Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to have not let her use my bank account?

42 replies

BetsyBigNose · 17/08/2018 01:35

Or was someone trying to scam me?

DD1 has a friend from her class, who she's only really been close to for the last few months, so I've never needed to have his Mum's phone number, but she did add me on Facebook a couple of months ago and we've exchanged a few messages on FB Messenger about the kids meeting up on their own. This Mum, I'll call her 'Jane', works FT, so doesn't do the school run which means I've never actually met her.

This evening, I received a FB private message from Jane asking if I had online banking and if so, if I could do her a small favour. I replied "I do, what's up?", immediately thinking it sounded a bit dodgy, but giving her the benefit of the doubt in case she had a question about how online banking worked or something.

She went on to ask me if she could transfer the funds from her ISA into my bank account, as she was in the middle of changing bank accounts, then I would move the money into her new account once it was sorted.

I replied that I wasn't comfortable with it and that I hoped she managed to get it sorted. I didn't get any response - I would have expected something along the lines of "No worries, enjoy the rest of the holidays!" or something similar. To have had no response makes me think that either:

A) I have been unreasonable in not allowing her to use my account and she's pissed off with me.

B) It's not her, but someone has hacked her account and tried to scam me. (She has nearly 200 FB friends, surely if she was going to ask someone for such a personal favour she'd go with someone she'd actually met!) Has anyone heard of scammers trying this? How would they benefit by transferring funds into my account?

So the other AIBU bit is; would IBU to speak to a mutual friend tomorrow to find out if this isn't out of character for Jane, or if she possibly got the same messages and ultimately, whether I should contact her via mobile (the mutual friend will have her number) to check if it was her and to warn her she may have been scammed? I suppose it's possible she's going through some sort of personal drama - like a marriage break up where she's closed the joint account, needs access to her savings quickly, but doesn't want any of her close family or friends knowing about it so has asked me instead - the mutual friend might know if there's something going on.

I don't want to make Jane feel uncomfortable, it's just a really odd situation. Would any of you have let her use your account? Should I follow up with a text via mobile tomorrow saying something like "I'm sorry I couldn't help you last night, I hope you managed to get it sorted", so if she was hacked she'll come back with "Huh?" and if she wasn't, it may smooth the waters between us if I was BU.

OP posts:
Prawnofthepatriarchy · 17/08/2018 01:42

I wouldn't dream of allowing even someone I know well to use my bank account to move money about. Just asking would set all my spidey senses aquiver.

This could be either dodgy behaviour from Jane or part of a scam she knows nothing about. I'd definitely try to contact her. If it's her you're just confirming you can't do as she wishes - no harm done. If it's not - which sounds more likely - she's been warned.

HoomanMoomin · 17/08/2018 01:45

I wouldn’t worry about what she might think if it was her. I would expect her to be grateful for worrying about her money/reputation. Get in touch with her asap and ask her whether it was her and if it wasn’t, she should change password and report it to fb and possibly police.

I think it’s a known scam, just slightly different wording from usual.

DeltaZulu89 · 17/08/2018 02:06

Sounds like part of the money laundering cycle to me, a process designed to hide the true origin of illegally gained funds. (Experience-8 years working in a bank)

KeepServingTheDrinks · 17/08/2018 02:26

Or
C) She's a CF who has already pissed off her 200 contacts on FB.

However, I think your last paragraph is very good:
I don't want to make Jane feel uncomfortable, it's just a really odd situation. Would any of you have let her use your account? Should I follow up with a text via mobile tomorrow saying something like "I'm sorry I couldn't help you last night, I hope you managed to get it sorted", so if she was hacked she'll come back with "Huh?" and if she wasn't, it may smooth the waters between us if I was BU.

Your follow up text idea is really good.

Do that!

BlueJava · 17/08/2018 02:30

Of course you're not being unreasonable to not let her transfer funds to your account - that's ridiculous! I think your text idea is a good one - just checked she hasn't been hacked :)

Ariela · 17/08/2018 03:05

I'd send her a text tomorrow and say something along the lines of

Got a strange request last night on your FB messenger account from someone purporting to be you wanting me to transfer your ISA funds through my bank account. Thought it sound like that scam where the funds arrive, you transfer only to find the bank reclaim the original funds credited because it's fraudulent, so I said no. On thinking about it, it really seems to me that someone has hacked your account so thought you ought to know so you can change your password report it etc.

That way if she was trying to scam you she can bow out of it gracefully by thanking you for letting you know, and if not you've helped her by letting her know of the incident.

Bowerbird5 · 17/08/2018 03:50

I would also worry about money laundering.

If you are unsure speak to your bank first.

AmyLou14 · 17/08/2018 03:59

I work for a fraud department of a bank, her account has been hacked!! This is super common just now. She won’t even know the message has been sent. This is becoming more and more of an issue, fraudsters can spoof social media, phone numbers ect. People genuinely think it friends family members who are stranded need help ect, when it’s just fraudsters chancing it is scary.

thebewilderness · 17/08/2018 04:20

Has anyone heard of scammers trying this? How would they benefit by transferring funds into my account?

By the time you find out their transfer bounced back on you it is too late because you have already transferred the money on to their account and they have removed it.

Original poster
BetsyBigNose · 17/08/2018 04:24

Thanks for all your responses - the more I think about it, the more I think she must have been hacked. From my previous interactions with her (and from looking at her FB page), she seems to be quite a normal woman; holds down a job, 2 DC, married, active social life, member of local amateur sports team, appears to be invited to plenty of social events/weddings etc., plenty of friends (who also appear to look 'normal'!) and these messages just don't seem like something a 'normal' woman would send.

