A person with cerebral palsy who struggled to bear his heating bill during January Cold Snap, was dropped out of £ 300 after trying to sell his old iPhone online.
62 -year -old Ben Simmonds from Safok listed an old iPhone 12 Max, which no longer expected to raise some additional cash on the Facebook marketplace.
Simmonds, who are retired, quickly found a buyer and sent the phone through Royal Mail. After confirming the delivery through the Royal Mail app, he contacted the buyer about the payment.
The buyer provided screenshots of bank transfer, appearing that the money is confirmed. However, these pictures now appear fake and the scam was all confirmed, but when they came to know that they were blocked from the account and their messages were erased.
He has since set up a gofundme page so that he can help re -achieve his loss – and urge others to “remain calm” and expert advice from others.
Ben said, “It worked hard to me for the first time, but it is happening every day for thousands and thousands of people.”
“There are many dishonest people around and they are becoming clever and clever.
“This person definitely took advantage of my situation.”
Ben has been suffering from cerebral palsy since birth – and recently, this condition has affected his mobility.
He said, “It affects my feet quite badly and I have a specialty where my muscles contract and go into cramps,” they explained.
In January this year, Ben said that he was struggling to pay his energy bill during cold snap.
“I have storage heaters where I live and they are really expensive,” he said.
“I only heat a room – barely – sometime – and when it was really cool in the first few weeks in January I didn’t keep it.”
To help secure some additional cash, Ben decided to sell his old iPhone 12 Max on the Facebook Marketplace, with a gadget at about £ 300, including postal and packaging.
He uploaded the item on the site on 4 January and said that he received a message from an interested buyer three days later through Facebook Messenger.
Ben said, “They were quite impatient, if I do not take them back directly, they will be on such a matter in this case.”
“I did everything that I could help them, they could tell the quality of the phone, they could see that I take care of my things – I proud to do my things.”
Ben said that the buyer told him that he wanted to buy a phone as a gift for his child.
He agreed to send the phone to £ 300 through special delivery on the Royal Mail on 16 January, supplied to the buyer with a address.
The next day after checking his Royal Mail app, Ben found that the package was signed on 17 January, as well as a picture of several parcels on an inner dormat to show proof of delivery.
Ben asked the buyer when he would be receiving his payment for the phone and a handful of screenshots were sent to him showing emails from TSB Bank, which felt the money suggested.
However, the screenshots viewed by PA Real Life appear to appear – the body of the message with Ben’s bank details is written in a separate font and color and reads “2024” instead of 2025 in the print year shorter under the email.
Sandesh also suggested that the payment was on hold by the bank until a tracking number for the package could be provided.
“Screenshot said it was pending and would come through money,” Ben said.
“I started getting very worried about it … I talked to a neighbor who said it did not seem right.”
“I called the bank (TSB) and he automatically said that it seemed as if I had a scam because it was not his normal process.”
Ben tried to reach the buyer, but found that he had removed his reactions from his conversation on Facebook Messenger and blocked him on stage.
He said, “I wish I had taken screenshots of my messages before feeling – what I did and many people would not realize – it probably eaten a wrong,” he said.
Ben has since launched a Gofundme page to re -achieve his loss, which has increased by £ 25 so far.
He said, “I did not want to ask anyone for help, but it would help me back on the track.”
For others in his position, Ben said: “I know it’s difficult because I have gone through it myself, but try to remain calm and take some expert advice.”
Those people suspect that they have been a victim of a scam, who can contact action fraud for support and advice.
When PA contacted Facebook owner Meta for comment, the company made several suggestions to buyers and sellers to stay safe on Facebook Marketplace.
These include checking whether the Facebook profile looks new or incomplete, meeting in a public place to see a product before completing any transaction and not handing any money to the item for sale until you see item for sale.
To know more, go to Ben’s somp.
