Bank scam

pmduk

In life you can either give in to bullies or stand up to them. I think you are giving your son the wrong message here. He chose his friends, he needs to live with the consequences. I agree it isn't easy, but that's life

Not going to the police sends the wrong message to all parties.

grumbler

JuicyJesus wrote: »

16 year old pays in cheque. Cheque is drawn against on day 4 of clearing cycle when funds are available to use.

Was it not an overseas cheque allegedly that takes ages to clear? Yet another inconsistency in the story.
So is the closed and reopened account that is doubtful by itself and wasn't mentioned in the original version. Was the card that he "has stupidly given ... details to someone" for the old account or the new? Or were both the same? And was it the card or the card details?

The more I hear this the more I believe that the son made the story up.

101problems

this is a classic case of Cheque fraud usually associated with some kind of job offer or mystery shopper scam.
scammer A: ill offer you this job its really easy ill pay you by Cheque but i need to access the funds first then ill pay you in cash!!
Scammed give the details over they cash the Cheque into the account with the 2-4-6 system from day 4 funds can be drawn on the cheque, by day 6 the bank has either had report the cheque is stolen or fraudulent and the cheque clearing fails this is exactly why a youth account has gone overdrawn.
By not involving the police you are basically admitting Liability to the bank (not criminal Liability at this stage) but that can and by continuing to not involve the police will happen if your son does not pay the balance back.
I would be ultra sure your sons story as is as a lot of these fraudsters will work on the basis that people are to embarresed to call the police and also remember with the Job scams they provide all the same information you are concened about; Home address, Ill try and find a link to the Scam that i believe is the case here or at least a similar method

101problems

Pace_maker wrote: »

How am I being melodramatic? You've never been in this position so you wouldn't know how I feel. As far as I'm concerned involving the police is far too dangerous.

so you would prefer your son to have a possible fraud convinction as well as a marker on his file that anyone who completes a credit search would see?
going by your story whats to stop them forcing your son into doing the same thing again once they realise they have gotten away with it?
you need to dispell your paranioa even if it is warranted the alternatives are so much worse than i think you have realised

pmduk

bengal-stripe wrote: »

Maybe your son is that innocent little lamb you are painting him here.

If your son is as innocent as this he needs to do a lot of wising up before he'll be safe at university.

Sponge

Whilst I disagree with the way, the tone, many people in this forum 'help' others, especially 'Newbies' dressed up as being 'honest' (quick to judge, guilty until proved innocent, rude, etc) I sincerely think the best thing you can do is go to the police.

I totally understand your fears and as a father of three I dread being in your shoes. I can't say exactly how I would act if I ever were to find myself in your situation, no one can, but I'd like to think I'd weigh up the options, the risks, and still go to the police.

Only you can decide, but you're not left with many options if you don't.

Somerset

The trouble is your son is complicit in the fraud.
- son gave debit card details to another
- son knew something dodgy was going to happen
- son got scared because of above and closed account
- son supposedly re-opened account (allegedly threatened)
- funds withdrawn by another
- 2K debt created


Normally people come on here and say 'this is what's happened/bank transaction/credit card transaction and I've no idea what any of it relates to - it's nothing to do with me'. In your son's case, he does know what happened and why it happened. Your defence is, he was threatened that if he didn't co-operate XXX would happen.


That may or may not be true. But it changes it from online anonymous fraud to a police matter. It's personal to your son.


Two things :
- While a bank may not want bad PR re a sixteen year old, they only have your version of events. They need external corroboration ie police involvement.
- You seem to have missed this. Since your son has been intimidated once to basically rip off 2K from a bank, he'll be seen as a soft touch. He can be forced to do <whatever>. There will be a next time and a next time. And one of those times may involve drugs.


Given that he can be bullied into doing <whatever> how can you stop the same or worse happening without involving the police ?

al25

Pace_maker wrote: »

It's a relatively new scam the bank said that involves someone cashing in an overseas check, because a lot of London banks don't have staff in them it's easy to bypass security and therefore it can get cashed in, and also the possibility that they also have someone working in the bank that is also part of the criminal activity.

Actually London banks have the most staff, especially zone 1, and no bank will cash a foreign cheque over the counter. I don't know where you got this idea of no staff and cheques being cleared over the counter.

Report to the police.

Wheres_My_Cashback

The biggest crime here is that this was never on Jackanory

Pace_maker

al25 wrote: »

Actually London banks have the most staff, especially zone 1, and no bank will cash a foreign cheque over the counter. I don't know where you got this idea of no staff and cheques being cleared over the counter.

Report to the police.

No one said anything about it being in zone 1, also it was an automatic deposit machine I never once said it was over the counter.