I got scammed by a very sophisticated scammer with impeccable graphic design and an ABN selling a contact list of retailers today. It was too good to be true, and I am lucky because I work with my mother, so we discussed how 'off' it felt when she was pressuring us with weird out of business hours deadlines. But my mother said it was my call and in the end, my desire for the data was too strong and we paid by bank transfer (the first big thing I have learned today) - NEVER pay by bank transfer.

I feel sick in the stomach, I feel anxious, and I really need to talk to a counsellor or someone, but it is late and there is no one available, so I am writing my story here, in the hope that the process will give me enough validation to get to sleep.

I feel really bad. And this too shall pass. It was $280 - so not a huge amount of money. It just feels 'icky' because it is a violation, I guess. And being scammed doesn't feel so good.

I pledge to be looking out for the warning signs in the future.

Yuck!!

Dear solsticedays,
 

Firstly, welcome to the forums we are so glad that you found your way to this supportive and welcoming community. We’re sorry to hear that you’ve had such an upsetting experience, and that it has caused so much distress.
 

It can make a real difference having someone to talk to, so we’d like to invite you to call our wonderful counsellors on 1300 22 4636, or jump onto a webchat here: https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/
Our counsellors are available 24/7 to provide care and support.
 

Please remember that we are here to support you and you are not alone.
 

Warm regards
 

Sophie M
 

Hello solsticedays,

Sorry to hear about your experience with getting scammed. Sophie_M made an excellent suggestion with the on-phone counsellors which I've used in the past.

I actually got successfully scammed once when I really wanted tickets to a concert. It felt weird too, and I made the call to take that risk because I wanted to see the concert. Fell for it! :( Then there was a really sophisicated phone scam that was really stressful at the time but I didn't give them anything in the end.

It's a horrible feeling either way. Hope you can get some sleep.

James

Hello Solstice, there is nothing worse than being scammed, it has also happened to me a long time ago and when it does happen, you just realise 'why have I been conned I should have known'.

The trouble is they are so convincing, even if their language is different, however what I did was contact my bank, who did say that I had accepted their offer, but would refund me half the money, maybe because I some money invested with them, but it's worth a try ith all the profit they make.

Best wishes.

Geoff.

Thanks so much for your support guys. I really appreciate it. And you are right. It is not a nice feeling at ALL. I am sorry if it happened to you. :-(

As it turns out, my inbox was filled with shared files from the 'scammer' this morning. So, it seems that she has delivered. The order is almost complete.

It is definitely a good opportunity to learn more about the tell-tale signs of being scammed though. There is a great scam quiz on one of the ACCC or perhaps VIC state sites, which is helpful. And Scam Watch of course.

In this case, there were a few signs that it was a scam, but also her ABN on the invoice was legitimate - so that was one thing in our favour.

In the future, please note never to pay anyone you don't know by bank transfer - because if you need to dispute it the bank can't get the money back, and if they are pressuring you into making a payment or deposit quickly then that should be a warning sign too.

I hope you all have a good day.

Much love,

S xx