I've just been scammed of potentially thousands, what should I do? - General

Okay so apologies for upcoming wall of text. Basically, yesterday a guy named Jamie Hanny adds me on Facebook. I nearly decline it but I accept because I had quite a few mutual friends with him (bad mistake). I went to his profile and it said something like 'New account, old one got hacked' which explained why he had no posts and the account was very new, so I was like fair enough. A short while later he opens a chat with me and says 'yo matt, its <friend>'s mate', sure enough they were friends on FB so I didn't think anything was suspicious. He asked me if I could help him with a favour: Receive some payments for him on PayPal and route them straight to him. Job done and he'd give me £40 for doing it, sounds good right? He asks if I knew what TeamViewer was (remote control screen-sharing app for those who don't) and I did, so I let him watch my screen with control disabled. He told me why he needed to route money through me (his PayPal was limited) and what the money was for (Runescape/LoL virtual stuff) After a short while the payments start to flow in from various people and then I allowed him control to withdraw the payments to my bank account. He then asked me to visit localbitcoins.com, which I partially knew how it worked already, but not properly. I knew that payments were irreversible and untraceable but I didn't think it as suspicious at the time. I made an account on it and he bought bitcoins through various traders using the money transferred to my bank account from PayPal and my proof of ID: driving license, blanked card with selfie, etc. So far, so good - he hasn't taken any of my money or anything so I continued with caution. He then transferred the bitcoins to himself and this happened quite a few times, reaching approximately £1500 before disaster struck. People started to reverse their payments on PayPal. Unfortunately, the money had already gone, untraceable and irreversible. He played it cool and acted like this had never happened before - and promised me he would sort it. At that time, my PayPal balance was roughly -£300. My PayPal account got limited automatically so I couldn't withdraw any more money. Definitely a step in the right direction. More and more people who sent me money started to reverse their payments and my PayPal balance kept going lower and lower, and right now it's at -£1500 with another -£1300 pending, totalling nearly £3000 which I do not have a penny of. He kept assuring me that he was gonna fix everything and make the people unreverse the payments but he always avoided talking about it. This is when I started to get really suspicious. I talked to the friend of a friend he claimed to be, and he had no idea who he was. In fact he similarly told my friend that he was a friend of a friend and tried to scam him too, and undoubtedly my other friends too. I confronted him with this and he said it was a different guy with the same first name. I for some reason believed that and I started telling him that I was really suspicious that he was gonna fuck me over. He kept promising to fix things though. A short while later I just pretty much told him to get fucked after I realised that he wasn't gonna give me my money back and woke up my parents to confront them with what had happened (roughly 2am). I told them everything that happened and they recommended that I immediately contact PayPal and my bank to sort things out. I sent a message to PayPal explaining what had happened and I also called up my bank's emergency fraud line and explained what had happened there too. My bank account and card was frozen and my mum got her card frozen as it was attached to my PayPal (wouldn't let me remove it). PayPal are unable to withdraw the money from any account as they've all been frozen, but I'm still awaiting response from them about my email. I'm scared about what PayPal are going to do now. I'm basically £3000 in debt to them after being the target of a complex scam which I really should have picked up on the moment money and reward were mentioned. Then there's the problem that he has my ID so he could commit identity theft against me, which is also pretty serious. I don't understand why I agreed to it in the first place, probably because he claimed to be a friend of a friend. People know I have a very kind nature and I like to help people wherever possible, and I thought I could handle this issue since I knew all about Bitcoins and online banking, or at least I thought I did. My dad told me to never trust anyone, and I never knew why until now. People have took advantage of my nature before and every time it's ended badly for me. Maybe I should stop letting them do that. I'm just sat here crying feeling like a complete screw-up and while my parents have been very supportive, there's not much they can do to help. On the bright side though, I've learn a lot from this experience so far, and I'm definitely not going to let it happen again. Don't let it happen to you either Facepunch guys and gals. It will screw you right up. If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is. I wish I remembered that before I agreed to it. You never think it's gonna happen to you, but boom - there it is. I still need to wait for PayPal's reply, but somehow I don't think they'll fix this mess. [img]http://i.imgur.com/QypEQAA.png[/img] Here's the Facebook chat log: [url]http://pastebin.com/u8jNg6De[/url] Here's a partial TeamViewer chat log (didn't manage to copy first session): [url]http://pastebin.com/0dz2S6vC[/url] I'm scared and worried as hell so please tell me guys - what should I do now, and do you think I did the right thing?

Go to the cops

I think i have heard this story before on 4chan (not really the most trustworthy place) but in the end after calling both the bank and paypal, paypal cancelled his account along with his debt after explaining everything. Though he was only minus 300 dollar in debt. You already blocked everything so thats good, the Dutch government has a site on the government site that has multiple tips for what to do in a case of a identity theft scenario which included calling the police, keeping contact with your bank and calling a special hotline for ID theft.

