Backpacker kidnapped and raped

Please everyone, be careful when posting or replying to ads on gumtree. If a job opportunity arises try and go with someone else or find out as many details as possible before going for the job.

Classifieds website Gumtree helped police with their investigation of the case of a European tourist allegedly kidnapped and raped in South Australia after seeking work through the site.

A 24-year-old backpacker was allegedly attacked at Meningie last week by a man who had responded to an advertisement she posted on Gumtree.

"Our thoughts are with the victim and her family," a Gumtree spokesperson told AAP on Wednesday.

"The safety and security of the Gumtree community is our priority and we helped the police with their investigation into this case."

Before she went missing in Murray Bridge, east of Adelaide, the tourist had posted an advertisement asking for work in Victoria.

During her ordeal, she managed to get a desperate message to her family in Europe as well as a friend in Queensland before she was found by police.

A 52-year-old man was charged with rape and unlawful detention but some details in the case have been concealed in the belief that other victims may contact police.

Gumtree is a website that connects locals to buy and sell practically anything, and helps people to find jobs, flatmates, pets or real estate.

The company urges anyone who is using the site to find work to research any potential employer before meeting them.

"Ask lots of questions and find out as much as possible about the role and the company before agreeing to meet the prospective employer," the spokesperson said.

"Be wary of anyone who asks inappropriate questions or gives vague answers."

They said it was best to meet the employer at the business within working hours or else in a public place with people around.

The European tourist was not the first overseas traveller to have been attacked in SA after meeting someone through Gumtree.

In an unrelated case last February, two female backpackers were allegedly detained and assaulted at the remote beach Salt Creek by a man they met while seeking a lift from Adelaide to Melbourne.

SAFETY TIPS FOR GUMTREE JOB SEEKERS

* Find out as much as possible about the role before meeting an employer

* Be wary of people who ask inappropriate questions or give vague responses

* Avoid work-from-home jobs that aren't from well-known organisations

* Only provide bank or ID details after you've accepted an official job offer

* Avoid listings that guarantee wealth or financial success quickly

I heard about this, Poor woman. I got a few weird messages on Facebook. One guy phoned me from SA and I just got a really weird feeling about him. It sounded like he was looking for a girlfriend than a worker. I posted about him on a group and it turned out he hadn't phoned my friend and a few other girls. We all got the same feeling about him, which can't be a coincidence. I hope nobody went to him. He didn't say anything that would get him into trouble. Well other than saying there's ways of getting around visa rules. That was my main fear about farm work, going to a remote area and being stuck with some bloke and I can't drive away