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Original poster

To think there must hope. Lost £5,000 ebay scam

161 replies

drnoitall · 14/03/2014 12:11

Ddh bought something on ebay.
Paid bank transfer as alot of money (£5,000)
He received an email from ebay saying account he purchased from had been hacked and listing removed.
Looks increasingly like a scam.
Contacted police fraud department (don't know actual name of it) his bank and recipient bank.
Seller says delivery has been arranged for tomorrow at 9am.
Nothing can be done yet as it could turn up.
But, this is the bad but that has us feeling so miserable and annoyed.
When we put the contact phone number the seller gave into google it was the exact phone number listed on a page for an overseas "adult" service.
I want to cry, I hate seeing my dh so miserable.
Can anyone help with advice, are there some protective rights that we need to know?
This is a very upsetting and a lot of money to us , can our bank demand the money back from the sellers bank? Can ebay do anything?
Thank you in advance, fingers crossed someone can help.

OP posts:
Tiredtomybones · 14/03/2014 22:38

Fingers crossed for tomorrow morning op. I'd be really upset if this happened to us. You sound much calmer than I would be.

Original poster
drnoitall · 14/03/2014 22:41

Yes nursery. I've seen those. Many say they are from paypal too. I never log on from those links. Only ever by searching for the website myself.

OP posts:
Original poster
drnoitall · 14/03/2014 22:46

Tired . There is nothing to be gained by arguing , it will make the atmosphere awful and I can't live like that.
I love him too much to make him feel worse. I know he is feeling really shit anyway.

OP posts:
TalkinPeace · 14/03/2014 22:50

I'm surprised the bank can't stop it
its an electronic transfer - probably FPS - not a cheque
cleared funds in the account within 4 hours

find out everything you can about where the money has gone

be willing to contact the actual branch the money was sent to and do the full waterworks at them

then phone and threaten them with an MLR compaint about poor account security ...

Qix · 14/03/2014 22:55

unlucky it's totally different for a cheque. When a cheque shows as cleared in your account the small print usually says that is is 'available for withdrawal but may be refused after that time' or some such - so not a guarantee.

OP hope it turns up.

HeartsTrumpDiamonds · 14/03/2014 22:57

Oh God OP that sucks.

I hope if I ever royally fuck up like that that DH is as understanding as you are.

Fingers crossed for the morning.

GreenLandsOfHome · 14/03/2014 23:03

(I was v. surprised by this - apparently banks do only double check
signatures on random nos of cheques not every one!)

Cheque signatures are not checked randomly at all. They will be checked more thoroughly dependant on the amount. Any large cheque will be checked.

chickydoo · 14/03/2014 23:16

I am so wary of eBay, you have made me think hard about using it again. I have had a couple of incidents over the years when I have been asked to pay by other methods rather than pay pal.
I didn't, but so nearly did.
I hope you get your money back

Cabrinha · 14/03/2014 23:16

I so think ebay should put a one click link on every page to the most common scams... Not just saying not to pay off Paypal (which people can dismiss as them wanting to keep fees) but a list of red flags - like never ever but from someone who claims to be on an oil rig!

It is easy to do, we're generally pretty trusting. My ex bought a £700 machine on ebay a few years back. Payment had to be that day (red flag!) and as I worked next to a bank I got as far as walking up to the desk with the account details and mine. I wasn't even thinking about ebay security, as I was just doing my then husband a favour. Fortunately just in time I thought "what the fuck is he doing giving cash?" Out of interest I asked the cashier whether the name I had matched the account. Nope.

I called exH and told him I thought it was a bad idea. He wasn't happy but fortunately for him wasn't rude. Next day, fraud emails from ebay, and a call from the police asking if he was one of those scammed.

I think the bank account thing is what makes perfectly intelligent people feel secure. It's easy to assume that if there's an issue, the bank will reverse payment, or the police will trace the account owner. Unfortunately not.

