Need some serious advice on a scam

Art1972
Art1972 Posts: 17 Forumite
in Budgeting & bank accounts
Hi all,

Back in June of 2016 I was trying to buy a car from a web site after browsing on line. I got in touch with them and they replied saying that they were a liquidations company and that the car I was trying to purchase was in good condition etc etc. Everything seemed above board and that they would deliver the car on a date that I wanted but they needed payment up front to take the car off of sale. Stupidly, and because the car was for my wife, I paid by on line bank transfer £4150 and the rest is history. Never got the car and couldn’t ever get in touch with them again.

I contacted Barclays scam team as that was where the account was held and they told me it would be about 8 weeks before They knew anything and I never heard from them again. Since then I’ve emailed Barclays 4 times and been on the phone to my bank, NatWest, 3 times but still had no resolution.

I finally spoke to Barclays earlier and they told me that about 6-7 weeks after the scam they got in touch with NatWest with their investigation findings but NatWest never got in touch with me. So I called NatWest and after a while they told me that Barclaysdid get in touch with them and that Barclays recovered £9.56 out of £4150 and that was paid into my account.

Is there anything else that I can do to try and claim this money back or is that the end of it?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks
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Comments

  • eskbanker
    eskbanker Posts: 30,993 Forumite
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    I can't see anything else being achievable via the banks if the Barclays account was emptied two and a half years ago, but if you have a name and address for the company then you could pursue them through the courts if they still exist and have any assets....
  • PRAISETHESUN
    PRAISETHESUN Posts: 3,716 Forumite
    First Anniversary Photogenic Name Dropper First Post
    Art1972 wrote: »
    Hi all,

    Back in June of 2016 I was trying to buy a car from a web site after browsing on line. I got in touch with them and they replied saying that they were a liquidations company and that the car I was trying to purchase was in good condition etc etc. Everything seemed above board and that they would deliver the car on a date that I wanted but they needed payment up front to take the car off of sale. Stupidly, and because the car was for my wife, I paid by on line bank transfer £4150 and the rest is history. Never got the car and couldn’t ever get in touch with them again.

    I contacted Barclays scam team as that was where the account was held and they told me it would be about 8 weeks before They knew anything and I never heard from them again. Since then I’ve emailed Barclays 4 times and been on the phone to my bank, NatWest, 3 times but still had no resolution.

    I finally spoke to Barclays earlier and they told me that about 6-7 weeks after the scam they got in touch with NatWest with their investigation findings but NatWest never got in touch with me. So I called NatWest and after a while they told me that Barclaysdid get in touch with them and that Barclays recovered £9.56 out of £4150 and that was paid into my account.

    Is there anything else that I can do to try and claim this money back or is that the end of it?

    Any help would be greatly appreciated.

    Many thanks

    Unfortunately I think you might be slightly out of luck with this one, particularly due to the age of the scam. I personally can't think of anything more that could be done, especially if the accounts were emptied at the time. Personally I'd probably just chalk it up as a (very expensive) life lesson :(
  • DCFC79
    DCFC79 Posts: 40,598 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post
    Put it down as a life lesson and dont make the same mistake.
  • jonnygee2
    jonnygee2 Posts: 2,086 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Post Combo Breaker First Anniversary
    How important is this 4k to you?

    You could raise a formal complaint against Barclays. The chance of success would be tiny, I'd say 1 in 1000, and it'd take time and effort for almost definitely (but not completely definitely) nothing. It's also pretty unfair on the bank, as you'd be making a complaint without having any specific reason to think they had done anything wrong.

    But I guess if this loss is putting you in severe financial hardship, or you earn £100 a week or something, then it might balance out and be worth it.

    But basically unless that's your situation I'd say nothing more you can do.
  • Art1972
    Art1972 Posts: 17 Forumite
    Oh I’ve definitely learnt my lesson and what an expensive lesson to learn. Never again.

    Thank you all for your help and responses.
  • Joe_Bloggs
    Joe_Bloggs Posts: 4,535 Forumite
    I think the Barclays Scam team and Natwest Scan team are aptly named. If they choose not to keep accurate records of transactions between scammers and victims over an accountable financial period then they are as much to blame as the scammers in the first place and are probably encouraging future wrongdoing by others.

    J_B
  • Ergates
    Ergates Posts: 2,108 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post Name Dropper
    Joe_Bloggs wrote: »
    I think the Barclays Scam team and Natwest Scan team are aptly named. If they choose not to keep accurate records of transactions between scammers and victims over an accountable financial period then they are as much to blame as the scammers in the first place and are probably encouraging future wrongdoing by others.

    J_B

    What does keeping accurate records of transactions have to do with this case? (and what makes you think they're not keeping them?)

    If after the money was transferred from the Natwest account to the Barclay's account it was then immediately transferred out, there is little either bank can do.
  • Flobberchops
    Flobberchops Posts: 1,279 Forumite
    First Post Combo Breaker First Anniversary
    Joe_Bloggs wrote: »
    I think the Barclays Scam team and Natwest Scan team are aptly named. If they choose not to keep accurate records of transactions between scammers and victims over an accountable financial period then they are as much to blame as the scammers in the first place and are probably encouraging future wrongdoing by others.

    J_B


    I expect most banks keep all records for the statutory six years?
    : )
  • Joe_Bloggs
    Joe_Bloggs Posts: 4,535 Forumite
    All banks should know their customers. If they can't identify where money is going via fraudulent activity then they can be guilty of money laundering or similar organized crime charges.


    J_B.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0 Newbie
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post
    Most mule accounts (accounts where money stolen via fraud is sent) are naive students "working" and those accounts get closed after they have sent the money on via Western Union or somesuch service.

    Occasionally, someone has their ID stolen and an account set up or you find overseas students sell their accounts to criminals after leaving the UK and heading back to their home country.

    Things will get a bit more secure in the new year when banks will need to match the name on the account to what the sender has put on the payment information. That should hopefully stop the ones where the fraudster claims to be a business or a specific person.
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