Someone I started dating recently asked me to hold £5k cash for him while he travels abroad - Scam?

Daliah

There is just no reason why he could not have a UK bank account. 

He may have a reason to be worried how he could deposit £5K in cash into it, but this would only be an issue if he has no good explanation for the source of the funds.

You would be well advised to decline his "offer". If that's the end of your relationship, you probably got lucky!

SeriousHoax

Just Saying.....

Voyager2002

It is difficult to understand why he cannot take the cash with him. Presumably he will be staying somewhere reasonably secure in his home country.

The remainder of his story makes sense: banks do make it incredibly difficult for new arrivals to open accounts, particularly for someone who does not have a stable or conventional job.

And I wonder: suppose you take care of the money; he returns, and then some of the banknotes turn out to be fakes, what then?

ivormonee

It could all be innocent. Then again, it might not. Difficult to see how this might be a scam (he is giving you money rather than taking from you). Not sure about why he can't (or hasn't been able to) have an account in the UK. In fact, that is suspicious (potentially). Too many unanswered questions to form any conclusive opinion, but I would ask more questions before accepting and if he doesn't like that, then that in itself will provide the answer.

Aristotle67

Started dating recently.....

Asks you to get involved in a financial matter with him......

As section62 says, I think you already know the answer!

wmb194

Voyager2002 said:

It is difficult to understand why he cannot take the cash with him. Presumably he will be staying somewhere reasonably secure in his home country.

The remainder of his story makes sense: banks do make it incredibly difficult for new arrivals to open accounts, particularly for someone who does not have a stable or conventional job.

And I wonder: suppose you take care of the money; he returns, and then some of the banknotes turn out to be fakes, what then?

HMRC and other border forces use cash sniffing dogs at airports and will ask questions about where it came from. If this guy has been evading tax / only working cash in hand jobs he won't have any proof and it'll probably be seized.

MalMonroe

I recently watched 'The Tinder Swindler' on Netflix and it opened my eyes to the fact that there are so many scams and swindles these days that you just don't know what could transpire if you agree to 'hold' money for someone else.

I wouldn't hold money for anyone. Especially someone I haven't known for very long. 

I'd tell him to get that account opened and put his money there. 

daveyjp

Tell him you'll go to the bank with him to open an sccount.  Let us know what excuse he gives for refusing.

Farrella

Just to clarify, this is physical cash.  And he is from Europe so opening a new bank account is apparently more difficult compared to before Brexit. My worry is if he owes someone money (modelling agency commission fee, loan shark for example....I don't know), they might come to me?  At the same time, he trusts me enough to give me all that cash.  I could spend it all before he is back!  Obviously if there is nothing nefarious then my suspicions will hurt our relationship.

kazwookie

Lets just say you hold the £5k for him, he goes off traveling, he comes back and asks for his £15k back.

You have no way of proving how much money was there.

You don't actually know the guy, it has scam all over it.