Online Scam Website Wii Fit (zavvi impersonation)

dinah_greek

Hi contact your bank again - just because you paid by debit card shouldn't mean you are not covered - the banking code of practice should see to that - if however Lloyds continues to refuse this let me know at [EMAIL="dinah.greek@incisivemedia.com"]dinah.greek@incisivemedia.com[/EMAIL]
Dinah

cptncanary

I had to chase HSBC for a credit card refund, which they finally approved today :j

dinah_2

Hi I investigated the zavvi direct scam earlier this year in which over 2,500 people were conned- in case it is of interest to forum readers who posted to the site, Sussex police who have been great at keeping me in the loop as far as they can - told me when I called them last Friday - a week ago - that they had arrested and bailed two men living in Kent because of £50,000 they were in receipt of from the zavvi direct business account- a third man they want for questioning who was in receipt of £70,000 has apparently moved on from his address. They like me have also linked the scam to Best Sports World and another scam which I can't currently mention because the name I have been given is too near a legitimate company name and I have no further details from the police. I would also in the post love to tell you the excuse as to why they are innocent given to the police by the men who were arrested - it was to say.. erm highly amusing!!!! however it was pulled from my edited news story while I was off work ill and so on Monday am actually going to check if this was potential defamation or not. I don't think so but I do have to bow to the legal side in this and to be fair I am a journalist and despite obvious legal training, they do know more than me and may need to rein me in. Investigations are ongoing as they say. I would like to say to forum posters -from this forum and others - you made a huge difference. Your combined reports meant this was not some 'small' scam going under the radar. It helped Sussex police - esp the officer in charge have worked their socks off to get these men.
Dinah Greek
Computeractive

brightonman123

a foot note- the 'real' zavvi firm has now gone under.

i hope people get their money back ok

dinah_2

I do not know if anyone is still checking this posting after all this time but I have some good news. Sussex police arrested two men on money laundering charges.:j
The initial legal hoops have been gone through and their next appearance will be at Lewes crown court on 5 March. This is bound just to be a short appearance and essentially just the initial process.
DC Nigel Tillings at Brighton worked wonders tracking these two down and bringing this case to court- a third man wanted for questioning disappeared and to my knowledge has not yet been tracked down. Neither is it known if the two men were the brains behind this scam - which seems to be linked to two others in the Kent/Susssex area since 2007 and 2008. I hope to attend parts of this trial and will of course update when I can.
Thank you to everyone here who helped me in this investigation and I hope you got your money back. As some may not have and with people being refused refunds from another scam from last year -apple-labs.com. the apple specialist - Please note this company has nothing what so ever to do with the real Apple.
I have asked an MP to ask a question in parliament about the way the banks will not protect people from fraud when another bank has given the fraudsters merchant services - as in zavvi direct case and this apple-labs.com case. However I am concerned it is not the right time for this and it may get lost with a looming general election
Dinah Greek
News editor
Computeractive

batcatz

Thanks, my bank refused to give me a refund after much chasing around. I am now putting in a complaint to the Financial Ombudsman! It was Halifax.

batcatz

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=30788949#post30788949

details on this thread

Nile

Hi, Martin’s asked me to post this in these circumstances: I’ve asked Board Guides to move threads if they’ll receive a better response elsewhere(please see this rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board, where it should get more replies. If you have any questions about this policy please email [EMAIL="abuse@moneysavingexpert.com"]abuse@moneysavingexpert.com[/EMAIL].

brightonman123

from last weeks, Argus newspaper..

POLICE launched a major investigation after a fraudster tried to cash in on
the launch of the Nintendo Wii Fit, a court was told.

More than 3,000 people tried toorder the games console from online
trader Zavvi Direct in June 2008. The firm’s logo mirrored that
of Zavvi Entertainment, which bought Virgin Mega store and
had a shop at Churchill Square, Brighton, but had no connection
with the company.

In just three weeks, Zavvi Direct took orders worth £248,000
for Wii Fit consoles, computers and other goods before the internet
site was shut down by regulators.

A Paul Clayton was registered as the director of Zavvi Direct at
the offices in Old Steine, Brighton. A jury at Lewes Crown Court heard that Hove businessman Paul Clayton’s identity had been stolen to set up the company.

Julian Woodbridge, prosecuting, alleged some of the money taken by Zavvi Direct went through the business accounts of two partners in an Italian restaurant and import company in Kent.

Denis Farley, 28, of Station Mews, Ramsgate, and Marco Caracciolo, 37, of West Cliff, Ramsgate, were arrested in November 2008.

They told detectives themoney was payment from the man posing as Mr Clayton for 1,700 cases of olive oil from their import company. They insisted the money was used to install a new kitchen at their restaurant
Trattoria Pizzeria Rosario in Albert Square, Margate.

Farley said he had never met the man posing as Mr Clayton and had only communicated with him by phone or e-mail. Charles Parker, a fraud investigator with Royal Bank of Scotland’s credit facilitator Streamline,
said Zavvi Direct’s turnover was projected to be £250,000 in a full financial year but it exceeded that in the three weeks up to June 16, 2008.

Mr Parker said: “Concerns were expressed about the number of customers complaining that goods had been ordered and paid for but not received.
A significant number involved the ordering of Wii Fit consoles which were not supplied.”

In three weeks Zavvi Direct took 3,045 orders worth £254,077 but none of the customers had received their Wii Fits or other goods, while only 50 had managed to get their money back.

Farley and Caracciolo deny 14 charges of laundering of £74,000.

The trial continues. **

-- Ben Parsons
Crime Reporter
The Argus
Argus House
Crowhurst Road
Brighton BN1 8AR

** resumes today, Monday 15 Jan, if interested!
court listings here-
http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/xhibit/lewes.htm

brightonman123

update- guilty! (quelle surprise..)

http://www.computeractive.co.uk/ca/news/1939674/zavvi-direct-fraudsters-guilty-money-laundering

..Two men involved in the £250,000 Zavvi Direct scam uncovered by Computeractive two years ago were convicted of money laundering offences at Lewes Crown Court this week.

Demis Farley, 29, and Marco Caracciolo, 38, both of Ramsgate, Kent, claimed the £74,000 they received was payment for a shipment of olive oil. But they were found guilty on 14 counts of money laundering, possessing, converting and transferring criminal property.

-both released on bail (??) pending sentence..