Revolut, is this possible
Discussion
Hi all,
I’ll not bore you with all the details, but anybody on here use the banking app Revolut.
My elderly mother (80) has been approached by a (Male) friend, who she’s not seen for months, saying they were mugged last night by 2 guys who snatched his phone, made him open the app using face recognition, and then ran off with phone, completely emptied all accounts, sold all his stocks and shares and have left him penniless, could she lend him 1000 pound.
I’ve only heard about this after she’s been to the cash point and given him 500, he’s coming back tomorrow PM for the other 500.
I know, I know, screams 100% robbing barsteward to me, but without proof she’s not listening to me at all.
Sadly she’s over a 1000 mile away or else I’d be there and waiting for the fecker to come back.
I’ll not bore you with all the details, but anybody on here use the banking app Revolut.
My elderly mother (80) has been approached by a (Male) friend, who she’s not seen for months, saying they were mugged last night by 2 guys who snatched his phone, made him open the app using face recognition, and then ran off with phone, completely emptied all accounts, sold all his stocks and shares and have left him penniless, could she lend him 1000 pound.
I’ve only heard about this after she’s been to the cash point and given him 500, he’s coming back tomorrow PM for the other 500.
I know, I know, screams 100% robbing barsteward to me, but without proof she’s not listening to me at all.
Sadly she’s over a 1000 mile away or else I’d be there and waiting for the fecker to come back.
Unless I've read this wrongly, it's nothing to do with Revolut? Ignoring the preamble:
1. Acquaintance tells your mum he's penniless, apparently due to theft of his phone. Quite a tall tale unless he's about 17 and has £20 in his student account and that's about it. Non-cash accounts being emptied? Really?
2. Your mum has met him IN PERSON and given him cash.
The only scammer here is the "friend" or your mum isn't being straight with you.
Edited to add... or it's genuine and the chap needs a float whilst his bank(s) reverse the transactions. In this case, why was your mum approached?
1. Acquaintance tells your mum he's penniless, apparently due to theft of his phone. Quite a tall tale unless he's about 17 and has £20 in his student account and that's about it. Non-cash accounts being emptied? Really?
2. Your mum has met him IN PERSON and given him cash.
The only scammer here is the "friend" or your mum isn't being straight with you.
Edited to add... or it's genuine and the chap needs a float whilst his bank(s) reverse the transactions. In this case, why was your mum approached?
Edited by UpTheIron on Wednesday 29th November 22:02
UpTheIron said:
Unless I've read this wrongly, it's nothing to do with Revolut? Ignoring the preamble:
1. Acquaintance tells your mum he's penniless, apparently due to theft of his phone. Quite a tall tale unless he's about 17 and has £20 in his student account and that's about it. Non-cash accounts being emptied? Really?
2. Your mum has met him IN PERSON and given him cash.
The only scammer here is the "friend" or your mum isn't being straight with you.
He’s about 65. Mums known him over 20 years, for the first 18 yrs he has managed all Mums finances, including sole POA, I know I know, she simply would not be told. 1. Acquaintance tells your mum he's penniless, apparently due to theft of his phone. Quite a tall tale unless he's about 17 and has £20 in his student account and that's about it. Non-cash accounts being emptied? Really?
2. Your mum has met him IN PERSON and given him cash.
The only scammer here is the "friend" or your mum isn't being straight with you.
Last year we managed to get back control, including the POA, and he pretty much disappeared, reappearing today, turning up at an hrs notice with this story.
I wasn’t blaming Revolut in the slightest, I just don’t use it myself, and trying to find some ammo that may somehow show my Mum what a little fibber he is, sadly I fear I’m wasting my time, he’s very very good at what he does.
(Think 65 yr old single gay guy, who spends most of his social time with ladies in there 80s, he looks after most of their “tax affairs” , make of that what you will)
Edited by Quattromaster on Wednesday 29th November 22:09
Quattromaster said:
He’s about 65. Mums known him over 20 years, for the first 18 yrs he has managed all Mums finances, including sole POA, I know I know, she simply would not be told.
Last year we managed to get back control, including the POA, and he pretty much disappeared, reappearing today, turning up at an hrs notice with this story.
I wasn’t blaming Revolut in the slightest, I just don’t use it myself, and trying to find some ammo that may somehow show my Mum what a little fibber he is, sadly I fear I’m wasting my time, he’s very very good at what he does.
(Think 65 yr old single gay guy, who spends most of his social time with ladies in there 80s, he looks after most of their “tax affairs” , make of that what you will)
Call the police today. Give them his details. They will inevitably know him as all the other will have reported his actions to defraud the elderly. They will do absolutely nothing so you call them tomorrow and the day after and you keep calling them and backing up each call with an email until they finally realise that you are not going away and that they are going to have to have to do something. Last year we managed to get back control, including the POA, and he pretty much disappeared, reappearing today, turning up at an hrs notice with this story.
