Please see below description of an attempted scam that took place over the weekend. If you own
or are employed by a company that would take payment by means of bank transfer please be alert to the method used.
This information has been forwarded to us by one of the board members of Neighbourhood Watch Scotland.
The text has been lifted from the Facebook page of Fettes Sawmill Ltd who are based in Muir of Ord.
Just a heads up to all businesses out there!
We have been involved in a scam, quite clever really.
Man called on Friday wanting a few bits of timber and wanted to pay by bank transfer, we gave him our bank details as normal.
Saturday he called in a state saying his wife had paid us £4160 in error and wanted us to refund the money.
He called several times, saying it was paid by bank transfer and he needed the money to pay another business.
He was told that we needed proof that it was him that paid in the money and that the money would be returned.
More calls on Sunday harassing us to pay back the money. I started to get suspicious, the money was pending in the bank.
Monday morning he called again and when I spoke to him he said it was cash that was paid in, and if I didn’t
refund it he was going to get lawyers etc involved. He was told again I needed proof.
Went to the bank to check where payment came from, and we discovered it was a cheque paid in through a cash dispenser machine in Birmingham.
The scam is they harass you over the weekend as the bank isn’t updated until Monday night, the money is showing as pending, so
you think it is a bank transfer, which is non returnable, you return the money, and the cheque bounces
all the way back to Birmingham and your left £4160 out of pocket.
Thankfully one of the girls got his mobile number and when I called him he was left in no doubt what I thought of him.
Cheque bounced on Tuesday!
Please keep a look out as they are very persuasive, and convincing.
If you have been caught out by this type of activity report the circumstances to Police Scotland on Telephone Number 101.
Original Message Sent By Mark Armstrong (NHWN, Community Support Officer, NW Scotland)
