# Need Advice



## Mrs V (23 Oct 2007)

Hi all,

I applied for a loan on the net back in June with a uk company, everything was fine filled out the forms etc, they told me i had to pay 400sterling as i was applying outside uk so not knowing any better i paid it thru western union, then i was going on hols at the end of july and was hoping the loan would be thru by then, the guy i was delaing with kept in touch with me daily via email, then he told me i had to pay a one off payment of another 400sterling/700euro before my loan would be approved i was a bit concerned at this stage as i thought it wud be a bit weird to do this, then just as i thought the loan had been approved and transferred to me he emails me to tell me that i have not sent the last payment, i did and i told him that he has to have received it as with western union the receivers name can only claim the money!! So then havent heard anything from him for wks persuming my application is cancelled coz i wudnt send anymore money i thought ok i have been caught out..... Next i get an email yesterday from a different guy who says he needs my bank details my loan has been approved i will have it on wednesday of this week and that the company has been taken over & will all the hiccups that have happened there going to process my application. My question is is this a scam or what they tell me its not but i'm not to convinced like a couple of wks ago they tell me if i dont make the payment i wont get my loan now they are giving it to me.& who has my 700euro or where is it gone???? any advice much appreicated


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## Bob the slob (23 Oct 2007)

I think you have been scammed see below, got from the net.....


*Advance-fee loan *sharks prey on unwary consumers, taking their money for the promise of a loan, and leaving them ripped off. The scam artists often impersonate legitimate lenders to entice consumers. They then proceed to rob them with their bogus offer. 
 		   According to consumer protection agencies, ads and promotions for advance-fee loans suggest — or even “guarantee” — that there’s a high likelihood that a loan will be approved, regardless of credit history. But to take advantage of the offer, the consumer has to pay a fee. The catch? The scam artist takes off with your fee, and the loan never materialises. 
 		   Many advance-fee loans are promoted in the classified sections of daily and weekly newspapers and magazines. Typically, the ads also feature free phone numbers. The loans also are promoted through direct mail. 
*Legitimate loans do not require an up-front payment. *Although legitimate lenders may charge application, appraisal, or credit report fees, the fees form part of the amount borrowed. They are not handed over before the application has even been assessed. 
 		  Legitimate lenders may guarantee firm offers of credit to “credit-worthy” consumers, but they will always evaluate the consumer’s creditworthiness and confirm the information in the application. Never will they simply hand out credit in return for a fee. 
 		   Often, advance-fee loan sharks claim that their fees will be used to pay for credit insurance. Sometimes, they even fax materials using stolen or forged logos and letterheads from legitimate companies. These materials are counterfeit documents not worth the paper they are written on. What’s worse, some scammers then use the information they collect to commit identity theft.


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## Bob the slob (23 Oct 2007)

Dont give them your bank details.  I would contact a consumer agency in the UK as it seems like a scam.


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## Mrs V (23 Oct 2007)

Thanks for that, had a bad feelinga bout the whole situation how do people get away with this


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## Mrs V (23 Oct 2007)

What can they do for me??Guess i will put it down to experience


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## Mrs V (23 Oct 2007)

Does anyone know if i can get the 700euro back from Western Union or is it gone/stolen


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## ClubMan (23 Oct 2007)

> *Need Advice*


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## z103 (23 Oct 2007)

Did you get this 'offer' through a spam email?


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## Mrs V (23 Oct 2007)

No i saw the ad on gumtree and applied thru that way


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## ClubMan (23 Oct 2007)

Still sounds suspiciously like an "advanced fee" scam. How did you pay the money over? I think you can probably say goodbye to it but the issue now is damage limitation if they have any info that would allow them to extract more money from you (e.g. card/bank details).


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## Mrs V (23 Oct 2007)

I dont think they have i havent given them any still cant understand how they get away with it


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## ClubMan (23 Oct 2007)

Mrs V said:


> still cant understand how they get away with it


Because they may simply be scammers. Report it to the relevant authorities (e.g. site owners, _IFSRA, Gardaí _etc.) if you see fit but by the sounds of things I doubt that you'll be seeing your money again never mind the loan that you supposedly applied for. Of course I/we could be wrong but it all sounds too fishy not to be a scam.


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## Mrs V (23 Oct 2007)

Paid the money via western union like they told me i thought only the name of the receiver can collect the money from the other side.
Put it all down too a bad experience


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## Flax (24 Oct 2007)

Mrs V said:


> I cant understand how they get away with it


 


			
				Mrs V said:
			
		

> Put it all down too a bad experience


 
They get away with it because people put it down to bad experience and don't get the police involved.


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## onlineprint (24 Oct 2007)

Mrs V said:


> Paid the money via western union like they told me i thought only the name of the receiver can collect the money from the other side.
> Put it all down too a bad experience


 
Do you know if they havent collected the western union payment after 45 days you can claim it back.

Also if you go to Gumtree Forums [broken link removed] 
Id suggest you report these ppl to Gumtree as they are all out to scam you for money.

DONT give them your bank account details, if you have go to your bank and get a new account number for your own safety


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## Mrs V (24 Oct 2007)

I sent the money and on the western union website you can check whether it has beeen collected or not but they dont tell you by who i wrote to Western union head office in kerry & havent heard anything back from them. Am really annoyed i have been so stupid


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## onlineprint (24 Oct 2007)

have you been able to confirm with Western Union if the payment has been collected, sometimes the online version they provide isnt correct.


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## Mrs V (24 Oct 2007)

No i'm not familiar with using western union to my knowledge the only person who can collect the money is the name on the receivers form & with the approcate 8 digit number that your given with the transaction


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## KatieC (24 Oct 2007)

Unfortunately it looks like you have been scammed but its important to do something about it.

Check http://www.consumerfraudreporting.org/scamsinIreland.php

Also to give the scammers or 'lads' a taste of their own medicine, pass all the infomation on to:

www.thescambaiter.com

www.419eater.com


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## xb_deai (9 Nov 2007)

Why would a company that can put money into your Bank a/c ask for you to give them money by western union? If they actually wanted an upfront payment they would request  it by inter bank tranfer. You have been scammed now please contact the relevent authorties and report it to stop other people falling for it too!


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## Mr Toad (11 Nov 2007)

Very unfortunate for Mrs V but a lesson that scammers are all to common.  Regrettably the chances of tracing money is partically 0.  One to be chalked down to experience.


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