'I had £3,000 stolen via WhatsApp job scam message'

'I had £3,000 stolen via WhatsApp job scam message'

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Discussion

robinessex

Original Poster:

11,548 posts

196 months

Sunday 14th January 2024
quotequote all
'I had £3,000 stolen via WhatsApp job scam message'

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-67945171

"When Bella Betterton fell victim to a recruitment scam and had £3,000 stolen, she felt "attacked" and "distraught".
The 18-year-old had been contacted by scammers first via WhatsApp messages and then phone calls and thought she had taken part in a real job interview. But the fraudsters tricked her card details out of her to steal the money."

So why didn't "please give us your bank account details" sound the alarm bells?

monthou

5,013 posts

65 months

Sunday 14th January 2024
quotequote all
robinessex said:
So why didn't "please give us your bank account details" sound the alarm bells?
She's 18. I'd cut an 18 year old some slack.

Dingu

4,885 posts

45 months

Sunday 14th January 2024
quotequote all
I’m sure the OP has never done anything stupid…. rolleyes

He does have previous for starting pointless threads mind.

robinessex

Original Poster:

11,548 posts

196 months

Sunday 14th January 2024
quotequote all
Dingu said:
I’m sure the OP has never done anything stupid…. rolleyes

He does have previous for starting pointless threads mind.
Thanks for the very profound input. Much appreciated, I hope it wasn't too strenuous an effort for you.

Dingu

4,885 posts

45 months

Sunday 14th January 2024
quotequote all
robinessex said:
Dingu said:
I’m sure the OP has never done anything stupid…. rolleyes

He does have previous for starting pointless threads mind.
Thanks for the very profound input. Much appreciated, I hope it wasn't too strenuous an effort for you.
It’s hard to beat your high quality insight.

robinessex said:
So why didn't "please give us your bank account details" sound the alarm bells?

ClaphamGT3

11,730 posts

258 months

Sunday 14th January 2024
quotequote all
monthou said:
robinessex said:
So why didn't "please give us your bank account details" sound the alarm bells?
She's 18. I'd cut an 18 year old some slack.
This

LocoCoco

1,428 posts

191 months

Sunday 14th January 2024
quotequote all
Why is this thread in General Gassing?
What bit is car related OP?

Is it possible that you made a mistake? Maybe I should start a thread about it.

dudleybloke

20,553 posts

201 months

Sunday 14th January 2024
quotequote all
I was getting spammed with recruitment messages a few months ago. They only mentioned "the job" but not what type of work it is, or hours, or location, just an hourly rate.
Most of the "recruiters" had suspiciously good profile pics but no details about their company at all.

MitchT

16,712 posts

224 months

Sunday 14th January 2024
quotequote all
I get spammed on WhatsApp by recruiters purporting to be from big name agencies. Fortunately I'm happy at work so I just ignore them.

President Merkin

4,297 posts

34 months

Sunday 14th January 2024
quotequote all
robinessex said:
Thanks for the very profound input. Much appreciated, I hope it wasn't too strenuous an effort for you.
Notable that of the last two or three threads you've started that I've bothered reading, both have only got about four posts in before ending up with this osrt of response from you. But I'm sure it's always everyone else & not you.

KAgantua

4,663 posts

146 months

Sunday 14th January 2024
quotequote all
Thick as mince when youre that age, show some empathy op

leef44

4,952 posts

168 months

Sunday 14th January 2024
quotequote all
When my wife applied for a local job (face to face) she was asked to complete a DBS (criminal record check). She had to pay for this herself.

This girl was touted on WhatsApp and this is now a modern way for getting some jobs. She was asked to give her payment details to pay for the DBS check. She had many communications with the recruiter prior to this to check she was right for the job.

The scam looks pretty clever to me. Payment wasn't asked for until she was given the impression that they had checked she was right for the job through a number of communications over a period of time (they were gathering other personal background details bit by bit over those chats).

119

11,602 posts

51 months

Sunday 14th January 2024
quotequote all
monthou said:
robinessex said:
So why didn't "please give us your bank account details" sound the alarm bells?
She's 18. I'd cut an 18 year old some slack.
I would expect an 18 year old to be a lot more savvy considering they have been brought up with technology.

Scans have been around since the birth of the internet:

monthou

5,013 posts

65 months

Sunday 14th January 2024
quotequote all
[redacted]

Robertb

2,714 posts

253 months

Sunday 14th January 2024
quotequote all
robinessex said:
'I had £3,000 stolen via WhatsApp job scam message'

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-67945171

"When Bella Betterton fell victim to a recruitment scam and had £3,000 stolen, she felt "attacked" and "distraught".
The 18-year-old had been contacted by scammers first via WhatsApp messages and then phone calls and thought she had taken part in a real job interview. But the fraudsters tricked her card details out of her to steal the money."

So why didn't "please give us your bank account details" sound the alarm bells?
How does your employer pay you... Cash in brown envelopes?

I've every sympathy for the young girl who's had her hard-earned savings stolen by some lowlife in what would appear to be a very plausible scenario.

There are all sorts of other scams doing the rounds which youngsters at uni should be warned of, for example, being conned into paying deposits for non-existent rental property.

bitchstewie

58,477 posts

225 months

Sunday 14th January 2024
quotequote all
It's a bit light on detail but if you're not familiar with employment processes and a bit naive about how scams work I can see how it could happen.

Devil's advocate though I thought banks had pretty high thresholds for refusing to refund scam victims so it does make you wonder what actually happened.

voyds9

8,490 posts

298 months

Sunday 14th January 2024
quotequote all
monthou said:
robinessex said:
So why didn't "please give us your bank account details" sound the alarm bells?
She's 18. I'd cut an 18 year old some slack.
Do you support 18 year old voting?

monthou

5,013 posts

65 months

Sunday 14th January 2024
quotequote all
voyds9 said:
monthou said:
robinessex said:
So why didn't "please give us your bank account details" sound the alarm bells?
She's 18. I'd cut an 18 year old some slack.
Do you support 18 year old voting?
What a stupid question.

valiant

12,244 posts

175 months

Sunday 14th January 2024
quotequote all
voyds9 said:
monthou said:
robinessex said:
So why didn't "please give us your bank account details" sound the alarm bells?
She's 18. I'd cut an 18 year old some slack.
Do you support 18 year old voting?
Considering the elderly are more often victims of scams maybe we should look at removing their vote as well?

iphonedyou

9,904 posts

172 months

Sunday 14th January 2024
quotequote all
voyds9 said:
Do you support 18 year old voting?
This question isn't as clever as you think it is. Not even close.