checks with Hampshire Police verified that the Portsmouth RFD was valid, but that the company had no involvement in the transaction. In fact, the genuine certificate holder had already reported previous fraudulent use of his details relating to Gungle listings.
Shortly after GM shared his RFD certificate, another RFD contacted him to report that the same certificate had been used in a separate fraudulent transaction, which successfully defrauded a buyer of their money.
The incident was reported to the Surrey and Sussex Firearms Licensing Department as both a scam and an unauthorised use of an RFD certificate. At that time, the fraudulent adverts were still visible on the Gungle website. The GTA has since confirmed that the website has now been taken offline.
Paul Green, technical director of the GTA, said the Association is taking the matter extremely seriously. “We have a direct reporting route into the National Crime Agency and will forward any emails of this nature immediately,” he said.
Although this particular case involved the theft of RFD details and funds, it highlights a potentially more serious risk involving the unauthorised acquisition of firearms or ammunition. The GTA is urging all registered dealers to exercise extreme caution when engaging in online transactions.
“This kind of activity damages the reputation of legitimate firearms businesses, undermines public confidence, and adds pressure at a time when the trade is already facing significant scrutiny,” added Green. “We cannot emphasise enough the importance of vigilance and verification in every transaction.”
