Is this a police job? Threatened by Vinted seller

[Reasonswhy]

I know I’m not, but posting for traffic as no idea what to do.
Item for Christmas arrived today and was clearly fake so applied for a refund via Vinted. I’ve had a series of threatening messages from the seller saying he needs the money, and he has my address so will come and find me. He included a photo of himself holding an air rifle. I’m not easily spooked but feel really scared now as he does have my address and seems very angry. I’ve filed a “help” through Vinted but they may not even read it for 48 hours. Do I call 111? On my own with 2 kids so feel really on edge.

Who is Graham? Sorry this comment has thrown me

Reading quote history explains

Thank you.
I had never allowed my children to use my Chromebook as it's mine and I wasn't going to share it so I had no PC on it.

My son one day asks if he can use it for PowerPoint and Canvas so I said sure!
I truly thought that's what he was doing on it so I never checked. I didn't hear anything untoward so even when I saw him on it in his pants only..... I didn't bat an eyelid because my kids are pants kids. I'm used to seeing them in their underwear (they're ND and a lot of ND kids take their clothes off).

Then the day came when I found him naked and aroused so I took my machine and checked the tabs, here were a few open and one of them was an adult live interactive websites and I saw a man having a wank.
Our camera was on.
My son had written a big piece of text.
Sadly my son didn't know that just because you're not actively on that page, the camera still rolls.

When I showed the kids dad he panicked amd clicked the X of the tab. Well, you would wouldn't you?!

I called the police and they sent a male and female officer round who didn't do a lot. They took the name of the website and what time I discovered it.

That was it.

After weeks of waiting I called for an update to be told that because we deleted it there was nothing they can do which I know is complete lies.

It really fucked my head up and I've worked really hard to not live with continued rage.

The hard drive has never been touched so everything will be on there.

When I went on the internet history I could see my son had been accessing two websites for at least 10 days before I found out.

When I clicked on the link it took me to the website homepage, not the last page it was on.

It's outrageous .

I appreciate what you are saying regarding this case. But I was stalked online for a 15 month period in 2018-19 by a group of people on twitter. Someone handed them my name. They found out my address (long story). They had multiple hate accounts on twitter dedicated to me - some are still active just now. I was doxxed hundreds of times.

I got reported to the dwp for benefits fraud I wasn't committing. I had to go through a dwp compliance interview.
They then basically sent me a series of tweets warning me that if I went to police my address would be handed over to lunatics. My personal details were then put on a doxxing blog so other people could harass me

They sent stuff to my flat. They then tweeted photos of my flat and my street name with tweets saying tick tock the end is near. There were also threats to maim me. One of them also sent police to my door - to intimidate me.

The first time I went to police I showed them the tweet with my name in it warning me not to go to police. They said it could have been anyone with my name. They had been hounding me for 8 months by that point

I think I went five times after that. They did nothing. They couldn't even be bothered taking a statement from me most of the times I went. Im female and I live alone.

I'm not the only person this gang have targeted - I know at least five other people they've done similar things to. They also got nowhere with police

They did try to help in the end but that was only because of two police officers who were really concerned about me and who went to their boss. An inspector from professional standards was really concerned to see photos of my go online - but he did nothing. Police also said that sending stuff to my house was a civil matter and the officers who came to my home were trying to hold their laugh in because of the items that were sent to me.

One man who targeted me the hardest did it on twitter with his full name and photo showing - he's harassed multiple other people, but nothing has ever been done about him. He likes doxxing and intimidating women - but he will also harass men - one of the few people who tried to stop them - his family were harassed too..

I would have loved it if police could have been bothered to start an investigation in my case

There are some great police officers - unfortunately the ones who tried to help me in the end, were pretty much too late - and even when crime reports were raised much later on - the cyber crime unit couldn't trace them - as they use VPNs.

