Fake trading app scam

mycamstudio

Hi all,

I am a vulnerable adult and a victim of a scam relating to a fake trading app I was manipulated into downloading and using.  The scammer instructed me to transfer funds to Moonpay (a legit app) and then from Moonpay to Super AI Options 8 (the fake app).

After a month the scammer took all the funds and it was at this point I realised the app was fake and that I had been scammed.

I reported this to the bank and the fraud action police.

The bank concluded because I transferred the funds to a legitimate app, they weren't going to do anything to get my money back.  Even though I provided strong evidence that I was scammed.

The fraud action police asked if I had warnings or alerts from the bank when making the transfers.  I had no alerts at all.

I complained to the bank that they didn't comply with the actions they'd take regarding sending a copy of the statement I provided regarding the scam and the letter stating the outcome of the investigation.

When I did get the letter stating the outcome of the investigation, I also received the outcome of another scam investigation they were investigating of another Barclay's customer - DATA BREACH!

I've now collected all my evidence and complained to the ombudsman about the above.

I am told by a lot of people the scam I am victim of is very common.  However, how common is it that not only to be victim of a scam, but also a serious data breach?  I have no idea where the statement was sent!

PHK

I don’t think Techie Stuff is the right place for this. 

But beware, you need to destroy or return the other person’s letter. Keeping someone else’s data which you’ve wrongly received is a specific offence. 

For the Data breach you’ll need to complain to the ICO not the ombudsman (who doesn’t have jurisdiction over data protection)

Regarding the scam, it’s a high bar to get a refund. The base position in law is that the transactions must go through. 

So you’d have to show:

1) It was a scam and not a civil dispute
2) The money was going to a scammer (I think you’d fail here as it went to a genuine business and then on, so you’d need to approach Moonpay)
3) The pattern of spending was so unusual that the bank should have spotted it
4) Having spotted it they didn’t give you sufficient warnings

You can find details of the approach used by the ombudsman on the FOS website and of the Contingent Reimbursement Model (the code the banks follow) here: https://www.lendingstandardsboard.org.uk/crm-code/

sheramber

Do the bank have it on record that you are a vulnerable adult?

Why did you think you  needed to transfer money to Moonpay?