If I was in a situation where I was completely desperate and needed to cash in my ISA but was in the process of changing banks and I couldn't possibly wait till the new account was ready cos Bailiffs were due to call at my house the next day and the house was going to be repossessed, then I might ask to use someone else's bank account - but I would only ask my husband, Mum or Dad. There's no way I would put anyone else in such an awkward position (either awkward because they might be doing something morally - or even legally - wrong, or awkward because saying 'no' may harm the friendship/relationship).

@AmyLou14 and @DeltaZulu89 I understand that hackers could have been after my account to launder money, but is there a way they might have been trying to benefit financially from using my account? If so, how would they have done this as they would be putting the money in, but I would be the one controlling how the money left my account, how much it was and which account it went to. In fact, I could even have said I'd help, let them put the money into my account and just kept it! Based on your financial services experience, any ideas on what they might have had planned?

OP posts:
Original poster
BetsyBigNose · 17/08/2018 04:37

@thebewilderness Thanks for the info; I was under the impression that once money was showing as available in my account, then the funds were cleared. Obviously, I wouldn't have transferred the money to another account until it was cleared in my account.

This is my understanding (please correct me if I've misunderstood!):

To make it as simple as possible, we'll say my account balance was zero (with no overdraft facility and set with the bank so that I can not go overdrawn - i.e. if I tried to use my debit card with a zero balance, the card would be declined) and they transferred in £3,000, I check my online banking and it was showing £3,000 in credit. I could then go to the cash point and withdraw £100 (for example) and the balance would show as £2,900 credit. If the hackers then tried to 'bounce back' the £3,000, my bank would only have £2,900 of it left and as I (in this scenario) have an arrangement with them whereby I can't go overdrawn, then what would happen?

Is there a certain period of time after which the funds are properly cleared and can no longer be 'bounced back'? Surely people wait till they have confirmed that the funds are there before they transfer monies out?

OP posts:
Original poster
BetsyBigNose · 17/08/2018 04:47

She's definitely been hacked - the FB Messenger messages have all disappeared and have been replaced with "This message has been temporarily removed because the sender's account requires verification." and her FB profile has vanished. At least this hopefully means she's aware of it. I'll get hold of her mobile number tomorrow and let her know I received messages from the hacker, and reassure her that I now know it wasn't her!

OP posts:
Monty27 · 17/08/2018 04:55

I just read the opening post OP and scrolled down to say
NOT IN A MILLION YEARS SHOULD YOU DO THAT
and breathe
Just don't do that. It's dishonest and illegal. Don't be part of it Shock

FiestaThenSiesta · 17/08/2018 05:19

You might just try reading the thread Monty because it’s ok.... the OP has got this.

Rebecca36 · 17/08/2018 05:27

You're not being unreasonable, it's not right for her to ask for your bank account details. However, giving her the benefit of the doubt, she probably didn't think it out.

Nothing to stop her drawing her ISA money out in cash, keeping it in a safe place and then banking it when she has a new account. She could actually ask for it in a bankers' draft payable to herself if she isn't happy about having cash.

Anxious2niteaaah · 17/08/2018 05:28

What I don't understand is if it is Jane why couldn't she

A) open an account at whatever new bank she is joining and have the money transferred from the isa to the new account

B) why she couldn't cash in the isa at the old bank (used some of the money if she needed access to any of the money) and then opened an isa at the new bank and deposited the money there..

Definitely call her to see if it is her (just so if it's not she can warn her Facebook friends incase one of them actually let's her have access to their bank account...if it is her, tell her your not comfortable doing it , and then offer the two options above)

Original poster
BetsyBigNose · 17/08/2018 05:33

It's OK @Monty27! I haven't, didn't and wouldn't! I just posted to see if anyone would have, and therefore if I could have been perceived as having been unreasonable.

As it turns out, the only one being unreasonable was the hacker!

Thanks FiestaThenSiesta!

Hopefully I will find out exactly what has been happening (I wonder how many people they contacted on 'Jane's' behalf... Poor woman, she must be mortified thinking all these people think she's being a dodgy CF, trying to launder her ISA and steal their bank account details!)

I'll update later on today once I've found out a bit more...

I may post about it on FB as a warning, just in case they go for my account next - although to be fair, most people would laugh at the very thought of me having any savings at all to stick in their accounts, let alone something as grown up and sensible as an ISA!

OP posts:
Monty27 · 17/08/2018 05:46

Yes sorry op. Like I said I read the opening post and posted straight away. I also confessed straight away that I had scrolled down. I was just being caring.
Glad you are not being taken into the mire of webbed bullshit. That's all. Flowers

Travelledtheworld · 17/08/2018 06:07

Betsy you might want to tighten up on all your privacy settings on Facebook too, and change your own passwords.

Original poster
BetsyBigNose · 17/08/2018 06:31

@Monty27 Don't worry - I took it in the kindly way it was meant!

@Travelledtheworld Thanks for the advice, my privacy settings are already locked down as far as they'll go, apart from having my profile photo visible but I will change my password - better safe than sorry and I would be so embarrassed if this happened to me Blush!

OP posts:
Mummyoflittledragon · 17/08/2018 06:36

You’ve done really well for ascertaining she isn’t a scammer. I look forward to your update.

Slartybartfast · 17/08/2018 07:04

This surely is a scam

CrabbityRabbit · 17/08/2018 08:08

Well done for following your nose.

Poor Jane. She may need some support over the next few days.

Snoopychildminder · 17/08/2018 08:14

I was hacked a few years ago it’s very disorienting and even though nothing happened I felt very vulnerable. Poor Jane, and good on you for being so in the ball xx

TheWickerWoman · 17/08/2018 08:17

It’s not her messaging you, it’s a scam. We had this from my uncles Facebook account recently.

Try and get in touch with her to warn her, she needs to change her password and report it to Facebook.

Swipe left for the next trending thread