I wasn’t blaming Revolut in the slightest, I just don’t use it myself, and trying to find some ammo that may somehow show my Mum what a little fibber he is, sadly I fear I’m wasting my time, he’s very very good at what he does.
(Think 65 yr old single gay guy, who spends most of his social time with ladies in there 80s, he looks after most of their “tax affairs” , make of that what you will)
Edited by Quattromaster on Wednesday 29th November 22:09
I believe there are even charities that can assist but am not sure and of course, you know how your mother is for 80 and whether that sort of thing is suitable etc.
The fact that after decades of more sophisticated grifting, seemingly falsely pretending to be a financial advisor he has resorted to scraps of cash via the old 'I was robbed, boohoo' suggests that he has lost most of his 'income' and is in dire straits.
Personally, and this is not advice just what I would do if it were my mother, she was clearly vulnerable and not a stone's throw away, I would book a day off work and go and visit her. It's only 100 miles that's just a quick two hour journey, with your tool box, to just check the house is all good for Winter and the impending cold snap, check boiler pressure, quick check there's the usual level of supplies in the freezer, quick run around the ceiling corners with the hoover that sort of thing, men's the little things that need mending. And when the friend turns up and is welcomed into the home I'd be inclined to just give that a similar good look over and appropriate reset so that when it was allowed to depart it was reprogrammed to never appear again. These creepy little freaks me hat prey on the elderly are little different to their counterparts who prey on the he young, or women. To me they're just predators and predators don't move off their prey until the carcass is stripped or a larger predator appears.
But basically, call the police as your mother is being robbed and go and visit your mother when you can as victims of theft need support even if it's just the son not saying anything but just dropping in or taking her out for a spot of lunch.
Quattromaster said:
Sadly she’s over a 1000 mile away or else I’d be there and waiting for the fecker to come back.
DonkeyApple said:
I would book a day off work and go and visit her. It's only 100 miles that's just a quick two hour journey,
Sadly the amount that your mum has withdrawn (if done over the counter in the bank) is below the threshold to trigger banking protocol which would ensure staff ask her lots of questions to identify if she is being scammed, then phone the police. He will know that. When he returns for the remaining £500 there will probably be a sob story attached where he actually needs a little bit more.
I doubt the police will be able to do anything a she has decided herself to give him the cash, and personally handed it over.
Edited by The Gauge on Thursday 30th November 08:42
With regard to his previous POA over your Mother were you able to see if other monies had been taken from her for no apparent reason ?
It would be too late to contact the OPG now in this regard but definitely agree with DA that you should contact the Police over this latest “ theft “.
It would be too late to contact the OPG now in this regard but definitely agree with DA that you should contact the Police over this latest “ theft “.
OP Google gaslighting elderly fraud to find kosher services that can advise and assist etc. Then do the same search adding his name and see what crops up. Your mother won't be the only victim.
The BBC recently did a documentary on this exact issue. Can't recall if TV or radio but might be worth finding it for your mother to watch. And friends or relatives close by to make her a cup of tea while she digests the content as it must be very unpleasant when one finally permits the penny to drop?
I would also assume that there is a mechanism by which to let her banks know, in traceable writing, that your mother is being defrauded so as for them to be able to initiate the checks that are currently slipping under the radar?
The BBC recently did a documentary on this exact issue. Can't recall if TV or radio but might be worth finding it for your mother to watch. And friends or relatives close by to make her a cup of tea while she digests the content as it must be very unpleasant when one finally permits the penny to drop?
I would also assume that there is a mechanism by which to let her banks know, in traceable writing, that your mother is being defrauded so as for them to be able to initiate the checks that are currently slipping under the radar?
There may not be a bank (other than the cashpoint) or a phone involved.
I could ring up a distant relative and give them exactly the same story.
The task now is to convince her not to lose another £500. The best way would be for her to be out so he has a wasted journey, otherwise she'll get talked round and lose another £500.
It would be nice if the friendly local bobby could be there for a cup of tea when he arrives, but I don't think the police work like that any more. If she can't be elsewhere, has she got any friends who can be present and so throw him balance?
Would it be possible to register the POA/LPA now and take over the finances such that only you can move money about?
I could ring up a distant relative and give them exactly the same story.
The task now is to convince her not to lose another £500. The best way would be for her to be out so he has a wasted journey, otherwise she'll get talked round and lose another £500.
It would be nice if the friendly local bobby could be there for a cup of tea when he arrives, but I don't think the police work like that any more. If she can't be elsewhere, has she got any friends who can be present and so throw him balance?
Would it be possible to register the POA/LPA now and take over the finances such that only you can move money about?
OK, update.
Mum lives in Spain, has done for 20 plus years, so popping over sadly is not an option.
Between my brother and I we got through to her that she really shouldn't have given him 500 euro, and not to give him anymore this PM.
