I've been scammed and don't how to proceed

kevj9201

Hi, I'm wondering if there is anything i can do to get my money back. I know i've done a stupid thing but am now trying to sort it out.

I have sent money to a scammer using a link they sent me to a tripadvisor villa booking in france. I paid in euro's using a bank transfer with my Fairfx currency account. Once i realised it was a scam i contacted Fairfx who said the money had gone and i should contact the merchant!

Is there anyway of me getting my money back or have i lost it?

Thanks
Stupid Kevin

TELLIT01

Have you spoken to your bank?

Aylesbury_Duck

Speak to your bank as soon as you can.  They may be able to help, but don't get your hopes up.

Any one of us is just one lapse of concentration away from doing something silly and getting scammed.  It's why scammers are successful.  Don't beat yourself up too much, just use it to train yourself to be more vigilant.  Checking your bank and card statements every month is something loads of people don't do and while they might feel comfortable that they're not being scammed, plenty of people have direct debits and standing orders running that they've totally forgotten about or haven't spotted.

kevj9201

Aylesbury_Duck said:

Speak to your bank as soon as you can.  They may be able to help, but don't get your hopes up.

Any one of us is just one lapse of concentration away from doing something silly and getting scammed.  It's why scammers are successful.  Don't beat yourself up too much, just use it to train yourself to be more vigilant.  Checking your bank and card statements every month is something loads of people don't do and while they might feel comfortable that they're not being scammed, plenty of people have direct debits and standing orders running that they've totally forgotten about or haven't spotted.

Thanks, I got in touch with FairFX on live chat, it’s a prepaid currency card, they said the transaction has gone through and they can’t reverse it! 

Guess I just have the most expensive lesson of my life! 

Gutted

PHK

The post isn’t particularly clear. 

I think you made a bank transfer into your FairFX prepaid account card and then used the currency card to pay for the Villa?

if that’s the case then you have two options

Speak to your actual bank clearly explaining the scam. 

Ask FairFX to do a chargeback as you haven’t received the service/goods you paid for. 

born_again

PHK said:

The post isn’t particularly clear. 

I think you made a bank transfer into your FairFX prepaid account card and then used the currency card to pay for the Villa?

if that’s the case then you have two options

Speak to your actual bank clearly explaining the scam. 

Ask FairFX to do a chargeback as you haven’t received the service/goods you paid for. 

Can't see bank doing anything as the transfer was to a card in OP's name. So nothing wrong there I'm sorry to say.

As FairFx is a Mastercard, then there should be chargeback rights. But the basis will have to be non receipt of goods/services & that will not be able to be actioned till day after stay, so long as it is within 540 days of debit.

Ergates

PHK said:

The post isn’t particularly clear. 

I think you made a bank transfer into your FairFX prepaid account card and then used the currency card to pay for the Villa?

if that’s the case then you have two options

Speak to your actual bank clearly explaining the scam. 

Ask FairFX to do a chargeback as you haven’t received the service/goods you paid for. 

The transfer to the FairFX card wasn't a scam - it was a legitimate transfer done by the OP.  As far as the bank is concerned that will be the end of the matter.

kevj9201

Thanks for your comments,

To clarify i move money from my bank every month onto my fairfx card to build up euro's for holidays.

I then pay with the fairfx card.

I have asked fairfx to instigate a chargeback but they have sent me to mastercard who have directed me back to fairfx, still awaiting their next response.

Kevin

PHK

born_again said:

PHK said:

The post isn’t particularly clear. 

I think you made a bank transfer into your FairFX prepaid account card and then used the currency card to pay for the Villa?

if that’s the case then you have two options

Speak to your actual bank clearly explaining the scam. 

Ask FairFX to do a chargeback as you haven’t received the service/goods you paid for. 

Can't see bank doing anything as the transfer was to a card in OP's name. So nothing wrong there I'm sorry to say.

As FairFx is a Mastercard, then there should be chargeback rights. But the basis will have to be non receipt of goods/services & that will not be able to be actioned till day after stay, so long as it is within 540 days of debit.

The FOS position on this changed. Even if the CRM doesn’t apply, (or Barclays v Phillp) they still believe that Banks should have appropriate anti-fraud systems in place. So even if the transfer was to a card in the OPs name (or to a legitimate business such as a crypto exchange) they now take the view that the originating bank should take reaponsibility (usually 50% with the customer). 

You can check this in all the many Ombudsman decisions from June and July published on their website. 

PHK

Ergates said:

PHK said:

The post isn’t particularly clear. 

I think you made a bank transfer into your FairFX prepaid account card and then used the currency card to pay for the Villa?

if that’s the case then you have two options

Speak to your actual bank clearly explaining the scam. 

Ask FairFX to do a chargeback as you haven’t received the service/goods you paid for. 

The transfer to the FairFX card wasn't a scam - it was a legitimate transfer done by the OP.  As far as the bank is concerned that will be the end of the matter.

The FOS position on this changed. See my previous post for details. 

Basically if the pattern of usage was out of character for the customer AND and effective warning wasn’t given then the bank will be (probably jointly) liable. 

In the OPs case this might not make a difference as it seems they routinely moved money to the card.