Fallen for AutoTrader Scam

mlawson

Firstly, I'm extremely embarrassed about this and I'm not even sure if anyone can help me. So please don't tell me the obvious, I know I've been stupid, believe me, no-one is beating themselves up more than me.

I took out a loan to buy a new car. Found the car I wanted on AutoTrader and negotiated, paid a security deposit with the plan to pick it up the next day. I was in constant contact with the seller, phone calls, texts etc. On arriving at the pick up point (after 3hrs on the train), he didn't turn up, and it turned out he had cloned the car advert, and pretended to be the dealer selling the car, even told me the bank account/sort code was in the name of the company. I've spoken with the real company since who said this has happened before with the same car.

On realising it was scam I told my bank ASAP who tried to recall the funds and failed, he had already withdrawn the monies.

The Police/ActionFraud are involved but getting my money back is pretty much impossible, so I'm left with a loan and no car.

I'm too embarrassed to say the figures.

But can anyone point in the direction of anyone that may be able to help? I've never felt to deflated! I just don't know what to do!

Minrich

The Police/Action Fraud can get the details of the Bank account holder who you paid the deposit to . I expect the car was cheaper than all the others and your deposit was quite large . The banks involved in this transaction should help without too much of a fuss , but many are less than helpful as they have opened many bank accounts with false passports/documents/bills/invoices etc. This may be one of them .The Police can get all the information on the account holder that the bank holds but if they are awkward this will involve a production order at Crown court , sometime in the future . So get working quickly . The chances of getting your money back are slim but you never know , might be an amateurish offence . The fact is that even if you know the details of the account holder it does not mean that they even exist or that they will ever be found .Good luck .

mlawson

Not particularly cheaper, around about what it should be, perhaps 5% less.

We had to negotiate, he even rejected my first few offers!

Minrich

Unusual then , lower prices draws more people in with more of a chance of getting someone to do what you did .Was the car something sought after then ? Negotiating is also part of the scam as it lulls your sense a little as this is normal practice when buying/selling a car . The people you spoke to have probably done this before .

burlington6

mlawson wrote: »

Not particularly cheaper, around about what it should be, perhaps 5% less.

We had to negotiate, he even rejected my first few offers!

That seems odd. They usually con the greedy bargain hunters who think they know best

ChumLee

Minrich wrote: »

The Police/Action Fraud can get the details of the Bank account holder who you paid the deposit to . I expect the car was cheaper than all the others and your deposit was quite large . The banks involved in this transaction should help without too much of a fuss , but many are less than helpful as they have opened many bank accounts with false passports/documents/bills/invoices etc. This may be one of them .The Police can get all the information on the account holder that the bank holds but if they are awkward this will involve a production order at Crown court , sometime in the future . So get working quickly . The chances of getting your money back are slim but you never know , might be an amateurish offence . The fact is that even if you know the details of the account holder it does not mean that they even exist or that they will ever be found .Good luck .

So what are you telling the OP, that at some time in the future the police may get the false details used in this crime? Yes, before you bite any further this along with speeding is a criminal offence.

ChumLee

OP, who did you make the initial report to? Action Fraud just delay the inevitable, a police investigation

mlawson

Chain of events...

Called bank to cancel bank transfer, weren't very helpful (2hrs after it was made)
Called 101, put me through to ActionFraud - closed.
Called bank again, and again. Finally someone tried to contact the other bank - 'Metro Bank' - their Fraud team don't work weekends.
Got back on the same day and filled out ActionFraud via the website, got CRN.
Called bank, gave them this.
'Metro Bank' called my bank back this morning say the account was emptied.

Minrich

But Metro Bank would not have refunded you , they would have frozen the account until such time as a decision was made by a court on the ownership of the funds .
Also i noticed that you have corresponded with the seller via phone . This will be a way of identifying their location in the country and also subscriber information . These may be false but the phone usage can be examined , the numbers the seller has called on the phone also worked on . It will also possibly link to other offences involving the same phone number . This combined with the bank detail may be helpful but probability is slim , but any hope is better than none .

ChumLee

mlawson wrote: »

Chain of events...

Called bank to cancel bank transfer, weren't very helpful (2hrs after it was made)
Called 101, put me through to ActionFraud - closed.
Called bank again, and again. Finally someone tried to contact the other bank - 'Metro Bank' - their Fraud team don't work weekends.
Got back on the same day and filled out ActionFraud via the website, got CRN.
Called bank, gave them this.
'Metro Bank' called my bank back this morning say the account was emptied.

You say you have a crime report number, is this from action fraud or the police?

If you haven't already reported this to the police it maybe a good idea. All Action Fraud to is sent the information to the City of London Police, who then send it to the most appropriate force to investigate. If you go straight to that force you will save a lot of time.

mlawson

The phone had been switched on right up until the point he text saying he was 5 mins away from picking me up. Then it's been off since.