| I have been reading lately about many cases of | | | | which he was happy to answer. He sounded and |
| people, who are the victims of conmen on the internet | | | | seemed really nice, however stated that he was |
| auction website Ebay. I myself had a negative | | | | unable to meet me as he was unable to drive, as he |
| experience a number of years ago when a man tried | | | | had yet to pass his driving test. The alarm bells should |
| to steal £170 from me. I was one of the lucky | | | | have started ringing, but for whatever reason, they |
| ones as I managed to get the money back.I had been | | | | didn't.As his house was a long way from where I lived, |
| having lots of fun buying and selling on Ebay for a | | | | I reluctantly agreed to pay via a bank transfer. He |
| number of months, without any problems at all. I | | | | assured me he would post the phone that very day |
| regularly sold second hand mobile phones and was | | | | via Royal Mail Special Delivery to arrive by noon the |
| making a fair amount of money for very little effort. If I | | | | next day. He seemed very genuine, they always do |
| ever bought anything that cost over £100, I would | | | | your thinking and that was that.As you will no doubt |
| always meet the seller somewhere, normally just off | | | | have guessed, no phone arrived the next day or in |
| the motorway. I managed to purchase what I felt | | | | fact any day.I tried contacting Tony via e-mail, text and |
| were some real bargains and also sold off many items | | | | by phoning his mobile phone, there was no reply.I |
| which I no longer needed or wanted.This fun and easy | | | | realised what a fool I had been, however decided to |
| way of earning cash was soon to come to an end. | | | | go to the police. They were very helpful and about half |
| Maybe I am a bit of a fool, but it came as quite a | | | | an hour later I had a crime number, however was |
| shock when it happened.On one particular day, I was | | | | warned that it was very unlikely I would ever see a |
| scouring ebay, looking to purchase another second | | | | phone or receive a refund of my money. The police |
| hand mobile phone, which I would then re-sell, hopefully | | | | advised me to be very careful as they regularly have |
| for a profit. I eventually found an advert for a buy it | | | | complaints from people who have been defrauded on |
| now phone, with the asking price low but not | | | | ebay, I was not alone!Outside the police station I sent |
| extremely low. It was available for only £170, I | | | | Tony a text with the police crime number. To my |
| believed I could quite easily make a profit of at least | | | | shock he phoned me straight away swearing at me |
| £50 at this price.On the advert there was a | | | | but eventually agreed to refund me the money, if I |
| mobile number, which I could phone if I had any | | | | stopped the police action against him.I was very lucky, I |
| questions. I duly did this and a man calling himself Tony | | | | am sure many other people as the police stated, |
| answered. I asked him the general type questions, | | | | never get their money back. |