T
thespraytanshop
- Original Poster
- #1
I want to warn everyone about the Scams from dubai targeting UK internet businesses.
If you have heard about it great, but if like me you haven't then take heed as it has the potential to screw up your entire life even if you find out half way through it is a scam.
I deal with Dubai a lot and over the last year had much interest in people wanting to become distributors of my product. I sell spray tan kits to dubai about 3-4 times a month, mainly to ex-pats.
It came as no surprise, when I received an enquiry for one of my spray tan kits that cost £795. I was asked what the price was and I replied back.
A few days later I got an e-mail back saying they wanted 100, no requests for further discounts or anything. My business has been struggling as the banks have dried up most lending avenues so me and my business partner saw this as a lifeline. After all Dubai is a very rich country right?
I sent the invoice in the belief that I will only get excited when the money from this order hit my account and give us the lifeline we desperetly needed.
I spoke to a supplier about the order that told me it may be a scam, so I googled it only to find it was too good to be true. Basically they pay more than the invoice amount into the bank and then request the difference back to them by BACS. However they have been paying cheques in to the bank in the UK. Now obviously if the cheque did hit my account I would have let it bounce and thought nothing of his request for the repayment of the overpayment as the cheque would bounce anyway - right?
An e-mail a few days later confirmed my suspicions that it was a scam - the order was reduced to 40 units and he said 'please confirm receipt of £79,500'.
No cheque had hit my account and to be fair I forgot about it.
Then last thursday i tried to use my debit card online and it declined (my personal bank). I tried to go online and look at my account and could not access it so I called them up presuming the systems had gone down.
I was told then that they had suspended ALL my bank accounts and gave no explanation as to why. I had no cash, no means of paying for anything and no warning. I was told to go to my local branch which was going to be the next day - I had no cash, no petrol and no food in to feed my kids (everything I buy I pay for by card!).
I went into my bank Barclays and saw a customer services manager who told me a large cheque had been paid into my account and that it was flagged as a fraudulent cheque and they had suspended ALL my accounts until further investigations were completed. I explained the story to him and asked how a LIMITED business bank account that the cheque got paid into meant that my PERSONAL bank accounts with them also got investigated!!
Anyway after being treated like a criminal I finally withdrew some cash.
The next day i went in for more cash and they informed me that they were giving me 14 days notice that they intend to close my accounts on the 30th April!!! To be fair I wasn't bothered as the way they treated me why the hell would I use Barclays again. Then on Monday I went to get a new bank account, I got declined at every bank bar RBS and even then I only got a basic account (i had the Premier Life account at Barclays). Then 3 days after I transferred all my payments and direct debits to the RBS they closed my account.
My business partner tried to open a new business account for us, all got refused because barclays have flagged us now with 'Fraud'.
I have no means of paying anything at the minute, my rent is now overdue and I have to try pay it out of my mums account. I can't pay my suppliers and I can't pay my basic bills!! I can't even now receive any money so I am so broke I am near to tears. The money from my Child maintenance won't pay into any other account other than one with my name
.
I don't know or begin to understand why I am being treated like this. I have been with barclays for 7 years!! My accounts were always in good order.
I have a lloyds account but the question is how long before that gets shut down if they spot this fraud link.
I have played hell with Barclays who only on Thursday said I could open a complaint that takes 5 days to complete. All I want is for them to remove the fraud link but i think its too late now.
The only option I now have is become completly dishonest and get a new name and start again. The financial ombudsmen won't help for 8 weeks.
Moral of the story - Don't let anyone have your bank details even for business, because it can effect you personally. I can't even feed my children at the minute as i have no money so I have had to send them to live with their dad and next week I will get evicted from my home as I have no where to pay my money into!
I don't even have the money to open an offshore account which will now be my only legal option
If you have heard about it great, but if like me you haven't then take heed as it has the potential to screw up your entire life even if you find out half way through it is a scam.
I deal with Dubai a lot and over the last year had much interest in people wanting to become distributors of my product. I sell spray tan kits to dubai about 3-4 times a month, mainly to ex-pats.
It came as no surprise, when I received an enquiry for one of my spray tan kits that cost £795. I was asked what the price was and I replied back.
A few days later I got an e-mail back saying they wanted 100, no requests for further discounts or anything. My business has been struggling as the banks have dried up most lending avenues so me and my business partner saw this as a lifeline. After all Dubai is a very rich country right?
I sent the invoice in the belief that I will only get excited when the money from this order hit my account and give us the lifeline we desperetly needed.
I spoke to a supplier about the order that told me it may be a scam, so I googled it only to find it was too good to be true. Basically they pay more than the invoice amount into the bank and then request the difference back to them by BACS. However they have been paying cheques in to the bank in the UK. Now obviously if the cheque did hit my account I would have let it bounce and thought nothing of his request for the repayment of the overpayment as the cheque would bounce anyway - right?
An e-mail a few days later confirmed my suspicions that it was a scam - the order was reduced to 40 units and he said 'please confirm receipt of £79,500'.
No cheque had hit my account and to be fair I forgot about it.
Then last thursday i tried to use my debit card online and it declined (my personal bank). I tried to go online and look at my account and could not access it so I called them up presuming the systems had gone down.
I was told then that they had suspended ALL my bank accounts and gave no explanation as to why. I had no cash, no means of paying for anything and no warning. I was told to go to my local branch which was going to be the next day - I had no cash, no petrol and no food in to feed my kids (everything I buy I pay for by card!).
I went into my bank Barclays and saw a customer services manager who told me a large cheque had been paid into my account and that it was flagged as a fraudulent cheque and they had suspended ALL my accounts until further investigations were completed. I explained the story to him and asked how a LIMITED business bank account that the cheque got paid into meant that my PERSONAL bank accounts with them also got investigated!!
Anyway after being treated like a criminal I finally withdrew some cash.
The next day i went in for more cash and they informed me that they were giving me 14 days notice that they intend to close my accounts on the 30th April!!! To be fair I wasn't bothered as the way they treated me why the hell would I use Barclays again. Then on Monday I went to get a new bank account, I got declined at every bank bar RBS and even then I only got a basic account (i had the Premier Life account at Barclays). Then 3 days after I transferred all my payments and direct debits to the RBS they closed my account.
My business partner tried to open a new business account for us, all got refused because barclays have flagged us now with 'Fraud'.
I have no means of paying anything at the minute, my rent is now overdue and I have to try pay it out of my mums account. I can't pay my suppliers and I can't pay my basic bills!! I can't even now receive any money so I am so broke I am near to tears. The money from my Child maintenance won't pay into any other account other than one with my name
.I don't know or begin to understand why I am being treated like this. I have been with barclays for 7 years!! My accounts were always in good order.
I have a lloyds account but the question is how long before that gets shut down if they spot this fraud link.
I have played hell with Barclays who only on Thursday said I could open a complaint that takes 5 days to complete. All I want is for them to remove the fraud link but i think its too late now.
The only option I now have is become completly dishonest and get a new name and start again. The financial ombudsmen won't help for 8 weeks.
Moral of the story - Don't let anyone have your bank details even for business, because it can effect you personally. I can't even feed my children at the minute as i have no money so I have had to send them to live with their dad and next week I will get evicted from my home as I have no where to pay my money into!
I don't even have the money to open an offshore account which will now be my only legal option
