At the risk of sounding like a keyboard warrior, did you get an address ?
I'd be collecting names of "victims" and near-misses and considering talking to the police, I think
Matthew smith appears to always have what others want....coincidentally,does he ever buy anything/post on singletrack or is he just a chancer who trawls the wanted list looking for buyers?
Set a trap:
Wanted: Tardis (blue), the version with the whoshy bellows sound.
Same here, Unfortunately.
Emailed me in regards to an X01 mech i was after. All the same checks as Daffy and all checked out so sent the money. only 50% of what he was after fortunately.
I may have found a phone number for Mr Smith....[URL= http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/ww299/deesta-pics/Screenshot_2014-11-02-16-41-34_zps2uxvlcne.pn g" target="_blank">
http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/ww299/deesta-pics/Screenshot_2014-11-02-16-41-34_zps2uxvlcne.pn g"/> [/IMG][/URL]
So far I've got the following:
Full Name, bank details, passport, driving license, phone number (landline and mobile), IP address, FB account, Twitter, MSE, and am currently attempting to find where he works.
If anyone else has been defrauded, contact me via e-mail, I'll be contacting the police, his bank and hopefully (if my search algorithm works) his employers by close of play on Monday.
This kinda shit has got to stop. If the police don't do anything, I'll do everything possible to make sure that when someone searches for this guy on the internet every single top result has his name, address, DOB, passport number, picture and a list of the people he's ripped off.
if my search algorithm works
Nice work daffy,I won't be pissing you off any time in my life,the net is a play area for criminals like this,just a shame it's now on our doorstep,I trust anyone who sells on here and I've had no hassles when buying/selling on singletrack,but there's always one dick who has to make us all paranoid from now on when genuine sellers/buyers trade goods,doubt the cops will be interested though as it's not happening in front of their face.
Jamie, mind if I continue imagining this ? :
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if you have a copy of his driving licence you have his address?. If other folks have been ripped off or he has attempted to rip[ them off surely there is enough to go to police with?
If he's ripping folk off, surely he won't be sending details of his driving licence and his address??
Mattonlaptop has a few interesting posts on moneysavingexoert
I'm glad he sent me the photo card as that was the main reason I never sent the money transfer.
Good work Daffy
The only time I've been defrauded recently was via my PAYPAL account. While I was cycling between Muswell Hill and Harrow Weald at about 9pm one evening earlier in the year, I was, totally unbeknownst to me, buying a bloody computer in Fort Worth, BLOODY TEXAS, to be delivered to some BASTARD address in Indonesia.....
PAYPAL were less than bloody helpful and best part of said it was my fault for not guarding the password...a password that I guarded by not telling any other living soul what it was.
NOT IMPRESSED...don't blame anyone for not using them
As for reasons to avoid PayPal, it's something I'm always wary of using as a seller. All the protection is on the buyer and PayPal are well known to chargeback with the slightest complaint from the buyer, and it's a known scam for the buyer to then disappear. Then you have a fight with PayPal, meanwhile you are out of money and won't get your fees back from them. Sometimes they freeze accounts also without discussing it.
Never keen on PayPal for these reasons and the high fees, but then again I wouldn't trust a dodgy story and request for payment by bank transfer either. As a buyer I'm happier to use PayPal in the absence of anything else. I wouldn't use Gift however, though I can understand why a seller might want Gift given the buyer can't chargeback and no fees.
if my search algorithm works
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I'm also struggling to think of any legitimate reason why somebody can't use PayPal.
I've never sold anything on here (or anywhere on the net) and have only made one purchase, which was for a complete bike. I don't do paypal - not that i can't, i just choose not to, so asked the seller if he'd accept a bank transfer. I sent him the money and he sent me the bike and we both lived happily ever after.
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Just pass on his bank details and email address to every scam "Nigerian" money changing e mail/penis enlargement/gambling/pron site etc.
Was never any good at Algorithms in school. Couldn't get my head round all that x+2y=z shite
These algorithms are making me nervous.
Matthew Smith......... never been coned and nothing to hide.
Can anyone who had dealings with this fella please email me including all correspondence, I'm speaking to the Police, Lloyds and Google, if STW can help, that'd be great.
Bump.
I'm also struggling to think of any legitimate reason why somebody can't use PayPal
I hate it. I begrudgingly use it (Same with ebay) as it seems everyone on STW loves it/trades with it. I'll always ask for bank transfer or meet where possible.
Daffy- how much are you down?
Very little - just £45.
Can all those who've been "had" please contact your bank? You probably wont get your money back, but I need as many people as possible to contact their bank regarding the recipient. This way the interbank fraud team can go about their business. It only took me 5 minutes with mine and a follow-up call from the TSB ("Matt's" bank) to get this sorted.
It's not the money, it's the principal. STW is supposed to be a relatively safe place to trade.
hat off to Daffy for doing something about this.
*I'm about to buy pitch forks from eBay - should I use PayPal to pay for them 🙂
Seriously though, well done.
I'm always wary of the wtds for this sort of reason but where I have used it, I've asked the person to post in the wtd ad so I can at least get some idea of their posting history - or more likely, potential lack of it.
Hope you guys get him/your money back.
Just a thought but if the guy is ripping people off it would seem a bit silly to send people copies of his own passport and driving license? Have you thought that he's maybe hacked into this matt whatever's email account?
If he is ripping people off then he's not done a very good job of hiding his identity.
Anyone who has been conned, please fill in this:
Also please contact you banks.
[url= http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/ ]Action Fraud UK Police Website link[/url]
Oh, I now have complete proof that "Matt Smith", is actually Matt Smith as provided in the documentation and that the account is linked to him.
I'm just trying to determine if his exact location matches his data.
M.
PLEASE CONTACT YOUR BANK!
[b]Mod edit: THIS PERSON HAS NOW BEEN BANNED FROM THE FORUM[/b]
So he scammed people and gave them his real info?
Genius.
Daffy - Member[b]Mod edit: THIS PERSON HAS NOW BEEN BANNED FROM THE FORUM[/b]
Not me by the way, I'm still here. 🙂
[i]I'm still here.[/i]
*my hopes are dashed*
😉
🙂
Let me just check this. A scammer sent you his real passport and driving license?
Wow.
Or are we certain that he's a scammer and not just a bit crap? I've bought stuff on here that has turned up eventually with non-replies to emails for a time longer than felt comfortable.
Yeh I'm finding this hard to grasp too.
He'll surely get away with any misdemeanours based on the sanity clause?
nemesis - MemberOr are we certain that he's a scammer and not just a bit crap? I've bought stuff on here that has turned up eventually with non-replies to emails for a time longer than felt comfortable.
Oh yes. I'm 100% certain.
OK, you've obviously got reason to believe that but I still can't get my head round it. Surely someone that stupid would be so obvious when dealing via email? Maybe not... maybe he thought he could just get away with it? Even that seems fairly stupid.
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It's OK I've got chloe on the algorithm, cheers Jack B
Surely you should have enough info on him to access his accounts and freeze them none stop. Telephone banking usually locks the accounts if incorrect password/phrase details are entered. And it's a right PITA to get them unlocked.
Some criminals and scammers often gather trust in their victims before they go for the throat,that's why they are called scammers......
Oh yes. I'm 100% certain.
Algorithms never lie.
Gentlemen, I'm delighted to report that Matt has decided to do the right thing and refund you. You should hopefully be receiving some emails.
I hope this all works out and I'm pleased my digging wasn't for nothing.
Here's hoping,
[i]Matt has decided to do the right thing and refund you[/i]
I do hope that this change of heart doesn't prevent the forces of law and order taking an interest.
And chapeau again to Daffy.
