Bank transfers, risky?

[bonj2]

Maybe, maybe not... some of you young'uns may not know this but time was when a cheque - other than hard cash - was the only way to settle a payment. I must have written thousands of them in my lifetime - all with my account details - and my signature - clearly visible on each and every one of them. Methinks I come from a more trusting generation?

I agree. I swear it's got more like that in the last few years. Some shops don't even take cheques now, asda for example and a lot of petrol stations. My pet hates are the ones that are recurring payment off a credit card, like a direct debit but off a credit card. NEVER sign up for one of these 'cos they can't be stopped by the bank, only the co. taking the money! Which it might not want to do...
If a direct debit has been taken out without your permission, then the bank have got to refund it. They'll drag their heels, basically by saying that you should approach the company first and sort it out with them, but they've got to do it if you say you've already been to the company and you've had no luck. Like I said they might not want to, but if you tell them they must do a 'direct debit indemnity' and be quite insistent about it, then they have no option but to refund your money, and then presumably the onus is on the company to prove that you signed up for it and they notified you of the payment. (fwiw I did it when the property management company took out a payment that was legit, but they hadn't told me about it - and it screwed my finances for a bit so i thought bugger this, I'm having it back 'cos they haven't notified me - I told the company I'd done it and luckily they were fine with it they said they'd just collect it next month.)

 

[Jaded]

Maybe, maybe not... some of you young'uns may not know this but time was when a cheque - other than hard cash - was the only way to settle a payment. I must have written thousands of them in my lifetime - all with my account details - and my signature - clearly visible on each and every one of them. Methinks I come from a more trusting generation?

Yes, you do.

Now, I have come into £45.37m because my maternal great grandmother had, shall we say, 'knowledge' of a magnet involved in the spoil reclaim diamond trade in South Africa. I don't know of or use the internet, which is why I am contacting you through this forum.

In fact I found you by searching on Google for "people who write cheques are very, very, very honest and espcesilly those that have written loads of them because they have experience and history and are honest and trusting".

Your name came up first in the Google search, which means that you must be the most trusting person on the internet.

So, instead of offering you 10% of the amount I have inherited, I am delighted to offer you a much higher sum of 5%. If you respond favourably I may well elevate you right to the top and offer you an exclusive deal of 1%.

 

[Pete]

You're too late, Jaded, I just sent off all my details to the nice gentleman from Nigeria who's promised me a cut of the US$ 30 million which he needs my help in transferring out of the country ... funny thing is, can't figure out why I had to send him my passport and birth certificate .... ah well, once I've made that Western Union payment for handling fees it'll all get sorted out no doubt ...

 

[meenaghman]

Dear sir.. as you are aware I am a member of the church of the painted breast and so can only do business with people of my own religion ..

How to turn the tables.. its explained here ...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3887493.stm

 

[Pete]

The whole story is set out on the 419eater website. But be warned, you're in for a long and entertaining evening's read! And keep the coffee away from your keyboard!

 

[Flange]

I once met a fraudster about 10 years ago. He advised me never to use cheques. I took his advice.

 

[yenrod]

I fell for one of these money laundering techniques and totally fell for it - basically some bloke wanted to by my bike he lived in the ivory coast - he was to send me a massive chq for (i cant believe I actually fell for it) £5000, along with opther things that where being shipped in a container form around the U.K.) which I tried to bank and it nearly got in the acc. but was stoppped by a bank clearing unit.

I was soo close to going down for that..IF it would have gone into the account !

All because I took pity on him, for some god dam reason.

They know how they are looked upon from the west these people; and they will at any opportunity take advantage of it !

I recently have had repeated emails form the Natwest bank about not confirming details/information emails but something more intricate which 'you' could easily deem to be legite !

Which makes me believe that the banks software protection is not brilliant as I am in the Royal Bank of Scotland which is owned by natwest..and yet I'm not on their computer banking system.