Also just to say. I'm sorry you are going through this OP. I haven't read the entire thread but in my view it doesn't matter that it's not a real gun. It's terrifying. It is completely terrifying that someone has your address and is behaving like this

One of the other women the gang that targeted me targeted - they found her address from photos of flowers she had posted on twitter. They didn't threaten me with guns but there were threats to do me damage and come and find me. They had my address and I knew it.

One man made a meme of a dog pointing a gun at its head with my name in the meme - and another woman had a meme of her face at the end of a barrel of a gun

I've seen other people charged for less than what I and others have been through. A female Scottish MP was sent a number of threats on twitter and the man was arrested almost immediately (which was completely correct) while I spent months begging for help to police and got absolutely nowhere

I actually knew that the people who were doing this wouldn't find me and harm me but it made it no less terrifying. The package that they sent to me was a warning - we know where you are. It was just intimidation - and it's very hard to spend a significant proportion of your life constantly intimidated. I ended up with a ptsd diagnosis - and if police had taken me more seriously in the first place things might not have escalated as they did

I personally should have asked to see someone higher - an inspector. But when you are in that upset state - you don't know what to do.

If no response from any official body ask your MP for help. Mine, two different parties neither that I vote for, have been supportive.
When bureaucrats get an MPs interest then the response is normally "how high" (through the hoop)

I asked my MP for help when I was being stalked. Several times. She said she could do nothing. I asked my MSP for help. Same. No one cared. There was a Scottish journalist who was going to help me. But the man who was behind all of it contacted him and spread lies about me and he did nothing.

The gang in question also spread lies about me all over twitter saying I was stalking them and other lies. They trolled me over my dead gran. They harassed my mum too. Doxxed my wee brother. Trolled my mum over having cancer

I had done a fitness event in my grans memory so when they googled me they found that out and spread lies that I kept the 2k I raised. They stole my media. They had hate twitter accounts with my cats face on it.

I went everywhere I possibly could for help - no one cared

Spent 15 months bashing my head off a brick wall. Police actually told me at one point come back if they harm you

@Roobarbtwo I am rather surprised at that.

It stings a bit more as I actually campaigned for said MP and MSP. They didn't give a toss. That's the truth

It was actually more on my MSP than my MP as she's a member of the Scottish Parliament so is there to deal with devolved issues - but she honestly could not have cared less at any point.

I do know that some MSPs have helped people when dealing with police but it's very rare. I also contacted more than one of my regional MSPs as my constituency one wouldn't help me - completely ignored

I don't mind saying it. My biggest harasser told police that I stalked him. I didn't. He got people to tweet lies about me and my mum. He compiled a dossier on me. I was only told this after my arrest

Nasty spiteful vicious lies. I was arrested - he boasted and laughed about it all over twitter. He went to police every week for a year to get me charged and police even told me that they charged me because he wore them down

He made false allegations that I caused his wife's miscarriage. I don't even know him or her. He got listened to by police - and he told such nasty spiteful lies about me the arresting officer abused me over a three week period

I haven't worked since - fortunately I was in the position that I didn't need to for a while. Iain Livingstone who is the ex chief constable of police Scotland said that police are racist and sexist

He got listened to - my stalker. I didn't. He was a middle class man and I'm a working class female. Those police officers who tried to help me saved my life. I was just completely broken by 15 months of abuse and then getting arrested for "stalking" a man who waged a very nasty hate campaign against me and my family on twitter. He has 11k followers - he's powerful

That inspector saved my life. I'm not sure I would be here without her kindness. Or the two police officers who came to my door the day after my arrest.

The police officer who arrested me laughed in my face when he did it. He told me I was going to trial and that I would be found guilty. He ordered me to answer questions about the case over the phone. He terrorised me

I don't hate police - but some people have had really horrible experiences because people have lied to get you arrested. I was treated like a murderer when I was in custody and it was my mum who said - hes blamed you for the miscarriage

For context. This man has a history of harassing women and if you challenge him - he calls you a stalker. His wife joins in. She's as bad as him. They had a twitter hate account dedicated to me. It was the worst out of all of them and she sat screaming abuse at me on twitter for over a year - as did he

I don't hate police. But I would never ever report a crime to them again after what I was subjected to.

