Please help me catch a crook

M

markie4eyes

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Hi all. I’m new at posting here (and its a bit cheeky to ask a favour so soon) but was wondering if anyone may be able to help me.
Stupid I know (to get in this mess), but I think there is a chance we can catch a crook.

Here’s what happened –

Was hosting a friend and his children out from New Zealand – he was keen for his kids to go to Sun City for a few days. Problem -short notice and 8 of us in total.
Solution was a Gumtree advert (I know, I know). I had used a similar advert before(no probs) and this guy’s email was from a local domain (crossflag.co.za) and he wasn’t Nigerian.
Anyway to cut a long story short -we got ripped off . He has our R6500 and we had to make alternative plans. He said they double–booked and kept saying they will refund the money - playing us along -(I guess we wanted to believe him) but still nil and now- no contact. -Embarrassing to say the least.
I see he had a few adverts at the time(google archive) but since then has not advertised.
All we have is a cell ph no(rarely answered), and an email invoice (fax no, an e-mail address , postal address with no physical address ,a company name/no , 2 names ?fake .)
I want to kick myself for being stupid but keep thinking that If I got more info from , lets say, the domain name ,so if i had a physical address I could maybe hire a P.I. or go to the police (I guess I intend to go to the police anyway but an address will be usefull).
Here’s the invoice with the info:

http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/album.php?albumid=218&pictureid=1268


Any suggestions would be much appreciated. The loss of funds really hurts but I want to be able to tell the Kiwis we caught him.

Thanking you in advance
m
 
Yesterday (or the day before?) on 702, they discussed Gumtree scams. The advice, obviously, is never to pay in advance.
 
eish unlucky one... and the typo of R65000 :) if it was that much you lost i would k@k myself :P

maybe someone can help.
 
have you tried phoning the police, or maybe hiring a PI to get the persons adress?
 
Do you have the headers for the mail in question? Just to confirm it came from that domain or possibly spoofed,as that website is under contrruction
 
First things first, to get the money back, how did you pay? If by credit card, you can take it to the bank. I think you need to open a case of fraud, and then take it to the bank to get the transaction reversed. Likewise, opening a case of fraud with the police, should allow you to get a court order for the bank to release the clients address associated with the bank account. I'm sure FIA requires a physical address, with proof, not a postal. So that may help. You also know what bank he is with, write a nice letter to them, and they may prove helpful in tracking him down. Hell they might be interested in his past activities as well.

try this. Might be fake.

http://www.yellowpages.co.za/subscr...cid=Sa_10376893_8888_120886112000171947060001

Address is

Cross Flag Sales CC
8 Jean Av
bordeaux
phone Phone 011 7810534
 
Oh, by the way, that is the address according to Yellow Pages for the fax number. I'm sure it's pretty close to where you need to be
 
how was the money paid into his account?

can't you ask the bank to reverse the transaction? Just explain to the bank manager, maybe they can help.
 
graviti said:
First things first, to get the money back, how did you pay? If by credit card, you can take it to the bank. I think you need to open a case of fraud, and then take it to the bank to get the transaction reversed. Likewise, opening a case of fraud with the police, should allow you to get a court order for the bank to release the clients address associated with the bank account. I'm sure FIA requires a physical address, with proof, not a postal. So that may help. You also know what bank he is with, write a nice letter to them, and they may prove helpful in tracking him down. Hell they might be interested in his past activities as well.

try this. Might be fake.

http://www.yellowpages.co.za/subscr...cid=Sa_10376893_8888_120886112000171947060001

Address is

Cross Flag Sales CC
8 Jean Av
bordeaux
phone Phone 011 7810534
Click to expand...

Gee thanks , I'll try
 
So many things wrong with that invoice.
The telephone number being a cell number, but put in brackets to make it seem like a landline number, also as noted above the typo of R650000.00 :eek:

When and how did you pay the money into that account?
Go to the police, open a case and then go to your bank - scrap that - there's nothing your bank can do as there is no proof that the receiver is fraudulent...
It'll be a case of you not having received goods and they won't touch it and also some time has passed since you paid yeah?
I'd still suggest going to the police - I'll make a call and see if your money is still in that account - doubt it though, but will try ;)
 
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