Good Samaritan finds man's wallet... & gets in touch with him via four 1p bank transfers - MSE News

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Former_MSE_Callum
Former_MSE_Callum Posts: 696 Forumite
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edited 15 October 2019 at 10:12AM in Budgeting & bank accounts
A Good Samaritan who found a wallet in the road in central London has returned it to its owner – after getting in touch with him via four separate 1p bank transfers, each containing information on how he could be contacted...
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'Good Samaritan finds man's wallet... and gets in touch with him via four 1p bank transfers'
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  • PRAISETHESUN
    PRAISETHESUN Posts: 3,719 Forumite
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    I wonder if the owner ever paid back the 4p...
  • Paul_Herring
    Paul_Herring Posts: 7,481 Forumite
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    PRAISETHESUN wrote: »
    I wonder if the owner ever paid back the 4p...

    You could have read the whole article, and found out.
    Conjugating the verb 'to be":
    -o I am humble -o You are attention seeking -o She is Nadine Dorries
  • PositiveBalance
    PositiveBalance Posts: 1,268 Forumite
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    Ingenious idea!


    Just wondering if it would have left the Good Samaritan's bank details in the wallet owners account, though...
    Debt: £11,640.02 paid in full! DFD: 30/06/20
    Starter Emergency Fund (#187): £1000/£1000
    3 month Emergency Fund (#45): £3300/£3300
  • Chino
    Chino Posts: 2,029 Forumite
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    PositiveBalance wrote: »
    Just wondering if it would have left the Good Samaritan's bank details in the wallet owners account, though...
    and why would that be a problem?
  • Paul_Herring
    Paul_Herring Posts: 7,481 Forumite
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    Chino wrote: »
    and why would that be a problem?

    Probably something to do with giving out names, sort codes and account numbers...

    image012.jpg
    Conjugating the verb 'to be":
    -o I am humble -o You are attention seeking -o She is Nadine Dorries
  • EarthBoy
    EarthBoy Posts: 3,040 Forumite
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    This wouldn't have worked if the owner of the wallet banked with Nationwide. They don't show references for payments or transfers, they just show the payee's name. If the transfer comes from another Nationwide account you don't even get the name; you just get the sort code and account number.
  • Paul_Herring
    Paul_Herring Posts: 7,481 Forumite
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    EarthBoy wrote: »
    This wouldn't have worked if the owner of the wallet banked with Nationwide. They don't show references for payments or transfers, they just show the payee's name. If the transfer comes from another Nationwide account you don't even get the name; you just get the sort code and account number.

    Given the length of the messages, and the fact they're spread over 4 of them, I rather suspect that the sender was using the payment reference field, which should appear in the destination account.

    Comments under the article itself suggest the owner banks with Monzo.
    Conjugating the verb 'to be":
    -o I am humble -o You are attention seeking -o She is Nadine Dorries
  • alphalux
    alphalux Posts: 1 Newbie
    edited 15 October 2019 at 1:13PM
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    I have been receiving this type of low value credits into my bank account for years, accompanied by an unsolicited message.

    They are rather odd as I have not lost my bank card, wallet etc, so was wondering where they obtained my bank details from. Perhaps someone with a photographic memory has obtained them from my bank card in the part, or perhaps its from payment I made by cheque years ago? Who knows?

    Unfortunately, I did make the error of calling the number advised on the first occassion, resulting in me being spammed by numerous calls and texts that I had no option but to change my mobile number.

    Now I just report the unrecognised credits to my bank and let their fraud investigators sort out the scammers. Apparently they trace the account from which the deposits were made, and usually have them shut down if they are from the UK.
  • Paul_Herring
    Paul_Herring Posts: 7,481 Forumite
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    so was wondering where they obtained my bank details from.

    Probably a random number generator. Sort codes aren't secret, account numbers are likely sequential, and banks don't bother checking (yet!) that the name on any transfer actually matches the destination account.

    They're counting on the inquisitive among any valid recipients to reply to them, as you appear to have unfortunately done.
    Conjugating the verb 'to be":
    -o I am humble -o You are attention seeking -o She is Nadine Dorries
  • EarthBoy
    EarthBoy Posts: 3,040 Forumite
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    EarthBoy wrote: »
    This wouldn't have worked if the owner of the wallet banked with Nationwide. They don't show references for payments or transfers, they just show the payee's name. If the transfer comes from another Nationwide account you don't even get the name; you just get the sort code and account number.
    Paul_Herring wrote: »
    Given the length of the messages, and the fact they're spread over 4 of them, I rather suspect that the sender was using the payment reference field, which should appear in the destination account.
    With every other bank it probably does, but not if the destination account is Nationwide, it doesn't. They let you input a payment reference when sending a payment, but they don't show them for payments received. I've been with Nationwide for 30 years, and it's my biggest bugbear with them.
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