He told police I was mentally ill. They accepted it without question. He tweeted lies that I had harassed people in my home town - and they took that as evidence against me. He asked people on twitter to do the same and police accepted that without question. They told me 6 months after my arrest that he compiled a dossier on me - and now they are saying it doesn't exist

They almost ruined my life. Police - and him.

I would never report a crime now. Not after what I've been through

I complained about the way I was treated. Four of my complaints were upheld then they got passed back to professional standards - and completely white washed

Apparently the arresting officer treated me with respect and dignity

@Roobarbtwo, are they still doing it now? I hope things have calmed down for you x

No thankfully. I moved house - not because of them and the ringleader moved abroad for work. What actually happened was the day the photo of my house went on twitter I went to police and he panicked. I expect he thought that his part in the hate campaign was going to be exposed

He told them something very defamatory - I have no idea what. I was blamed for a very early miscarriage his wife had 8 months earlier that had nothing to do with me. The arresting officer threatened to throw me in a cell when I was in custody. I was completely terrified of him. For context the person concerned had been trying to get me arrested since the previous Christmas. It all played out very publicly because this man loves attention and having stalkers gets him that.

He tweeted that I was stalking him - he was actually watching my tweets on fake profiles. He had ones where he would pretend to be my friend. Ones where he would attack me.

He had my Facebook watched. My crime was being told that he was spreading lies about me and asking him to stop it. So he just spread more.

I actually put in a counter complaint to police about him and his wife but it was never looked at.

I actually found out that I was being arrested on twitter because he boasted about it. What started it all off was one tweet I made - non offensive that one of this gang took offence to.

At one point they stole a photo of my cat and had a hate account dedicated to me with his face on. That's the mentality you are dealing with. I haven't worked since - I was very unwell after my arrest with ptsd. I went back to uni and graduated in October

They haven't targeted anyone else since as far as I'm aware.

The issue I have in all of this is that I had a police officer who basically terrorised me. He threatened to pick me off the streets (which they can do). He threatened to put my front door in and throw me in a cell - and then he denied it and on the balance of probabilities - police found for him. He forced me to answer questions about the case over the phone.

He made sure the day of my arrest was absolutely one of the worst days of my life. I couldn't see a police van for a year without shaking. Police also didn't want to investigate the complaint I made against the officer. It took 6 months for them to respond to me over it.

The Scottish MP Joanna Cherry received 5 threats on twitter and the man who sent them was arrested two days later - so police can take malicious communications seriously. They just didn't want to in my case for some reason.

The man who got me arrested also told police that I had a serious mental health condition (one he diagnosed me with). So I was treated like a danger by police - and asked if I needed an appropriate adult when in custody

The man who made the complaints about me - always women he picks on. He had tweeted three photos of women's car registrations the same year calling them cows and more because he didn't like the way they parked. He has a wife who is Mexican so he will tweet saying you racially abused his wife - just lies to cover up his own behaviour towards you.

Unfortunately she joins in - and she corroborated his lies to police. I've still never seen the un redacted police report. I believe I'm not allowed to so I don't know the extent of what was said about me by her.

He copies your twitter handle into his lies and abuse so that other people will abuse you - and people believe everything he tweets.

Check out the Reddit group r/scams this is a scam.

Its a well known behaviour for scammers to threaten violence in the way they have. Based on how long it took to arrive and it being fake, is unlikely they're even in the country.

Obvs report to the police as well, but genuinely I doubt very much that they are even in the UK.

RTFT

And perhaps notice it's weeks old

Hopefully some has kicked the little shits head in and that's the end of the matter.
Was so angry for you OP and glad to hear you are okay.

I don't usually condone violence but this is the type of case where a couple of lads catching up with him in a quiet area might make him think twice.

Any update OP??? @Reasonswhy 💜

Definitely contact the police. Now.

Who are you referring to? Police have been called in most cases. Might want to read the thread in full.

And this.