Fraud possible prison HELP

[Trying2611]

Ok so I don’t know what else to do just looking for some advice really haven’t been able to sleep or eat for the past 2 days

So about 2 years ago I worked for a family run company placed afew orders for them via my Amazon account didn’t think anything of it.

Fast forward to now 2 years later new job no contact with the old company since I left 2 years ago.
had an email from Amazon who advised they had a number of disputed transactions on my account, Turns out some of the purchases made by me on my account had been charged to my old employers card for some purchases for the past 2 years!!!! Not every purchase I had made but around 15 purchases total to a sum of around £250! Just lots of small purchases added up £15 here £6 there nothing I would of noticed not coming out of my bank

I really don’t know how this has happened I’m thinking I order that much shit half asleep (2 kids work full time) just generally not paying attention at the checkout and also not even knowing the card was saved on my Amazon account!! It’s just a swipe to purchase on Amazon not like you have to put any other card details in when checking out ! I genuinely did not make these purchases on purpose I know I should of checked at the checkout I will never make this mistake again but FUCK

This has only just come to light as my ex employer has questioned the charges with the bank and now an investigation is pending , I have tried to contact my old employer explaining the situation no response, I have also called 111 for advice they said I just have to wait for the bank to investigate on there side

but FUCK am I going to prison I don’t know what to do I’m out of my mind with worry that I’m going to get arrested for fraud.

I hope no one has been as truly stupid as me to make this mistake but any kind of advice would mean the world right now everytime a car drive pasts the house I think I’m going to get handcuffed away 😭

just borrowed my partners account to try work this out myself the address and card details are separate boxes

and I’ve made around 50 purchases on Amazon since I left the company only 15 have been charged to the company’s card and the rest have been changed to my correct card :( as screenshot shows also it only shows the last 4 numbers not even the name on card because that would possibly of triggered me to realise I feel so stupid

Thanks all I will contact a solicitor on Monday I was just trying to calm myself down! If I read this story afew months ago I would myself think it’s not possible as I’d think the card would have to be selected before purchase so I’m just confused myself as like I say I have other cards on the account and non of them have been charged for anything which in itself seems suspicious I know! But I’m baffled as to how this has happened or how I haven’t noticed I’m kicking myself

Screen shot from my account

But as you can see it selects the same card every time, you have to manually click on and change the card to a different one.

Don't worry too much.
To be guilty of fraud burden of proof would be on prosecution to prove you were knowingly dishonest. Hard to prove and think easy enough for you to prove it was an innocent mistake. Also the amount involved is very minor...

Very tight of them to use your Amazon prime account rather than getting their own

a bit different but I’ve got my business card and personal card on my account. I didn’t realise for a while my business card was being used.

accountant just said pay it back with a note and no problem

its not with my accountant to check my bank account. It's with the business themselves to check their own

Agreed! I’ve done this a few times too- our finance person has spotted it within 24hr! Always fine- honest mistake- and paid it back through next months salary…

She would no if she’d enabled back up and selected her employers card for this though.

I've never knowingly activated it. Only became apparent when my husband had an unrecognised transaction go out of his account that I recognised as a subscribe and save purchase, checked my account and realised it hadn't gone out.

I can’t check my account settings as my account is disabled but my credit card would of expired in this time so it is possible it just diverted to the next available but I’m still just as confused about the card selection because like I say most of the purchases have gone to my debit card

Lots of ‘how did this happen’ comments but I always use the wrong card for Amazon purchases. It doesn’t always use my default card and I don’t remember all the card’s last 4 digits tbh. Really annoying because sometimes it uses my business card when it wasn’t a business purchase but thankfully that’s my own business. Good luck op xx

as It’s a small family business aswell I know the accountants are in every month doing the accounts or atleast they were when I worked there so I don’t know how this has been missed either and I’m also more upset because I feel I left on good terms and a phone call could of sorted this all but I’ve emailed left a message on the company landline and the directors mobile and heard nothing back :(

Two of my cards only expired last month or so and I've not updated them yet. My husbands card ended up charged when the other cards were active, but likely no money in the one I was trying to use (two separate accounts with various things going in and out and money moved between them)

Ok, now screenshot the process you have to go through to enable Amazon to automatically take money from another account if your main account has been declined. It’s a 7 step process, none of which can be done accidentally. And not only would the op have had to accidentally authorise them to do this (which couldn’t have happened), she’d have had to accidentally not notice the wrong card details pop up 15 times, and then not notice the money not going out of her actual account 15 times, and then not notice the multiple emails/invoices/receipts and order history with the wrong card payments, also 15 times each

Thanks @GoldSilverBronzeTan I'm just as confused as the other posters and recognise that it does sound far fetched and probably wouldn’t have believed it myself unless it had happened to me x

Why on earth would the OP have done this deliberately? If the OP is a thief, they would steal in a way that they are likely to be able to hide the traces of, and get away with, not in a way that records the delivery address and card used indefinitely, with no possibility of erasing the records ever.

It literally says if there is a problem with the payment, it will automatically charge another payment method. I have never knowingly activated this, I didn't even know it existed until I just looked on my account settings, just assumed it did something like this as I have had the same as @Trying2611 although my husbands card rather than my employer.

It selects first the one you’ve selected as your default.

Every time you use a different card to your default it asks if you want to change the default to that one - with a tick.

I’ve changed mine without realising or intending to.

Absolutely not going to prison for this, as a pp pointed out one of the key points to prove for fraud is that you acted “dishonestly”, which means that you have to know what you’re doing and deliberately set out to defraud someone. On the theft side of things again you have to prove intent to permanently deprive. Not to mention that £250 is a piddly amount in the grand scheme of things.

You will need to pay back the money, I honestly think it is unlikely that the police will be involved at all and it will probably be resolved between you/your bank/your former employer. Your account might get banned from Amazon.

@TeaKitten and @Fiddlerdragon it sets it up automatically! You have to deselect it at some point.
I think it came in a few years ago as an update and you could deselect it at the time or you just accepted it (as so many people do without reading what they are accepting).

My Amazon keeps changing my default card too without my requesting it. Fortunately they are all for accounts connected to me but irritating nevertheless!

I buy a lot on Amazon, I have multiple cards saved on there and I'm sorry OP but I don't see how you've done this by 'accident' because you physically have to select the card you use. If all your purchases had gone on that card it would be more believable but only certain ones seems highly suspicious to me as you would have to choose between the cards when you paid.

From what I can see you only select the ‘Choose payment option’ when you add an item to the basket and check out that was not the quick check out option? It’s just a swipe to purchase situation.

the amounts weren’t large payments £35 being the largest amount charged at one time others just £6, £9.99 and so on small amounts I never noticed coming out of my account :(

im not one to check my email order confirmation unless I have an issue with the order - this will be changing though I will now be sure to check the invoices and my bank account once a purchase has been made online - I may never online shop again after this

I may never online shop again after this

Don’t be silly. Next time an employer cheekily asks to use your account, just tell them to get their own. They were trying to save the £90 fee and ended up with a mess.

My Amazon account also alternates between my credit card and debit card with no rhyme or reason. It seems that if I use the buy immediately swipe it uses the credit card but sometimes not.

I do understand what you are saying I’m trying to figure it out myself, if I was going to commit theft I wouldn’t send the parcels to my home address thinking I would get away with this especially as the last purchase charged to the card was £11 BV pessaries that my ex employer im now assuming had had a list of the purchases made and has seen I’ve got an itchy v 😭😭