Email Hacker Stole £7k and I cant get it back!

sads797

I import goods from suppliers overseas, one of my regular suppliers in Brazil had their Hotmail account hacked, the hacker was obviously monitoring his emails then along came me. I made a purchase for £7k as always I ask my seller to confirm bank details, this is where the Hacker started his spam. I was informed to make things easier I could pay in to his (seller) new account in London. I know they have a UK base in London so never gave it a second thought, but again emailed to confirm. Mails went to and fro and nothing was out of the ordinary, I then made my payment. The mails kept on going discussing airway bills and delivery and of course I paid the separate delivery charges in to the London account as well (£720). It was then a (real) email came from my supplier asking for confirmation of the main payment. I phoned..... What an awful feeling! the hackers Hotmail address I had been responding to was almost the exact same as the genuine email an 'a' and an 'o' were the wrong way round. The Police did not even spot the difference between a genuine mail and one from the hacker. The Police don't investigate, it was reported to Action Fraud who only collate information, it is then passed to the National Fraud Investigation Buru. The bank won't help, I made the transaction using my online banking system. So now stuck between a rock and a hard place, all reported but nobody can do anything to help, is it really that easy to steal and get away with it?

sharpy2010

Seems that way.

Unfortunately there will always be scammers, thats the nature of things.

I sincerely hope you get the money back. Was it a credit card or debit card payment?

sads797

Bank transfer online, that's why the bank won't help - I made the transfer.

baza52

a "regular supplier" was using a Hotmail acct? where have you been the last 10 years?

marleyboy

A Hotmail account, a Bank Transfer and overseas would have alarm bells ringing to me.

Its much less easy to perform such a scam in the UK, leaving only the latter two warnings, but still enough for alarm bells to ring.

It being performed from a foreign country makes it virtually impossible (albeit not completely) to get a refund.