I’ve always said I’d never fall foul to a scammer, “I’m too savvy, too street smart, there is no way I’d fall for it”...well it seems I’m not savvy or street smart and now I’ve just handed my £500 Mavic Pro drone over to some scumbag. To say I’m gutted is an understatement and to say I feel a fool is putting it lightly.
Hindsight is a cruel teacher and looking back over the last few days I just can’t believe how many red flags I ignored. Dodgy Facebook profile, suspicious emails and a buyer not bothered about haggling, and I missed it all. What a plonker I am.
So tomorrow I will be driving to London in the hope of intercepting the parcel. Hopefully this will be with the police in toe but from what I’ve been told by various control room operators, it’s not likely the police will bother to turn up. If I had a pound for every time I heard the phrase “we just haven’t got the resources” I could go out and buy a new drone. And if the lack of enthusiasm from the police wasn’t frustrating enough, I had to except the fact that my drone has been sat at my local post office all day and nobody is allowed to stop it going out. Apparently, once payment has been received for delivery of mail/package it is the duty of the Post Office to deliver it(and this was said to me in a way that I’m supposed to feel proud we have such a dedicated service).
Ive learned from this that everything is set up in the favour of the scammer and by the time you realise your mistake there isn’t much you can do other than what I’m doing tomorrow.
Morale of this story, trust your instincts and certainly don’t trust anyone online. Check your emails with PayPal directly and be suspicious.
Wish me luck for tomorrow and feel free to take the piss out of me in the comments section.
