Amesbury Police help Ludgershall victim following social media scam

The victim had sold a mobile phone through Facebook Marketplace

Stock image of parcel sorting office
Author: Faye TryhornPublished 11th Sep 2023

Police in Amesbury have managed to help a Ludgershall fraud victim to be reunited with her goods.

The victim has sold a mobile phone through Facebook Marketplace.

The buyer agreed to pay for the item and postage, but blocked the victim after the proof of postage was sent over - without paying for the phone.

Wiltshire Police worked with another force and Royal Mail security to intercept the parcel and get the phone back to the victim.

PC Matthew Jacob from Amesbury Police said:

“The public’s safety is our priority, and we're committed to tackling online fraud.

“If you ever encounter suspicious activity, stay cautious and report any suspicious activity to us, your bank (if you sent any money), or Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040. Together, we can make our community safer!

“We're here to protect and inform you about online fraud, especially on Facebook selling sites. Be vigilant against scammers; they may be very convincing with a normal-looking profile, may ask you to send items on next-day signed delivery, may also ask you to show Royal Mail receipts etc.

“Remember, it's NOT easy to retrieve sent items from the Royal Mail network due to various reasons, and it's not always possible to intercept them on time.”

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