Fraud

[jujmc.us.29jzih]

My name is Julie. I've been having trouble finding a place to email this.  My daughter's husband was listing an item for a seller thinking that he could make some additional income.  He listed a watch and did receive a payment so he thought this was legitimate.  The person asked him to use friends and family for payment.  My daughter and her husband found out that this person didn't send the watch and they were turned over to collections for $8600.  My daughter is 22 and needless to say does not have money.  Her husband was mortified that he fell for this and wouldn't let her tell anyone so this has just sat in collections since it happened.  I don't know what to do or if there is anything we can do.  If there is someone that we can contact for help on this please let me know.  This is just going to continue to ruin their credit and we certainly don't have the money to pay it.  I understand this is certainly a horrible lesson but this is so wrong.  If anyone knows who I should contact at Ebay, please let me know.

Thanks

[sockmonkeydave]

@jujmc.us.29jzih

Take a deep breath and try again.

Did they send money through friends and family 

because that is not the way to do it.

[emerald40]

You need to sue that seller in court to hopefully get your money back.

[18704d]

@jujmc.us.29jzih

To clarify?

Your son-in-law listed a watch.. that he didn't have in his possession..

for someone else (far away)

The watch sold.  Your SIL got paid by the buyer. 

SIL sent $8600.00 to stranger (seller) as a Friends / Family GIFT

Stranger did NOT ship item.

eBay is taking 8600.00 from your SIL and daughter... taking them to collections...

Right?

Lynn

[jujmc.us.29jzih]

From what my daughter told me Lynn, that's right. It sounds so obvious that this was a scam but he thought he was just doing the work for someone else...

[emerald40]

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@jujmc.us.29jzihwrote:
From what my daughter told me Lynn, that's right. It sounds so obvious that this was a scam but he thought he was just doing the work for someone else...

_________________________________________

Yes, that is why you need to do as I posted upthread and to go after the seller who asked you to list the watch.  Talk to a lawyer.

Ebay will not help you. 

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[18704d]

Then you and your daughter/SIL needs to talk to a lawyer.

There is no one at eBay who will help.

I'm sorry,

Lynn

[jujmc.us.29jzih]

I would do that in a heartbeat, but they don't have a way to contact him now

[emerald40]

How did your kids meet him?  Where?  There must be some way to trace their way back to him.

Do you have a name, address, phone number, place he works, frequents - something to give the police a clue on how  to find him. 

You may want to hire a private detective for a few days.

[webwanna]

Someone that is involved with illegal activity would not want to involve the police.  Someone that is a victim of illegal activity should have no issue going to the police.  That is why (to me) the story you shared raises concerns.

Have you considered that your SIL may not be telling you/your daughter the truth.  Is he trying to get funds from you to cover this?  

This is a police matter and if it crossed state lines an FBI matter.  I agree with earlier posts that your SIL needs a lawyer.

But, to answer your question, there is a department at Ebay that handles fraud, suspicious activity, etc....  here's a link

Security Center

I would guess the first thing they will say is your SIL need to file a police report.  Once police are involved they can get records of where the paypal funds were sent.  If he doesn't get a lawyer, you should probably figure out a tactful way to let your SIL  know that filing a false police report is a crime.  

[luckythewinner]

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@jujmc.us.29jzihwrote:

If there is someone that we can contact for help on this please let me know.  This is just going to continue to ruin their credit and we certainly don't have the money to pay it.  I understand this is certainly a horrible lesson but this is so wrong.  If anyone knows who I should contact at Ebay, please let me know.

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When you boil it down, your daughter's husband defrauded an eBay buyer by taking money and then not delivering the item. And since your daughter's husband no longer has the money to refund the buyer, eBay was forced to refund the buyer and take the $8600 loss. 

I sincerely doubt there is anyone at eBay who is going to "help" your daughter or her husband, because they essentially stole $8600 from eBay. 

[kensgiftshop]

Your son in law should of had the watch in his possession before listing the watch.

Since the payment wasn't made through, Ebay Ebay won't help.

I don't know if filing a police report would do any good?

I would track down the guy that has the watch.

[city*satins]

I am finding this tale just a bit incomplete from the daughter and son-in-law's end.  

Either or both are not providing a full story.  As presented, it makes son-in-law sound like he shouldn't be allowed out without a chaperone.  If he's smarter than that - then somebody isn't being truthful here.

I too have to wonder if you're about to be asked to cough up some big cash to rescue them.

[emerald40]

Just curious but why is everyone thinking the SIL did something wrong on purpose.

Sometimes people are desperate so they take chances - unfortunate ones.

But do not understand based on what was posted that some think he was in on the fraud or it is a story to get MIL to give them some money.

They are family, so why the need to tell her such mishegas.

[missjen831]

I’m wondering if they didn’t find an ad on CL or another site....I’ve seen ads (scams obviously) where someone is looking for people—partners—to sell things for him. They list the items and he is supposed to ship them. There have been a few threads, years ago, from people who responded to these ads and then got scammed big time when their “partner” failed to ship the goods.