Now my mother does not like conflict, so she decided to message him, saying she didn't have the 500 in her Spanish account, so if he wanted it, to contact me with his account details and I'd transfer from her UK accounts, she was confident he would not.
Well, 20 mins later and I've got his account details in my inbox, with a note saying how embarrassed he is, and any amount I can send over would be a great help.
Well, I'm not giving it away that easily, so I've emailed him, asking is it a gift, a loan, if so when is it being repaid, has he reported the mugging, why no mention of it on his social media page, this guy is the type who posts what he had for dinner.
Still awaiting his reply.
I should add this has all happened on the day my mothers long term partner has gone into long term care due to dementia, by god what a cruel illness, needless to say his timing could not have been worse, her heads all over the place.
Mum lives in Spain, has done for 20 plus years, so popping over sadly is not an option.
Between my brother and I we got through to her that she really shouldn't have given him 500 euro, and not to give him anymore this PM.
Now my mother does not like conflict, so she decided to message him, saying she didn't have the 500 in her Spanish account, so if he wanted it, to contact me with his account details and I'd transfer from her UK accounts, she was confident he would not.
Well, 20 mins later and I've got his account details in my inbox, with a note saying how embarrassed he is, and any amount I can send over would be a great help.
Well, I'm not giving it away that easily, so I've emailed him, asking is it a gift, a loan, if so when is it being repaid, has he reported the mugging, why no mention of it on his social media page, this guy is the type who posts what he had for dinner.
Still awaiting his reply.
I should add this has all happened on the day my mothers long term partner has gone into long term care due to dementia, by god what a cruel illness, needless to say his timing could not have been worse, her heads all over the place.
's bank details send them over to a Nigerian Prince and let those lads do God's work and deliver some festive karma? 
Quattromaster said:
I should add this has all happened on the day my mothers long term partner has gone into long term care due to dementia, by god what a cruel illness, needless to say his timing could not have been worse, her heads all over the place.
Given that he knows your mother and her circumstances, it's unlikely that is a coincidence..... you could say that his timing couldn't have been better.....Can confirm, Revolut still needs a fingerprint/password even if the phone is unlocked.
Monzo on the other hand needs no such security if your phone is unlocked. BUT no transaction will proceed without fingerprint/password.
OP, as others have said, your mum is being scammed. Get the police involved.
Monzo on the other hand needs no such security if your phone is unlocked. BUT no transaction will proceed without fingerprint/password.
OP, as others have said, your mum is being scammed. Get the police involved.
Quattromaster said:
OK, update.
Mum lives in Spain, has done for 20 plus years, so popping over sadly is not an option.
Between my brother and I we got through to her that she really shouldn't have given him 500 euro, and not to give him anymore this PM.
Now my mother does not like conflict, so she decided to message him, saying she didn't have the 500 in her Spanish account, so if he wanted it, to contact me with his account details and I'd transfer from her UK accounts, she was confident he would not.
Well, 20 mins later and I've got his account details in my inbox, with a note saying how embarrassed he is, and any amount I can send over would be a great help.
Well, I'm not giving it away that easily, so I've emailed him, asking is it a gift, a loan, if so when is it being repaid, has he reported the mugging, why no mention of it on his social media page, this guy is the type who posts what he had for dinner.
Still awaiting his reply.
Well thank heavens for that. Great news that your mother has seen the light, and that you've been able to take over and close the cashpoint.Mum lives in Spain, has done for 20 plus years, so popping over sadly is not an option.
Between my brother and I we got through to her that she really shouldn't have given him 500 euro, and not to give him anymore this PM.
Now my mother does not like conflict, so she decided to message him, saying she didn't have the 500 in her Spanish account, so if he wanted it, to contact me with his account details and I'd transfer from her UK accounts, she was confident he would not.
Well, 20 mins later and I've got his account details in my inbox, with a note saying how embarrassed he is, and any amount I can send over would be a great help.
Well, I'm not giving it away that easily, so I've emailed him, asking is it a gift, a loan, if so when is it being repaid, has he reported the mugging, why no mention of it on his social media page, this guy is the type who posts what he had for dinner.
Still awaiting his reply.
Jordie Barretts sock said:
Can confirm, Revolut still needs a fingerprint/password even if the phone is unlocked.
Monzo on the other hand needs no such security if your phone is unlocked. BUT no transaction will proceed without fingerprint/password.
OP, as others have said, your mum is being scammed. Get the police involved.
I've just unlocked Revolut using my face ID, changed 100 GBP to AUD, and then sent it to my bank. At no point did it ask for a password. Monzo on the other hand needs no such security if your phone is unlocked. BUT no transaction will proceed without fingerprint/password.
OP, as others have said, your mum is being scammed. Get the police involved.
My iPhone doesn't even have ID fingerprint sensor.
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