I was walking down street man came up and said he needed money to go on train to Dublin but I only had 40 pence but he asked me if I had and he gestured to an ATM across street had the wrong card met him later and gave £30 but then asked for more and said he would pay me back double what I had given and he accompanied me to bank and I ended up giving him £400 a few days later he said he needed money for deposit on an apartment and then his daughter had got her fingers trapped in the door of a train. Seemed convenient and I ended up giving £1530 about $3060 before I realised he was conman but of course by then it was too late. But because I had given it he hadn’t committed any offence. Felt as if he had stolen it. If I had sold quizzes for charity didn’t exist to get it back my mother said that that would be fraud you’ll be behind bars and so an odd thing where perpetrator gets away with it and the victim gets convicted.
Was person right he hadn’t committed any offence?
Unlikely someone would go to prison for their first offence of fraud and legitimate defence only getting money back he stole? Not illegal to be conman and take money under false pretences. Any offence but yet if I sold quizzes for charity didn’t exist that would be fraud but it is still taking money under false pretences and I am sure that there is an important difference in law in law not sure what it is so what’s the difference? Any way to get the money back then?
Well, you would have to prove that he used the money for something other than what he told you he needed it for.
It most probably is fraud but you or the police would have a difficult time trying to prove it.
Consider it to be a £1530 tuition payment to him for teaching you not to be so gullible.
Why the hell would you give some random guy that much money?
Please refer to the last word of my previous post.
there’s “gullible” and then there’s “giving $3,000 to some rando just based on a story.”
It would be a lot easier to understand this (ridiculously unbelievable) story if one fourth of the words hadn’t been left out.
There’s gullible and then there’s believing some rando’s story.
Let me guess; the same guy to whom you gave £1530 or about $3060 told you “he hadn’t committed any offence” and so there was no point in going to the police?
So you realize he’s a conman and that the stories that got him money from you are true, but you believe his legal advice and that it’s the first time he did it? Here’s an idea: if a guy you don’t know asks for money, say no. If he tells you a story, don’t believe it. If a guy who screwed you out of money tells you it’s a waste of time to go to the police, don’t believe him either.
Yes, think need subjects. Find it difficult to read your, confusing. Maybe should sprinkle in nouns?
I don’t think there’s any law that says when you “borrow” money from someone, you MUST spend it for the purpose you promised. This is not a contract (“I give you 400 quid, you give me first month in a flat”) it’s a loan. Having surrendered the money to this guy, he now has possession of it and can use it for what he wants.
From what we know - He never claimed to be a registered charity (which would be fraud) and he is not a registered charity (if he were, he’d have to spend it on charitable endeavours or else it would be a crime). So basically, having come into money by whatever means, he is free to spend it as he pleases.
It’s not a “con” in the sense that “I’m selling you a 1/100th share in the Brooklyn Bridge”. So essentially, the question is - is begging or borrowing money based on a false story a crime? AFAIK only if you claim it is going to a real charity (“hello, I’m collecting money for starving children in Eritrea…”). When you ask for money for personal use - I cannot think of any law that would apply.
I don’t understand, did or did he not pay you back double for the ticket before you gave him the 400 pounds?
Some of these con artists are great at telling heart-wrenching stories and you feel like you’d be a total dick not to help them if you can. But you’ve got to resist, don’t fall for their silver tongue. Just tell them “Sorry, I can’t help you.”
Nobody took anything from you.
You gave money to someone and now you’ve had a change of heart and you’re making up this story to make him look bad.
It’s not what you use it for that’s the problem. Asking to borrow money and promising to pay it back without the intention of doing so is fraud.
It may be difficult to prove in a court of law that this guy had no intention of paying it back, but it’s abundantly clear nonetheless.
In the UK the fraud act of 2006 makes it illegal to obtain money by making a representation that they knew to be untruthful. I have no idea if the Bobbies actually arrest people for that but what he did was definitely illegal.
If he is not arrested you can sue him. He created an oral contract with you to repay twice what he borrowed from you. Since he has broken that contract you can sue him to obtain the money. Winning will likely be easier than collecting, but this person sounds awful and anything you do to harass him would be a public good.
But if he didn’t give a timeline, he hasn’t reneged on the repayment… yet. “Honest. I get paid next month, I can have a cheque for you in 5 weeks…”
I guess the problem is proving that his statements were untruthful. First, it’s basically he-said-she-said if no witnesses. They’d need something more substantial. After all, it could be a jilted lover exacting revenge. Maybe there’s a law against exploiting the feeble-minded.
You said the UK – it sounds like he’s in the Republic of Ireland.
Except he referred to amounts of money in pounds sterling, and Ireland uses the Euro.
Gullible, or maybe the OP is leaving out the part where he’s gotten some sexual favors from the “conman.”
I’ve had similar situations, helped people with $$$, not the amount you did but still a lot lot more than I should of given out. I like helping people. I kind of actually have to watch myself or I too will be guliable and beleive peoples crazy stories.