That is a really complex scam, there are a lot of people involved in it. Like you already did, report it, get the police involved asap, the longer you wait the less likely it is you're gonna recover anything. Scammers like this are really hoping that someone like you does not report it because of embarrassment. Yeah you fucked up, but it does not make what they did right or legal. So just go to the police, get the banks involved, etc. All i can say is good luck man. I had my Credit Card Number swiped from bullshit gas station and they decided to send money, lucky for me my bank saw the charges and stopped it immediately so i was only short like 100 bucks. I was able to file a police report and get my 100 back from the bank but I was still pissed, luckily for me i used my internet detective skills and after some bullshiting back and fourth i managed to access an account that my CC was used on, dumbasses attached their SSN to some of the payments for the things they bought and I gave the cops the SSN.

Think you need to phone the police asap, seeing as its happened to some of your mates this could be known to the police already The big mistake was using a service that was untraceable, another was not going to your friend earlier But honestly, I only wish you the best of luck. A dumb mistake, and hopefully the last. Just go to the police, keep talking to your bank and paypal. UK has a pretty good fraud unit anyway from what I've seen You could also contact Hezzy, he is/was a police officer in the UK and dealt with a facepunch fraud scheme a while back that affected the GMF, he might be able to give you some pointers but idk

Ouch, I could see where this was headed right when you said he'd route it through PayPal. PayPal often sides with the people doing the paying, meaning they could more easily reverse their payments they made to your account than you could keep them. Yes, you should have seen the signs. The new account, the unknown person, any pushiness. But that doesn't matter now. It does suck but it's far, far from the end of the world. You've learnt a costly lesson. Let your bank know that he's got information which he could potentially commit identity theft with, and they'll be able to give you advice. Report it here: [url]http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/report_fraud[/url] Do you have any other standing orders/direct debits or such? If so, talk to them and make sure no one has tried to change your mobile phone plan or cancel anything It probably seems like there's a lot to consider but honestly, there are many people out there trained to help through stuff like this. Chances are you're over the worst of it. Be vigilant for any strange letters, bills, etc. and be open about what happened and exactly what details he has with the relevant authorities.

Okay, definitely going to call the police when I get home in a couple of hours.

Also he has sensitive information about you, you could be a victim of ID theft - you have to alert the police about that

[QUOTE=MR-X;47385668]That is a really complex scam, there are a lot of people involved in it. [/QUOTE] How do we know there are lots of people involved? The payments could have come from many different PayPal accounts to which the guy has access

[QUOTE=fruxodaily;47385684]You could also contact Hezzy, he is/was a police officer in the UK and dealt with a facepunch fraud scheme a while back that affected the GMF, he might be able to give you some pointers but idk[/QUOTE] All Hezzy'll tell you to do is call your local constabulary and alert them to what's going on. They should give you a reference number that you can pass to Paypal to get them to actually take it seriously.

Don't wait, GO TO THE POLICE. NOW. ASAP. Identity theft is fucking serious shit mate.

[QUOTE=Trumple;47385710]How do we know there are lots of people involved? The payments could have come from many different PayPal accounts to which the guy has access[/QUOTE] Either way that's still a really well set up scam. Shit to see this OP. The signs are all quite obvious but at the same time after reading the logs you just seemed to be wanting to help a mate out.

Yeah I always like to help out people, even if I don't really know them very well. My dad said that will always be my downfall and last night it became true.

Your dad is right, don't trust anyone, especially with something as sensitive as money. At least you learned your lesson.

[QUOTE=LuaChobo;47385891]not gonna lie you kinda fell right into the trap for it just report it on and dont trust people with sensitive information like anything tied to your bank account/etc[/QUOTE] I realise that now and I have no idea how I fell for it, reading back on it the signs were so obvious but at the time he was just a friend of a friend I was trying to help like I help others, until it was too late.

[QUOTE=MattJeanes;47385897]I realise that now and I have no idea how I fell for it, reading back on it the signs were so obvious but at the time he was just a friend of a friend I was trying to help like I help others, until it was too late.[/QUOTE] Well if nothing else, this can serve as a warning to others, hope it all gets corrected.

I wouldn't accept anything that involves payment transfers unless I have actually talked to that person face to face about it. It's probably also a good idea to know who they are.

[QUOTE=MattJeanes;47385892]Yeah I always like to help out people, even if I don't really know them very well. My dad said that will always be my downfall and last night it became true.[/QUOTE] It could have been a lot worse. Learn from it and be cautious in future

Your a kind guy dude, and thats nice. Your not like me, I wouldnt help someone as soon as it even involved my money. Do what the others said, call the police, this is a serious crime. Also, thanks for warning us!

Okay I've just called the action fraud guys (thanks Trumple) and they gave me a crime reference number. Should I still call the actual police or is the action fraud line good enough?

[QUOTE=MattJeanes;47386652]Okay I've just called the action fraud guys (thanks Trumple) and they gave me a crime reference number. Should I still call the actual police or is the action fraud line good enough?[/QUOTE] That's okay, I hope it helps If you want to phone the police just to be sure, use the non-emergency number (101), though they will likely simply refer you to the action fraud service

It looks like my bank has contacted the people who traded bitcoins with me and they've all contacted me asking me to explain why their bank has contacted them about it. More explaining to do I guess. God I feel like such a massive fuck-up right now.

