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I'll make this brief so as not to take up too much of your precious time. I am Tanya from Ankle Biters.
Last week, we became victims of internet fraud to the tune of aud$24k. We were taken advantage of by a "customer" in the UK who placed large orders with us under the veil of being a wholesaler and had us transfer large amounts of money using our EFTPOS machine as the channel to do so to his "shipping agent" who was supposed to be collecting the goods.
To cut a long story short, turns out the shipping agent was HIM and the credit cards were stolen.
The worst part is that when he placed his 1st order (he placed 4 in total), we thought that someone had “heard” our please and the universe was offering us a genuine leg-up to prepare for our shop opening! We felt like we had one the lotto! Then as time progressed and as I wrote in the blog, our kids were even sick and he telephoned us and said how it pained him to hear their cries in the background blah, blah. All the while knowing that he was ripping us off.
We have been to the police and spoken at length with our bank (CBA) and it looks like we will never see any of this money again. The Commonwealth Bank are refusing to budge and have frozen our bank accounts and turned off our EFTPOS machine until we pay back all of the money. They don’t seem to understand that if we can’t trade, we have no income and won’t even be able to pay our rent let alone return any funds. We have five small children and were already struggling to make ends meet. We are opening a new shop in a couple of weeks and this couldn't have come at a worse time for us.
We feel that it is unfair and unjust of the Commonwealth Bank knowing that they continue to make huge profits all the while putting the livelihood of families like ours at their mercy, and we want people to know about this!
Anyways, we are emailing you all right now as you are on our Press Release List for our wholesale/distribution business Green Revolt. We are just hoping that SOMEONE amongst you may have a contact in a television station, or a newspaper or in law inforcement, or a solicitor or SOMEONE that may be able to offer us assistance. We are located in Brisbane.
We don't want charity, we are just hoping for a point in the right direction and maybe some publicity about this to prevent it from happening to any other families like ourselves.
We will be between banks and police stations all day today, but if you can phone us on 0488110806 or reply via return email if you can help, we would be so very appreciative.
We are trying to remain positive, and hope somehow to turn this all around.
Tan and Family.
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Tan .. anything I can do ??? call me if you need to talk.... or let me know how i can help ?
This is terrible!!
My heart goes out to you and your family...
You must persevere !!
I have shared this on Facebook & Twitter for you.
Take care,
Penelope.
I am sooooooo sorry to hear this. What a disgrace. I wish that you bounce back from this two fold.
Have you tried sending exactly what you have in your blog as content for a media release? If you check the paper websites they have an editor and contact email normally listed. Fax them your story I am sure that someone will pick it up.
That is disgusting!!! I am so sorry for you..I will put this out maybe someone in the media can help you. Thinking of you. Kim @stickytiki
I am so angry for you.
I really hope that this matter will be resolved and you will get your money.
IThinking of you and will try and spread the word.
Hi Tan
I have a contact at channel 10 which I have emailed the link to your post...
FINGERS CROSSED...
From
Liesa
Hi,
I'm sorry this happened to you. I'm just wondering if it's the same person/syndicate that contacted me earlier this year. Similar situation, wanting to buy wholesale from me but having to send it through his courier/freight. And wanting me to pay first for the freight when his credit card was declined.
Just a thought, you can try Today Tonight or ACA. They might be interested in your story.
Take care,
Norlin
Oh, God..I'm so sorry to hear about this. Little Miss Stella posted on FB today. I'll spread the word, but I have no other way to help. My thoughts are with you.
Bloody Commonwealth bank gives me the shits too. They don't seem to have any compassion unless A Current Affair gets involved!
What goes around, comes around. Promise.
des
I found this from a link on FB but I know your company from Skout... I will share this within my network for you. If this happened to our company we would be in EXACTLY the same boat!! If there is anything else I can do let me know. The universe will come back round your way!!
xo Steph
To get this exposed via the media you just have to send them the information in a letter/press release 'new business ripped off by overseas fraudster to the tune of $x'. I was the victim of internet fraud a few years back. £10,000 was stolen from my bank, it was the deposit for my home - it went from my account the day before I was due to exchange contracts but the police and my bank worked together to trace the funds. It's terrible that your bank are not helping - definitely get a high profile media to take up your cause it could help!
My prayers are with you and my family.
hi,
I may be able to help you with the media contacts, i work in the media and have lots of press and television contacts in the uk, email me on lianne@mystical-entertainments.com if you still need assistance
take care
lianne
You poor naive thing, I feel for you, but you really should have realised. Shipping agents have official paperwork and are usually government registered - did you check?
Also if people order from you, then you wait until you see some moolah before you give them anything at all -
rule 1 of business, THEY have to pay YOU.
What were you doing paying them - be it "shipping" or otherwise? No one does that.
I mean, come on. It's not the bank's fault, it's yours.
Anyway, life goes on - and you'll no doubt be a better businessperson in future as a result.