Got scammed & can't claim as I don't have sellers address

vtc6

A few of us have got recently scammed in an online community where competition car parts are traded. It's a tight community with high trust and I suppose we all got complacent with our security checks.

Someone came on offering rare parts and people sent BACS payments to purchase parts. The seller then disappeared. All we have is his IP address and bank details and hence no address in order to make an MCOL or start small claims proceedings.

I spoke briefly with a police officer who suggested there's not much that can be done without an address, but the officer didn't seem too knowledgeable.

It's not huge money that has been lost, but in principle, if I can chase this scammer, I'd like to.

Suggestions?

wealdroam

http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/

mgdavid

You have a name?
You may be able to trace the bank details back to a particular branch and town/city.
Then use 192.com or the electoral roll in their nearest public library to look for an address.

shaun_from_Africa

mgdavid wrote: »

You have a name?
You may be able to trace the bank details back to a particular branch and town/city.
Then use 192.com or the electoral roll in their nearest public library to look for an address.

The problem might be that even if the OP has a name, it could be totally fictitious.
There is no need to give a name when making a bank transfer so if the scammer had any sense or did this sort of thing on a regular basis, I doubt if they would be foolish enough to give true details.

The same is true of the electoral register.
Any switched on scammer would opt to have their details removed from the open register so that people looking for them wouldn't be able to get an address. (unless it was the police or other law enforcement bodies who can access the full register).

It might be worth doing a Google search using the bank details to see if the account numbers appear on any websites or forums (try Google cache as well for any old websites).
If the scammer had put these details on adverts, there is a small possibility that there may be other details as well.

Spicy_McHaggis

wealdroam wrote: »

http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/

What's the point in actionfraud?

For all the good they do you may as well go direct to the police.