Absolute ordeal with scam on Amex

KenRoberts

Hi all,
I'm looking for some reassurance about a dumb scam that I stupidly fell for.
Only last week I received a call on my landline from somoene who claimed to be from my credit card bank, American express. Everything seemed legitimate.. they already knew plenty of my details and just asked me to confirm some basic verification. He told me there's a suspicious pending purchase about to clear on my account for the large sum of about £2000. I confirmed that this absolutely wasn't me, so he said we'll need some more verification to get it cancelled. This verification process involved a bit more detail, but no actual log in info. I know that I got some texts with verification codes to my phone from actual Amex, which just reassured me that I was talking to the real deal. After this verification, he told me that this suspect payment had been cancelled there was nothing more to it.
He then pitches to me this new offer that's available for me involving them accepting apple gift cards for 110% of the purchase value. I think it's a good deal but I'm not motivated to get involved, but he sends me the email anyway (he knows my email address without me sharing it).
This is the email:

In case you don't know, email offers from Amex look exactly like this, the email address it came from is Amexonlineofficial@outlook.com, which is not the usual Amex email address, but I didn't notice at the time.
So I agree to be opted into this offer as it's not even mandatory for me to actually take part in it. He tells me that as one of the first 1000 customers to agree to take part in the offer, I'm offered a complimentary £150 off my credit balance as a 'thankyou'. I accept that too obviously, free promotional money with no compulsory involvement, and I go about my evening.

A few hours later, very late at night, he calls me back sounding concerned, and says there was a banking error and my card was overpaid... instead of £150, I get paid £5000, my whole credit card paid off. I'm already panicking, feeling like a thief when I've not stolen anything. He tells me that I have a legal duty to pay back the overpaid money ASAP before a mark appears on my credit score, not letting anyone ever bank with me again. He works me up about police being involved and fraud investigations.. I plead that I have every intention to fix it fast, but I obviously don't have £5000 sitting in my current account, hence the credit card. 
He tells me that I have no choice but to take advantage of the previously mentioned Apple exchange offer of 110% cashback, with the whole exchange going towards what I owe them. Buy apple cards on the paid off credit card, then give them the code, and have my debt to them lowered.
So I was completely panicking about this, I've got plenty of other things going on in my life at the moment including identity theft and people keep signing me up to loans or being a guarantor for a loan, so this whole thing is just another nightmare for me to deal with which is where I wasn't thinking logically in hindsight  when I went out to buy apple cards for the amount I owed and sending them the codes.
So a few days later the bank contact me wondering what the hells going on which is where I realised the whole thing was a scam. They said I'm the victim of a phishing scam and will be calling me back soon to hear the whole event.
My fear of getting myself in trouble with the bank, has got me in trouble with the bank. I'm wondering if the bank will hold me accountable for being a moron, or maybe go and try to retrieve the phone calls I received?
At the last second, the crooks also made an online purchase of their own on my credit card which makes things a bit easier for finding them I'd expect.
Thanks for reading this idiots submission, any reassurance or advice is greatful 

born_again

So Amex wanted refunding by the Apple vouchers..... That is as bad as HMRC wanting paying by them....
How will Amex get access to your calls with the fraudster? Only the police can do that.....

Amex fraud team will be used t this type of thing. I know we are... Even had one customer go to supermarket to get vouchers to scratch off and give them the codes. Thankfully checkout operator was on the ball and called manager who made sure that the customer called bank straight away. So nothing was lost.

Best advice. If ever called by any bank. Say thanks for the call. I will ring you back on a known number (back of your card usually). If it's a genuine call then there will be notes about it.
I regularly make outbound calls to customers and are staggered by how many go through security. Then question if you are from the bank.... Thanks for your details...

blue.peter

born_again said:
Best advice. If ever called by any bank. Say thanks for the call. I will ring you back on a known number (back of your card usually). If it's a genuine call then there will be notes about it.

Agreed. It's also advisable to make the callback on a different phone (e.g., if called on your mobile, phone bank on your landline or another mobile). This is because scammers can sometimes keep your line open even when you think you've disconnected. They will then answer your callback and fool you into thinking that you're talking to the bank.

nick74

blue.peter said:

Agreed. It's also advisable to make the callback on a different phone (e.g., if called on your mobile, phone bank on your landline or another mobile). This is because scammers can sometimes keep your line open even when you think you've disconnected. They will then answer your callback and fool you into thinking that you're talking to the bank.

Good advice, although it only applies when you've received the call to a landline. It's not possible for anyone to keep a line open to a mobile without you knowing. Pressing 'end call' on a mobile will always end the call, regardless of what the person on the other end does.

born_again

blue.peter said:

born_again said:
Best advice. If ever called by any bank. Say thanks for the call. I will ring you back on a known number (back of your card usually). If it's a genuine call then there will be notes about it.

Agreed. It's also advisable to make the callback on a different phone (e.g., if called on your mobile, phone bank on your landline or another mobile). This is because scammers can sometimes keep your line open even when you think you've disconnected. They will then answer your callback and fool you into thinking that you're talking to the bank.

