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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To report a family friend/business re coronavirus?

72 replies

mintich · 21/09/2020 14:33

A family friend I have known all my life runs a food establishment and works there full time. They live in an area with local lockdown. They havent been closed at all since the beginning of all this. Their whole family have tested positive for covid but they are refusing to get a test as they would have to close. Also they have said they have claimed furlough payments for their staff despite no staff being on furlough!
I know I should, but I dont know what's stopping me! Perhaps I feel like I'm betraying them.

OP posts:

Fluffybutter · 21/09/2020 17:40

@Smallereveryday Yes of course,love .. I am the reason we are in the midst of a pandemic.

isadoradancing123 · 21/09/2020 19:56

If this is accurate then it is a big public health issue and should be reported

ilovesooty · 21/09/2020 20:25

He should be isolating. That failure to do so is a potential risk to public health. As someone said it's very different from having one extra at the tea table for a couple of hours. If @Fluffybutter can't see that I'm at a loss to understand why not.

Sunnysunshineday1 · 21/09/2020 22:46

I would report re the possibly of puting other people’s health at risk.
Those who make flippant comments about the virus and people who make light of it obviously haven’t had experience of someone they know having it and also probably think they’re invincible.
As we’re learning now, it can affect all ages badly.

MelbourneWay · 21/09/2020 23:14

If someone is bragging about furlough fraud then you should definitely report them. If someone's wife has tested positive then they should self-isolate and definitely not work in a customer-facing role. If you can't afford to self isolate for two weeks you need a better accountant.

GoldfishParade · 21/09/2020 23:20

TLDR: Small local business owner is doing everything he can to survive. Should I be a grass and destroy his livelihood during an economic crisis?

Get a life

RepeatSwan · 22/09/2020 06:31

@GoldfishParade

TLDR: Small local business owner is doing everything he can to survive. Should I be a grass and destroy his livelihood during an economic crisis?

Get a life

That's a strange interpretation re. fraud

Lots of people don't like the covid regulations but out and out fraud surely isn't ok.

DamitJanet · 22/09/2020 07:35

I have no clue how you know what days a business is open and who has had test and who hasn't...

Because friends tell each other stuff??

DamitJanet · 22/09/2020 07:37

“TLDR: Small local business owner is doing everything he can to survive. Should I be a grass and destroy his livelihood during an economic crisis?”

Well if an outbreak gets linked to the business it’s really not going to help is it? Yes there’s an economic crisis, but there’s also a health crisis.

Pobblebonk · 22/09/2020 07:48

I don't see how they could be claiming furlough payments for non-existent employees. They had to be already on the books and paying tax and NI before the furlough scheme started to be eligible.

daisypond · 22/09/2020 07:58

@Pobblebonk

I don't see how they could be claiming furlough payments for non-existent employees. They had to be already on the books and paying tax and NI before the furlough scheme started to be eligible.

The employees aren’t non-existent. They are very much in existence. That’s the point. They were working, but the employer was claiming falsely that they were furloughed.

LadyMinerva · 22/09/2020 08:08

"I suppose I'm worried that by reporting I might take down his business!"

Well, frankly, if he is being that selfish then I would think it's better to take down his business rather then he taking down an entire community and more.

Here in Aus, in just one of our states, we saw our second wave due to one family that returned from overseas. They were in poorly managed hotel quarantine and it spread like wildfire. Just in Victoria alone we have over 700 people dead.... From that one family.

Report him. It's his own fault if he gets shut down. And that's before we have even started talking about the fraud aspect.

drspouse · 22/09/2020 08:13

@MomToTwoBabas

I know 4 people whose companys have claimed furlough payments for them and their collegues but all have been working throughout. I would report but would mean my oldest best friend then couldn't afford her mortgage all because her husbands company is scamming, and they have 4 kids to feed. It is bad.

And what if my DH gets made redundant because the government runs out of money with all these fake furlough claims? Or is your friend's mortgage more important than mine because you don't know me?

Original poster

mintich · 22/09/2020 09:48

I think what has annoyed me so much is the fact that it feels like he is boasting about it.
Before his family came down with it, he was covid non believer....into conspiracy theories, David Icke follower etc. I'm not sure he even believes it now.

OP posts:

glitterfarts · 22/09/2020 19:06

I am appalled that you are even considering NOT reporting someone who is making and serving food and customers all day, whose WIFE has tested positive. He sleeps next to her for 8 hours a night, it is highly unlikely he doesn't have it.

He could be a super spreader. He could literally kill people.
He is a selfish arse. I hope he gets caught and fined £10,000

People like him will cause us to be locked down again or until they have a vaccine.

StormzyInaDCup · 22/09/2020 19:13

@Fluffybutter do you want to pay extra taxes to line these thrives pockets? Or frequent their establishment when they most likely shouldn't be open? It's you who needs to have a word with yourself.

@mintich ignore the bitchy comments about English not being your first language. I understood your post perfectly well, because I read it properly. Report them.

StormzyInaDCup · 22/09/2020 19:14

*thieves

Fluffybutter · 23/09/2020 11:08

*StormzyInaDCup
I’m paying eyewateringly high tax as it is so a bit more won’t hurt .
And yes, I will indeed “have a word with myself” I’m so glad you told me to do that , I needed something to do today ...

MaskingForIt · 23/09/2020 11:22

I suppose I'm worried that by reporting I might take down his business!

I think that is exactly what you want to happen. “Worried”

OoohTheStatsDontLie · 23/09/2020 11:38

I'd be less worried about taking down his business and more worried that as a result of keeping quiet, he could literally be responsible for spreading it to hundreds of people. I think it would be wrong of you to stand back and do nothing when peoples lives are at stake. Please report

StormzyInaDCup · 23/09/2020 20:03

@Fluffybutter as someone who pays 50% tax I would not want a penny of it to go to fraud. If you want to support people like that, pay it yourself 👍 I'm glad I've filled your day though.

BlueSuffragette · 23/09/2020 20:08

If this is true you need to report to public health for not isolating and HMRC for fraud re furlough.

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