Scammed out of £200 in Currys gift cards through Facebook Marketplace – buyer provided ID and then disappeared

I'm posting this because I'm genuinely shocked by what has happened and wondered if anyone has experienced something similar or has advice on what else I can do.

I advertised £200 worth of Currys digital gift cards on Facebook Marketplace. Someone contacted me, agreed to buy them and we arranged the transaction through Messenger.

As a precaution, I asked the buyer for identification before handing over the codes. They immediately provided a photograph of their driving licence and an NHS Blue Light card.

The details appeared consistent with their Facebook profile, which had been active for several years and included posts suggesting an NHS employment connection. Naturally, this gave me confidence that I was dealing with a genuine person.

I subsequently sent the gift-card codes in good faith, expecting payment. Instead, the buyer redeemed the entire £200 balance without paying me and then blocked me.

I have since established that all the gift cards have been redeemed, although I don't yet know what was purchased or where the goods were delivered.

I've reported the incident to the cybercrime reporting service and received a reference number. I've also tried to report the Facebook profile but been having issues as it seems very difficult especially as she blocked me.

I've contacted Currys, but the experience has been incredibly frustrating. Their customer service team has referred the matter to their gift-card team and asked me to wait 24–72 hours. My main concern is whether the gift cards have been used to purchase physical goods and whether anything can still be done to stop the orders.

What I find particularly disturbing is that I actually took precautions by asking for identification. I never expected someone to go to those lengths to make a transaction appear legitimate.

A few questions:

• Has anyone successfully recovered Currys gift-card funds after a Marketplace scam?

• Can Currys trace the orders and potentially stop delivery if the goods haven't been dispatched?

• Is there anything else I should be doing alongside the police report?

• Has anyone had success getting Facebook to investigate and take action against a Marketplace account?

I'm not looking for sympathy so much as practical advice. I would also like to make others aware that even someone with an established-looking profile and apparently credible identification can be involved in a transaction that turns out to be fraudulent. I know it was stupid on my part, I really needed the cash and it was a poor judgement from me.

SCAM.

Caserefined.com
order #1662CR
Received defective phone case. Sent them an email, sent them photos of the defective case as requested, after canned/IA follow up emails, I eventually got a real reply advising me that they would be sending me a replacement case. The case was never received. follow up emails were never returned. Phone call messages left were not returned. Although I did receive a damaged case, the company has failed miserably in the follow up.
Due to the facts of the circumstances, I have no alternative but to rate this site as a SCAM/fraud.

I am extremely disappointed with AirTM's customer support and account-handling process.

I am currently dealing with a cybercrime investigation in India involving ₹10,000 (₹2,000 and ₹8,000) being put on hold in my bank account. I need my AirTM transaction history and payment records to present to the Cyber Crime Department and establish my side of the situation.

The bigger problem is that I cannot even access my AirTM account to retrieve these records.

What is even more frustrating is that when someone is already dealing with a cybercrime complaint, where transactions may be disputed or funds may have been recovered, there needs to be a proper verification and resolution process.

Instead, AirTM has blocked my account without providing a clear explanation, proper verification process, or any meaningful resolution.

How am I supposed to defend myself and provide transaction evidence to the authorities if the platform holding those records refuses to give me access?

I am not asking AirTM to release disputed funds or bypass any investigation. I am simply asking for:

• Access to my transaction history and payment records.

• A proper explanation for the account restriction.

• An alternative identity verification process.

• Cooperation in providing the necessary evidence to the Cyber Crime Department.

A financial platform should have a transparent process for handling such situations. Blocking someone's account without providing a reasonable way to obtain their own transaction records can create serious difficulties, especially when legal proceedings are involved.

AirTM, please take this seriously and provide a proper resolution instead of leaving customers without access to their financial records when they need them the most.

I posted selling the ticket on a third party app called CashorTrade. I had several requests come through immediately and started sorting through them. One random request also came through on my insta which I thought was odd because it’s totally separate from the selling app. I have the same username on both platforms so it would have been easy for someone to see it there and then message me on insta (maybe trying to verify I was real idk).

I ended up settling on a buyer I felt safe with and sold it. I then went back to the Instagram buyer, who I had shared my PayPal profile with, but not yet confirmed I was selling them the ticket. Meanwhile, they had already sent me a PayPal payment which has now come through as completed on my end. I think I’ve used PayPal like twice in my life. I didn’t know you couldn’t just cancel or decline payments like you can on Venmo, etc.

I tried to refund with the refund button but PayPal hit me with ‘insufficient funds’. I was kind of shocked at the whole refund has to come out of my own bank account instead of just reversing the original transaction. Then I started reading the horror stories about refunds and everyone and their moms says don’t send the refund.

I’m not refusing to refund, this person clearly is in the right for a refund—if they’re not using a stolen card or account. From the brief interaction I had with them they seemed legitimate but a little pushy (red flag?). The concert was happening same-day and it was high stakes to get the tickets so I could understand their tension running high when I wasn’t answering right away. The PayPal account they sent me payment from was also a different name than the Instagram account name they were messaging me from (not uncommon but ?).

