Site owner - need urgent help please

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Hello I'm New here! Joined: 19 Jul 2007 Posts: 3

I own a classified advertising site in the UK. A site member recently brought to my attention the fact that someone was selling an item on my site and claimed they were an authorised seller of my company.

To cut a long story short I am now posing as a potential buyer of this item and am in communication with the seller. We have progressed to the point that he has provided me with an invoice with my company name on it . The invoice states that the sale is protected by my company and that he has �x,xxx lodged with my company in case a refund is necessary. He is asking for the money to be paid by Western Union which of course is a scammers first choice!

I am not sure of the location of the supposed seller. The IP adress registered with my site is showing him as using AOL from New York. The IP address on his emails shows him located in Romania.

Basically he is ready to commit an offence by trying to defraud me of a substantial amount of money. I am unsure as to whether he has already comitted ID fraud as he has used my company name on a spoof invoice but my company address isn't showing. He has used my logo though.

So who do I report this to? Is there a specialist branch of the UK police as I can't find any info. I did ring the Met Police for advice but they didn't bother calling me back. I really want this person found and prosecuted. Wishful thinking maybe but I have him dangling on a hook ready for the taking!!

(latest news is that he is waiting for his money but I am trying to get a phone number out of him so I can give it to the police to help locate him. He is reluctant but I've told him that I have had a problem on the internet in the past so just want to speak to him then I will pay. He has offered to ring me but I want his number!!! Evil or Very Mad

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Not quite a Newb Joined: 14 Jul 2005 Posts: 41

Quote:

that someone was selling an item on my site and claimed they were an authorised seller of my company.

If it is your site I would suggest yanking his ad, blocking his IP, and putting up a disclaimer and warning on your front page explaining the scam.

Quote:

The IP address on his emails shows him located in Romania.

This is most likely where he will be located.

Sad to say, but I don't think that you will find any LEO's who will be able to do anything with this. If he was in the same country as you are, maybe; but not if he is in Romania.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 19 Jul 2007 Posts: 3

Thanks for your reply. An update is that I have reported this to my local police. They have given me an incident number and are passing it on to their internet crime dept who will contact me for the full details. A small step but it's one in the right direction.

In the meantime Mr X is still eagerly awaiting his Western Union transfer Very Happy

Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2007 12:54 am

Good work inhiding Smile

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