[QUOTE=MattJeanes;47388185]It looks like my bank has contacted the people who traded bitcoins with me and they've all contacted me asking me to explain why their bank has contacted them about it. More explaining to do I guess. God I feel like such a massive fuck-up right now.[/QUOTE] Shit happens man. So long as you learn from it, you're not a fuck-up.

I've been threatened by some people who I traded the bitcoins with because my bank has gone after them so I've had to call my bank up and explain that they are innocent and that this fraudster is the one who's made these trades and got away with the bitcoins. Remarks such as this are also really not helping: 'I just cannot find the words for what a DUMB FUCK you are. Either that or you're a lying piece of shit. Knowing LBC as well as I do… I think it's probably both.' Everyone is pissed off with me and I'm probably £3000 in debt to PayPal. I can't even call them cause it's out of hours now and they don't have an emergency 24/7 fraud-line afaik. Fuck fuck fuck fuck I just want to punch myself in the face repeatedly for being such a dumbass. darth-veger the 4chan story you referenced gives me hope that PayPal will help me through all this, but then again it is a 4chan story. What the hell am I going to do if PayPal force me to cough up £3000? My parents or sister are gonna have to pay out the ass for my stupid mistake that could have been avoided just by not being such a fucking dumbass.

Damn, I've been scammed several times on PayPal doing freelance programming work. I only use Paypal for eBay now because fuck getting your money stolen.

[QUOTE=MattJeanes;47388856]I've been threatened by some people who I traded the bitcoins with because my bank has gone after them so I've had to call my bank up and explain that they are innocent and that this fraudster is the one who's made these trades and got away with the bitcoins. Remarks such as this are also really not helping: 'I just cannot find the words for what a DUMB FUCK you are. Either that or you're a lying piece of shit. Knowing LBC as well as I do… I think it's probably both.' Everyone is pissed off with me and I'm probably £3000 in debt to PayPal. I can't even call them cause it's out of hours now and they don't have an emergency 24/7 fraud-line afaik. Fuck fuck fuck fuck I just want to punch myself in the face repeatedly for being such a dumbass. darth-veger the 4chan story you referenced gives me hope that PayPal will help me through all this, but then again it is a 4chan story. What the hell am I going to do if PayPal force me to cough up £3000? My parents or sister are gonna have to pay out the ass for my stupid mistake that could have been avoided just by not being such a fucking dumbass.[/QUOTE] First of all, calm down. Remember that, while foolish in hindsight, you've done nothing illegal. You are the victim here. Anyone claiming this is your fault or threatening you is threatening the wrong person. You've contacted the bank, and the action fraud line. You've done all you can do for today, worrying over it tonight will do absolutely nothing. Try and go to bed, get up early, and phone PayPal in the morning. PayPal are actually pretty damn good at dealing with disputes, so have a bit of faith. If it helps you to calm down or you can't sleep right now, spend some time gathering the facts and laying out your case in an organized manner ready to present to PayPal. You may need to prove your identity to PayPal, so find some bank statements from the past few months and have a driving license/passport handy just in-case. Other than that, there's nothing more you can do today.

Thank you Trumple, I know I'm overreacting but I'm just really worried and scared about the worst case scenario and having to cough up 3K. My family have told me the same thing, that it's not my fault and that I am the victim here. Let's hope PayPal believes me and is able to cover it for me. Here's to hoping a 4chan story is true for once. I think I'm going to go to sleep now, this is too much for one day - thank you everyone for your support so far. While Facepunch isn't exactly filled with trained professionals in the field of fraud, you've helped me to at least calm down and not to worry as much. I'll keep you posted with updates.

[QUOTE=MattJeanes;47389160]Thank you Trumple, I know I'm overreacting but I'm just really worried and scared about the worst case scenario and having to cough up 3K. My family have told me the same thing, that it's not my fault and that I am the victim here. Let's hope PayPal believes me and is able to cover it for me. Here's to hoping a 4chan story is true for once. I think I'm going to go to sleep now, this is too much for one day - thank you everyone for your support so far. While Facepunch isn't exactly filled with trained professionals in the field of fraud, you've helped me to at least calm down and not to worry as much. I'll keep you posted with updates.[/QUOTE] If you can't sleep and you don't want to deal with this any more for today, just chill and do whatever you do when you are chilling. Listen to some music, play some vidya, or read a book. Don't stress yourself out over this.

Jesus, now I don't feel that bad about losing 26 eur of steam wallet on cs go betting anymore. Also why do people still use paypal, google wallet is so much better imo.

[QUOTE=spectator1;47389235] Also why do people still use paypal, google wallet is so much better imo.[/QUOTE] [url]http://www.eweek.com/mobile/google-wallet-api-support-for-digital-goods-sales-to-end-in-march.html[/url]