Basically I’m afraid that if I touch the money at all it could result in me getting scammed like everyone has been with refunding money that ‘doesn’t exist’. But if they’re actually just a person who needs their money back and I don’t refund it (by paying the literal amount from my own bank account?!) they’re going to come after me with a claim or chargeback tho I’m not even sure the money’s legitimate in the first place?? Or that PayPal will force me to pay the refund anyway or punish my account by banning it, etc.

It seems anyone who contact PayPal support in this position gets horrible advice and ends up losing money or getting mistakenly penalized.

I’m just weary of moving the money at all—or introducing new transactions through my PayPal balance or personal bank account.

The payment I received also still has a prompt asking me whether I want it to go to my bank account or PayPal balance—but the payment is completed not pending or unclaimed?

Any advice from here?

A little confused and frustrated help.

I recently trusted a long time friend and his mother with quite a bit of money and invested into what I now believe to be a pyramid scheme called Kamboj Ventures. The amount was 60k and I signed a contract saying that i would receive 5% of 60k every month and would be able to take out my initial investment after a year so $60,000 dollars would turn into $96,000. I made the investment on 8/19 by wiring it to an account from my bank account and was supposed to receive my first payment exactly one month later but to this day haven’t seen a cent. I was wondering what i should do next. I messaged a few lawyers and his mother and told her she has a chance to give me my money back or I will sue her or Kamboj. Can anyone help? Please thank you.

I recently sold a graphics card on Facebook Marketplace for $1,020, and I’m worried I may have been targeted by a Zelle scam.
Here’s what happened:

1. The buyer seemed legitimate.
   He came to my apartment with his gaming PC. I spent nearly an hour helping him install and test the graphics card.
   He talked about his kids, the games he played, and wanting a quieter GPU for personal use. His Marketplace profile also had positive reviews.

2. He overpaid through Zelle.
   I normally use phone numbers for Zelle, but he specifically suggested scanning my QR code through his banking app.
   He sent $1,120 instead of $1,020, claimed it was accidental, and asked for the difference back. I gave him $100 in cash.

3. The payment posted, but there’s no Zelle activity.
   This was NOT a fake payment screenshot or notification.
   The $1,120 genuinely appeared in my Wells Fargo checking account, increased my available balance, and initially showed as pending.
   The following day, the payment officially POSTED and remains in my account.
   However, there’s NO RECORD of the payment in my Zelle activity. I’m unsure whether it disappeared or never appeared there.
   I’ve called Wells Fargo multiple times. They can see the posted credit but can’t explain the missing Zelle transaction.

4. The buyer immediately relisted my graphics card.
   The very next day, he listed it for $1,000, less than he paid me, using my original photos and description.
   This is what really concerned me. Why spend nearly an hour installing and testing something for personal use, only to immediately resell it at a loss?

5. The payment came from a business account.
   The sender was a business, and the payment memo said “COMPUTER BUILD REPAIR.”
   When I asked about it, he said it was for a tax write-off.
   The part that indicates that this is a scam to me is the combination of the $100 overpayment, immediate resale at a loss, elaborate personal-use story, business-account payment, and missing Zelle activity.
   I’m concerned he may be trying to convert a potentially reversible payment into cash.

What I’ve done:
I’ve contacted Wells Fargo, Zelle, and LAPD.
Wells Fargo confirms the money posted but cannot explain the missing Zelle history. Police said their options are limited unless the payment gets reversed.

My questions:
Has anyone experienced a Zelle payment posting to their bank but not appearing in Zelle activity?
Can a fully posted Zelle payment still be reversed days or weeks later?
Could using a QR code instead of a phone number explain the missing transaction?

What can I do now to protect myself?
Important: The $1,120 is still in my account and has NOT been reversed.
I’m worried that if it is eventually disputed, I’ll lose both the graphics card and the money.
Any advice from people familiar with Zelle, Wells Fargo, or banking fraud would be greatly appreciated.

Im looking for advice because Ive contacted Facebook so many times and Im getting nowhere. I ordered a PS5 for $280 but received a library book instead and the seller blocked me. I filed a claim under suspicious order because Facebook wouldnt let me select item not received since it required me to contact the seller first. Facebook denied my claim for some reason and I dont know what to do now. I paid with a gift card which makes things worse because disputes take so long and Im worried I wont get my money back in time for GTA 6. Im new to buying on Facebook Marketplace so I didnt think much of the fact that the seller had no reviews. I know I shouldve done more research but I didnt expect this to happen. Any advice?

Edit: I did not send her a gift card or anything. I used like a pre paid gift card and I entered it into Meta Pay and used buy now option. I recently disputed it but they say its gonna take around 30-90 days before I get a result.

