Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To get this person into trouble?

325 replies

Iwishiwereheather · 10/03/2021 21:27

I was purchasing some furniture a couple of months back through Instagram. I put a deposit down through PayPal and then the person blocked me. I paid through ‘friends and family’ therefore no payment protection.

Very annoyed with myself but learnt from the incident.

Logged into my PayPal last night and saw the person still in my contacts. They have now updated their email address to their work email - think [email protected]

I’m tempted to contacted their place of work seeing as they’ve linked an account that scams people to their work address.

Aibu or should I just leave it?

OP posts:
Still1nLove · 11/03/2021 13:15

I can’t wait to see how this plays out

CattyCactus · 11/03/2021 13:17

£250 is a hell of a lot of a money.
And if he’s done it to you, chances are he’s done / doing it to others too. Scammy bastard.
Well done for sending that email Op.
Squeaky bum time for the little scammy shit indeed. Karma. 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻

Original poster
Iwishiwereheather · 11/03/2021 13:18

@LApprentiSorcier

My only concern would be if it's wholesale identity theft and the email address has been stolen from LinkedIn or similar - an innocent employee might be going through an interrogation - but hopefully they would be able to prove it wasn't them.
The original email address was a personal one and then updated to a work one with the exact same name. Obviously there could be a chance it’s not them. I guess we’ll see - no further update and doubt there will be now until at least earliest next week.

I didn’t dispute through PayPal as assumed from reading online there’s no payment protection so you transfer money at your own risk, I did email PayPal though to say I got scammed and never got a response.

OP posts:
NotSorry · 11/03/2021 13:42

If you've a copy of the email you sent to PayPal (I know they didn't reply) you could send that to the company as well if they ask for any more evidence

CyberdyneSystems · 11/03/2021 13:48

You need to report it as fraud and I would also contact the company

If they get away with it they'll go on to do it again, and again

Comeonmommy · 11/03/2021 13:55

Are you within 90 days? I would try again if it is within timescales - the worse that happens is they say no

Original poster
Iwishiwereheather · 11/03/2021 14:38

@NotSorry

If you've a copy of the email you sent to PayPal (I know they didn't reply) you could send that to the company as well if they ask for any more evidence
Good thinking. I do still have it, sent on the same day I found out I was scammed - it’s say the money amount in it too so that would match up with the PayPal transactions.

Sent it on to the person investigating as a screenshot and said can forward the email if required as I do get screenshots can be manipulated.

OP posts:
BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 11/03/2021 14:44

Well played OP!

StarsonaString · 11/03/2021 15:16

Excellent work. I wonder how many others the stupid twat has scammed?

2ndtimemum2 · 11/03/2021 18:50

This is brilliant...only wish we could see how it was playing out for the shithead!!!

FleurPower123 · 12/03/2021 04:47

I just really hope that the scammer didn't just find a random employee's email online (easy to find/work out with big companies) and then create a third party address with the same name. But I think it's unlikely as there was no reason to update to the official company address, unless as an elaborate distraction technique to buy time.

LongTimeMammaBear · 12/03/2021 10:14

@FleurPower123 when you change anything on your PayPal account, you get confirmations sent to previous email and if you have listed your mobile number, a security code is sent to make the change. So unless someone had access to their mobile phone and email to intercept, this is unlikely.

Scrumbleton · 12/03/2021 10:34

Do it- my student daughter was scammed on concert tickets - she reported the girl who wasjus5 about to finish an apprenticeship - the company terminated her employment and she failed the apprenticeship

Original poster
Iwishiwereheather · 12/03/2021 11:03

@FleurPower123

I just really hope that the scammer didn't just find a random employee's email online (easy to find/work out with big companies) and then create a third party address with the same name. But I think it's unlikely as there was no reason to update to the official company address, unless as an elaborate distraction technique to buy time.
Buy time for what? It happened a few months ago and I never emailed the original address as I thought what’s the point. They won’t be like - yeah you’re right sorry here’s your money back.

So as far as they were concerned they would never hear from me ever so they had no need to change their email to a more identifiable one - where they are even listed on the company website for their branch.

No update anyway but didn’t expect there to be at this point.

OP posts:
Original poster
Iwishiwereheather · 12/03/2021 11:03

@Scrumbleton

Do it- my student daughter was scammed on concert tickets - she reported the girl who wasjus5 about to finish an apprenticeship - the company terminated her employment and she failed the apprenticeship
What happened? Did she get her money back? An apology?
OP posts:
Savoretti · 13/03/2021 22:18

I don’t even know how to watch a thread Confusedso placemarking here so I don’t miss any updates

Noshowlomo · 13/03/2021 22:23

Nice one OP. Hope they shat their pants

NotSorry · 14/03/2021 09:14

@Savoretti

I don’t even know how to watch a thread Confusedso placemarking here so I don’t miss any updates
At the bottom of the thread there is link that says “watch this thread” you just press that and it appears in your “threads I’m watching” page. You can also save your place by Clicking the “bookmark” icon on the bottom right of each post. It will jump to the last post you saved.

If you’re on the mobile app there is a little arrow on the top right of the post - if you click on that, it gives you all the options you need

ilikefastcars · 14/03/2021 09:52

Haha this is funny! Would love to be a fly on the wall at scammers workplace! Don't count your chickens though op, doesn't sound like you will get your money back.

harknesswitch · 14/03/2021 11:20

I'd email the 'big company' fraud dept, there will be an email in their website and tell them that a scanner is using their email address. I'd put details of what happened.

Highly unlikely you'll get your money back, but the 'big company' will be warned if it's a scammer using their address, or if it's genuine and he works for the company then he probably shouldn't be using the address anyway

LindaEllen · 14/03/2021 11:40

He stole from you. I would be doing everything I could to either get the money back, or at least let other people know what he'd done. There's no excuse for it.

Original poster
Iwishiwereheather · 14/03/2021 14:27

@ilikefastcars

Haha this is funny! Would love to be a fly on the wall at scammers workplace! Don't count your chickens though op, doesn't sound like you will get your money back.
Where did I say I thought I was going to get my money back? Confused
OP posts:
NotSorry · 14/03/2021 14:34

@harknesswitch

OP has already done that

nothingcanhurtmewithmyeyesshut · 14/03/2021 14:58

Oh to be a fly on the wall...

Savoretti · 14/03/2021 20:10

@NotSorry thank you Smile