Totally agree. Although it should only be a issue on landlines. A issue that has been known for years and promised to be fixed, but is still going on...
Mobiles end the call, when either party does it.

It is also good practise to know just what your banks call security process is. As inbound & outbound might be different. I know ours are.

blue.peter

born_again said

Totally agree. Although it should only be a issue on landlines. A issue that has been known for years and promised to be fixed, but is still going on...
Mobiles end the call, when either party does it.

Maybe I'm paranoid, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. I'd use another phone to return the call even if called on my mobile. It should only be a problem on landlines, but I'm not taking bets on hackers' ability to work out a way of doing it on mobiles.

born_again said:

It is also good practise to know just what your banks call security process is. As inbound & outbound might be different. I know ours are.

It's fair enough to be asked to prove who I am when I phone my bank. But I've no way of knowing that it really is my bank phoning me and asking me to go through security. It could just be scammers who know the relevant system. I refuse to do it when they call me, but instead phone back. Again, I'd rather be safe than sorry.

Terry_Towelling

Are we really expected to believe this?  (obviously, I do, and I'd never suggest Ken is being untruthful or I'd be in contravention of forum rules)

Malkytheheed

a dumb scam that I stupidly fell for.

including identity theft
people keep signing me up to loans
being a guarantor for a loan

Im not having a go but a serious question. Have you considered a trustee to look after your money for you? 

dazzaofdagenham

I’m not being rude, but do people still fall for this rubbish ?

I seem to get a few of these calls and I play along with it....it’s so obvious these people are trying to scam us......
people.....be careful out there......

jinkssick

Harsh to be harsh but there are so many red flags here waving across the sky, its unbelievable but nobody is perfect. The onus would be on you to tell them how sophisticated and elaborate their scam was that you were duped. 

On a lighter note what would have happened if you kept the £5,000 they put in? And only then have been like "thank you for paying off my balance, you are a scammer, see you later".

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth

KenRoberts said:

Hi all,
I'm looking for some reassurance about a dumb scam that I stupidly fell for.
Only last week I received a call on my landline from somoene who claimed to be from my credit card bank, American express. Everything seemed legitimate.. they already knew plenty of my details and just asked me to confirm some basic verification. He told me there's a suspicious pending purchase about to clear on my account for the large sum of about £2000. I confirmed that this absolutely wasn't me, so he said we'll need some more verification to get it cancelled. This verification process involved a bit more detail, but no actual log in info. I know that I got some texts with verification codes to my phone from actual Amex, which just reassured me that I was talking to the real deal. After this verification, he told me that this suspect payment had been cancelled there was nothing more to it.
He then pitches to me this new offer that's available for me involving them accepting apple gift cards for 110% of the purchase value. I think it's a good deal but I'm not motivated to get involved, but he sends me the email anyway (he knows my email address without me sharing it).
This is the email:

In case you don't know, email offers from Amex look exactly like this, the email address it came from is Amexonlineofficial@outlook.com, which is not the usual Amex email address, but I didn't notice at the time.
So I agree to be opted into this offer as it's not even mandatory for me to actually take part in it. He tells me that as one of the first 1000 customers to agree to take part in the offer, I'm offered a complimentary £150 off my credit balance as a 'thankyou'. I accept that too obviously, free promotional money with no compulsory involvement, and I go about my evening.

A few hours later, very late at night, he calls me back sounding concerned, and says there was a banking error and my card was overpaid... instead of £150, I get paid £5000, my whole credit card paid off. I'm already panicking, feeling like a thief when I've not stolen anything. He tells me that I have a legal duty to pay back the overpaid money ASAP before a mark appears on my credit score, not letting anyone ever bank with me again. He works me up about police being involved and fraud investigations.. I plead that I have every intention to fix it fast, but I obviously don't have £5000 sitting in my current account, hence the credit card. 
He tells me that I have no choice but to take advantage of the previously mentioned Apple exchange offer of 110% cashback, with the whole exchange going towards what I owe them. Buy apple cards on the paid off credit card, then give them the code, and have my debt to them lowered.
So I was completely panicking about this, I've got plenty of other things going on in my life at the moment including identity theft and people keep signing me up to loans or being a guarantor for a loan, so this whole thing is just another nightmare for me to deal with which is where I wasn't thinking logically in hindsight  when I went out to buy apple cards for the amount I owed and sending them the codes.
So a few days later the bank contact me wondering what the hells going on which is where I realised the whole thing was a scam. They said I'm the victim of a phishing scam and will be calling me back soon to hear the whole event.
My fear of getting myself in trouble with the bank, has got me in trouble with the bank. I'm wondering if the bank will hold me accountable for being a moron, or maybe go and try to retrieve the phone calls I received?
At the last second, the crooks also made an online purchase of their own on my credit card which makes things a bit easier for finding them I'd expect.
Thanks for reading this idiots submission, any reassurance or advice is greatful 

I don't know how many times the phone rings with some fraud department say my transaction is suspect! I am afraid OP, you have been scammed. And why should I pay for your loss?