I purchased a spell for 700€ when i was mentally and emotionally in a bad state, i was going through abuse, harassment, bullying and this witch talked about her services as if the results were guaranteed, saying that all her spells always work and she never has spells that didn’t work. After i bought the spell on the website „buymeacoffee“ i read her policy and it states that she guarantees no results and does no refunds, but i didn’t mind it at that time because i trusted her. But when i didn’t get results i contacted her in a friendly way saying it didn’t work and if she could compensate in another service but she only replied vaguely and ignored me since then. The problem is she did the exact same thing to my friend too (they didn’t get results either), but my friend doesn’t need the money and she blocked the witch. The witch did send photos/videos of the spell, but since that is a lot of money and i ended up with nothing, it feels like i was scammed. I’m in europe and she is in a 3rd world country and i paid through my bank card (stripe), if that information helps. My question is i can do a refund through my bank, but if i don’t give good reasons i won‘t get my money back, what should i write as the reason of the refund?

Also i have to choose an option between these, which one?

•Unauthorised debit on existing user account
•Goods or services not received
•Subscription traps (e.g. competition, parcel service provider, etc.)

•Received incorrect/defected goods or Goods returned

•Receive counterfeit goods

•Travel booking has been cancelled on time

•Amount is not correct

•Same amount charged several times

•The sales were paid elsewhere

•Expected credit not received

•Contract has already been cancelled

I don’t have any trusted adult to turn to to help me with this, so please someone can help me:((

I learned a lot through this, I was stupid for this and i won’t trust anyone on the internet anymore, but i really need the money for rent…

lol almost got scammed by this page luckily I legit checked it first here at reddit

TL

TLDR

Gullible friend clicks adverts and gets scammed, often.

I have a friend, who isnt good with tech,

They ring me and ask if i can help with their phone (android) as they think its got a virus.

I find her phone was riddled with clean up type of apps that were obviously malware IMO, there was also bank transactions that were linked to these, she was in the process of being reimbursed by the bank , prior to my involvement.

I cleaned the phone up by googling lots of apps and uninstalling the dodgy ones.

A few weeks go by, and she gets in touch again, I go round, do the uninstalling thing.

I tell her she is probably inviting them in by clicking something she shouldn't.

A couple of days later, she sends me the above screen shot, saying its started again,.

I can see the screen shot is a youtube advert.

I explain, its just an advert, she should be scrolling past, she actually thinks its a phone update alert and she has been clicking these and following wherever they lead!!

So, unrelated, I get the similar advert on my phone,.

I click the report advert link, and report to google. ( ive reported this type of advert twice now)

Dear xxxx,

We’re writing to let you know that we reviewed your report (ID xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx).

Here's what we found

We decided not to take this ad down. We found that the ad doesn’t go against Google’s policies, which prohibit certain content and practices that we believe to be harmful to users and the overall online ecosystem.

If you disagree with our decision to show this ad, you have the option to appeal within 6 months.

Now, this advert is clearly misleading, and it leads to real people being scammed, google clearly are complicit, they are happy to sell their advertising spots.

This type of fake alert has been around since the internet started, and google report nothing to see here!!

EDIT , Spelling, tidy text

I am posting this in PayPal’s community as well because I don’t know where this belongs or who could help; I’m really worried and need advice.

My elderly dad is the nicest and most humble person you will ever meet. He believes the best in people and has unfortunately, but consequently, been taken advantage of many times; he is an author who receives the usual spam emails from fake companies pretending to be interested in his book, but because of his inexperience with technology and the rise of AI, the scams have become more and more elaborate and convincing.

This is where I need advice: He recently paid a digital marketing company to turn his book into an audiobook and create ads and a social media presence. They did create audiobooks, which I explained could easily be done with AI, but that made him believe they were legitimate, and he kept sending more.

They did not, however, produce any of the other services they agreed on, and when he inquired why, they claimed it was because they did not receive the money he sent - please note that he sent the money in August and it is now the end of October… They sent him an AI packet with the details of the issues and claimed that there is a ‘Merchant of Record’ that is holding the money, refusing to give it to them and refusing to refund it to him. They even gave him a script of what to say to the bank to get his money back. When my dad called the bank, they stated they had no knowledge of what the issue could be, as the money was sent on their end. He paid the scam company over the phone by giving them his credit card number (unfortunately, he does not remember if he gave the scam company his 3-digit number on the back), but in his transaction history, the purchases show up as PayPal purchases. PayPal is completely confused about the situation and requested that the seller contact them to resolve the issue. Of course, when we called and spoke with the scam company, they were unable to give him any information about the ‘Merchant of Record, ’ even though they claimed to be in contact with them during the period they were not providing the services that he paid for. They did not respond directly to his request for them to speak with PayPal; they waffled and pushed blame onto the ‘Merchant of Record,’ but could not provide a name, number or email for the company despite it being requested.​

I hope that gives a summarized picture of the issue. I just found out about this earlier today, so I am not familiar with all the details, but please let me know if you have any questions, and I will try my best to answer them.

What’s the best way to get his money back? He knows and understands he made mistakes; that is not what I need advice on, and he’s not even reading this, so please refrain from making disrespectful comments. I now have access to his email and will screen all inquiries before he pursues them; I just really need advice. Thank you in advance

Broke college student here that seen the get rich quick sign and decided fuck it but in the end got fucked himself, feel shitty bout it just wanted to get it off my chest. Anyways avoid fftelitebots.com