So don't give the OP a hard time. They're suffering enough.

newfavouritething · 14/03/2014 23:16

Have you googled the actual words in any email sent to you by the scammers? You may find help from others that have been scammed by the same people.

unlucky83 · 15/03/2014 00:09

talkin & Qix I know a cheq is different from FPS (which is normally 2hrs depending on time of day of transfer). It was a mess up - by the issuing bank and I did get an apology - but the point was they could just take it back!
green I believe they check larger cheques (actually they phoned my other brother about one too) but I was told by the bank in general it is random and little chance of being checked. This was changing signatories on a group account needed to know whether to use the old or new signatories for a cheque written that day and they said highly unlikely it would be checked anyway Shock!

dr not giving you a hard time! Just with all the money laundering stuff and ID for accounts etc the bank (and apparently they can take money back after their mistake!) they should be able to help you...fingers crossed for you Flowers

NatashaBee · 15/03/2014 00:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Cerisier · 15/03/2014 03:13

We had an email at work this week from our security department about an ebay scam to be watchful of when you are selling.

Upon agreeing the deal the purchaser receives an email supposedly from Paypal that payment has been received. The seller then sends the item to the buyer. Sellers then receive further emails requesting administrative payments such as activation fees for their Paypal accounts to be made via money transfers. Payment for the goods is never received.

The advice from the Police is to:

Always log in to your actual Paypal account to check payment has been made before sending the goods.

Never download any attachments or software programs found in such emails.

Never give personal info such as bank account numbers or credit card numbers via emails. Should Paypal require such information a request will be made for you to safely login to your account before providing the information.

So sorry to hear about this OP. I hope you do manage to recoup the money.

MistressDeeCee · 15/03/2014 04:42

Sorry to hear this OP. Don't ebay have a statement on their front page stating buyers are fully reimbursed if item not received? Im sure they have. If item doesn't arrive and they don't reimburse then Id take matter up on that aspect; after all it doesn't say anything about statement not standing if payment is made via cash/transfer as opposed to paypal.

PigletJohn · 15/03/2014 05:27

Read it again.

RedFocus · 15/03/2014 09:34

Did it arrive op?

MrsBungle · 15/03/2014 09:40

I really feel for you and your dh. I'm hoping it arrived for you.

wizzler · 15/03/2014 09:51

Best of luck OP... hope today brings good news

ilovepowerhoop · 15/03/2014 09:57

pages.ebay.co.uk/ebay-money-back-guarantee/index.html - have to have used paypal to get the guarantee

NewLisaLife · 15/03/2014 10:14

Did it turn up

RedFocus · 15/03/2014 12:36

Please come back op and let us know if it turned up. I hope it did Grin

Original poster
drnoitall · 15/03/2014 12:57

Thanks for all your kind replies.
As expected nothing arrived.
I'm so upset for dh who feels very foolish.
Asking me to just leave it, he wants to forget it.

Never never try to avoid PayPal fees or do anyone you don't know a favour by paying bank transfer, no matter what reasons they give you.

I'm going to persue the suggestions on here.
Trading standards say this is breach of contract so ringing them back next.

Action fraud department are already involved.

Ask Ebay to explain why/how they knew to alert us the seller account had been hacked. Surely they have a reasonable amount to its users.

Banks, ombudsman (?) if the account is still being used, who by and if the money can be returned.

It's very unlikely our £5,000 will ever seen again by us.
But I'm certainly not going to sit back and do nothing.

I hope they fucking robbing bastards get their comeuppance tenfold.

OP posts:
HadABadDay2014 · 15/03/2014 13:16

What an awful thing to happen. I'm not going to victim blame as being to trusting isn't a crime.

Hopefully he would have learnt about internet safety.

I would behind angry if DH lost £5000

DoYonisHangLow · 15/03/2014 13:16

Sorry to hear that. I can understand why your DH wants to just forget, I think I would too, but obviously not an option with that much money at stake. I really do feel for you both and I think you've been the most amazing partner to your DH through this, I can't imagine I (or DH!) woukd be so understanding.

I truly hope you get your money back one way or another Thanks

RedFocus · 15/03/2014 13:37

Damn! Sad
So sorry for you and your dh. I hope you get it sorted out and your money returned to you.