Demand for fees on unauthorised transactions

6Gingerpops9

I received a "Ransom" email in January 24 and my computer was compromised. Also some of my passwords. As I tried to change them the scammer kept stopping me. I informed eBay and others beginning of February 24. Since then I have communicated with eBay on their site and also with their head office in the uk by hard copy letters explaining these transactions were unauthorised. I didn't use my eBay account  from February to this day, I asked eBay to close my account. They have been chasing me since then for £586 of fees on transactions I never made and I believe they realised were unusual as my account was a hobby, not a business and I made no pecuniary benefit. I have just received an email from a debt recovery company Allied International Credit (UK) Ltd who want me to contact them, should I ignore them?

soolin

6Gingerpops9 said:

I received a "Ransom" email in January 24 and my computer was compromised. Also some of my passwords. As I tried to change them the scammer kept stopping me. I informed eBay and others beginning of February 24. Since then I have communicated with eBay on their site and also with their head office in the uk by hard copy letters explaining these transactions were unauthorised. I didn't use my eBay account  from February to this day, I asked eBay to close my account. They have been chasing me since then for £586 of fees on transactions I never made and I believe they realised were unusual as my account was a hobby, not a business and I made no pecuniary benefit. I have just received an email from a debt recovery company Allied International Credit (UK) Ltd who want me to contact them, should I ignore them?

Firstly the most important bit is the credit agency, go across to one of the debt forums here on MSE and ask about  Allied International Credit (UK) Ltd , if they are legit then get advice about how to proceed. 

The ransom mail is usually just a scam, they don't often have control of a PC and rely on people to contact them - how did they access your PC so fully and have you recovered your PC and managed to change all your passwords and security yet? If not do that immediately, as getting into one account often assists in accessing the rest.

DullGreyGuy

As above, the typical ransom (often mentioning having captured you watching !!!!!!) email is pure speculation and they are doing nothing other than spoofing email address hoping someone believes they've gained access. 

I did once have my email hacked, that did allow them to reset my eBay password but that was then used to buy things (computer game codes). You however mention transactions fees which would suggest they used your account to sell things and so a bit confused how they managed to sell things and receive the money but you receive the bill? Especially as to how they sold enough to get a £600 bill in transaction fees. 

soolin

DullGreyGuy said:

As above, the typical ransom (often mentioning having captured you watching !!!!!!) email is pure speculation and they are doing nothing other than spoofing email address hoping someone believes they've gained access. 

I did once have my email hacked, that did allow them to reset my eBay password but that was then used to buy things (computer game codes). You however mention transactions fees which would suggest they used your account to sell things and so a bit confused how they managed to sell things and receive the money but you receive the bill? Especially as to how they sold enough to get a £600 bill in transaction fees. 

This is my fear, I'm rather suspicious (although as I'm not techie I'm happy to be corrected) that it is similar to a story which I saw reported where the victim allowed a supposedly third party remote access to their PC in order to remove the 'scammer' and ended up with an entire hijack with every piece of information available to the scammer. With someone else able to monitor the PC any attempt to reach out for help, or to change passwords was just fed back to the scammer.

After a lull of a few years I have just started to get the ransom emails again co incidentally starting back in January this year same as the OP. Always the same format, assuming I'm male with a working camera on my PC (neither is actually the case) . 

DullGreyGuy

soolin said:

After a lull of a few years I have just started to get the ransom emails again co incidentally starting back in January this year same as the OP. Always the same format, assuming I'm male with a working camera on my PC (neither is actually the case) . 

There are two different versions we get, one is shorter and gender neutral, the other is much longer and does assume the recipient is male.

Have the inverse problem with the phishing text message though, they are always addressed to "Mum" when 1) dont have kids and 2) if I did they wouldn't be calling me mum. 


I think with both of these it's targeting the most likely recipient, same as any confidence trickster does. Sure those that wouldn't identify as "a man" may well also watch adult material but stats show that males are much more commonly doing so. So it's a simple numbers/probability game.  

6Gingerpops9

Hello all and thanks for looking. To answer the question how did they manage to sell things and get the fees that are being contested. I first contacted eBay in 11 Feb when I received the ransom email because it mentioned my eBay password, I actually spoke with someone at eBay and asked them to shut my account, I later received an email saying they had sorted it, (in their way) Evidently this hacker had placed an iPhone and a range finder one valued at over £600 and the range finder at over £1200. When the buyers didn't receive the items eBay refunded, which is only fair. However what isn't fair is to not investigate properly after I had informed them of the compromised account. To add some detail, I have been a hobby seller on eBay for over 16 years and never offered anything for sale in as expensive, I used to restore antique furniture when I was younger now at 85 it's a hobby. I have tried to explain to eBay on several occasions my circumstances but I don't believe they even read my letters. I would have thought a company as fast as eBay would be insured for fraud cases. I am on a state pension with a small private pension of my wife's so I am not sure where the money will come from if I have to pay. I will follow the advice and go to the debt forum. Had my computer completely cleaned by experts and managed to change passwords. Hope I haven't bored you and thanks again for the advice

6Gingerpops9

I meant as Vast as eBay