My son has been scammed

[oblio]

Hi

My lad in his naivety, put through 3 separate transactions via the craigslist.org website, to buy some cheap iPhones so that he could sell them on. As this was obviously too good to be true, he didn't wait until the first phone arrived before going through the process of "buying" 2 more

He entered into conversations via email with the vendors; he also got their sort code and bank account details so that he could transfer the money. He transferred the money from his savings account at Halifax.

Quelle surpise...the goods never arrived and the vendor stopped answering emails!

He contacted the website who are not interested as they are just an intermediary. He spoke with Halifax who said they could do nothing as it was a transfer from a savings account. He went to the Police who didn't take any details and did not appear interested. They gave him a leaflet on fraud so he emailed the email address on that with all the details and they said there was not a lot they could do.

This happened in October and has just come to light now. The kid has lost c£350!

Short of just taking it as a 'life lesson'...is there anything else that can be done to try and recoup his money?

Cheers

[oblio]

Thanks all

I'll get everything into the action fraud website and we'll take it from there.

It's a shame for the lad: he's a good kid, only 17 and a bit naïve, but has now lost his savings

Cheers

[oblio]

KFC said:

oblio said:

It's a shame for the lad: he's a good kid, only 17 and a bit naïve, but has now lost his savings

If he's not very bright then perhaps it would be in everyones interests for parental control of his finances to be in place to save grief like this in the first place?

tbf I didn't say he wasn't very bright...only a bit naïve.

We kept control of his finances until he was 17 then as he was working and had passed his driving test and was running a car i.e. growing up, we felt it was best that he started to have this responsibility.

I'm not sure if you have kids KFC, but this is what you do: you try and bring them up so that they join the adult world. As I say, he was naïve...

Rest assured we are now back in control of his savings to make sure that he continues to save so that he can continue to run a car (insurance, servicing, tax etc)

He has definitely learned his lesson but I will check to see if he did lodge his situation with action fraud and if not, he will do.

Cheers

[oblio]

Humper said:

Cheapo Iphone on Scumtree / Craigslist etc. It's a scam. Period.
Even the websites tell you to meet in person, don't send money etc.
Maybe a life lesson that could've been given by the parents.
Wouldn't have cost as much.

We would have had the conversation had we been privy to his intentions! Indeed, he would not have proceeded had we had that conversation.

17 year olds (and indeed younger) are so very much more IT literate than many parents; plus they think they are so "street" when in effect they are very naïve in so many things!

I speak from experience as I teach 16 - 19 year olds.