In a bit of a pickle - what to do next?

[Tangaroo]

Well i know its not the right way of going about things but if she did that to me and i had her address i would be straight round to her front door and either be getting said saddle, (which prob doesnt exist) or my money back.
My OH would be coming with me and she would be sorry she ever came across me!!!!

 

[xspiralx]

Interesting update - Sophie Blanchett has appeared claiming that it was actually Poppy who was scamming people previously but using her name to do it.

There's a group here for anyone who wants to stay updated on what's going on - she has made thousands in the last week alone, so please everyone stay vigilant and share this to all horsey contacts - I wouldn't want anyone else to get caught out.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/139139476291859/

 

[Billabongchick]

I don't believe it personally. I was given different bank account number to the one stated on the Poppy discussion.

 

[honetpot]

Apparently this scam continues,
http://horsegossip.proboards.com/thread/171548/poppy-eastwood-kirsty-valentine-warning

Everyone who has been a victim needs to contact the investigating officer - Richard Coulson at Kent CID, his email is richard.coulson@met.pnn.police.uk


Read more: http://horsegossip.proboards.com/th...kirsty-valentine-warning?page=3#ixzz2e3zHwWzf

 

[smellsofhorse]

Can you ask the bank to put money back in to your account?

I keep asking, being nice but firm.
She is probably just unorganised.

 

[Billabongchick]

She is probably just unorganised.

It's nothing to do with disorganisation; it's theft pure and simple as she is obtaining money by deception. The banks will not refund as you have sent the money in good will. It is very confused as to whether Poppy and Sophie are one and the same or not. Either way I can't believe the police are not taking more interest especially in the Poppy girl who it seems is doing this several times a week for various large amounts judging by the amount of victims posting on various forums and pages. It has certainly made me very wary of buying anything online not through eBay or shops now.

 

[Shadow the Reindeer]

Hi, I found this whilst looking Poppy Eastwood up, thought you lot might find it interesting reading:


Where to start?

Perhaps with an amusing but true story. A few years ago a customer who had bought a horsebox from me had it stolen. When the insurance had paid out she came to me for another box. A few weeks later my son went to look at a box that was advertised for sale on one of the equestrian web sites. This seller had several horseboxes for sale, the one my son looked at was without doubt the stolen box with a change of registration and chassis plate. The seller was charming, well spoken and dressed impeccably for the hunting field, he was also a giant of a man so I instructed my son to make a polite but quick get away. My son said later that nothing in this man's demeanour or in the location of the vehicle would have alerted him to the fact it was a stolen horsebox, it was actually some very distinctive work done by my husband pre sale that gave the game away. My son had an old school friend staying with him, a Welsh Rugby player, who went along for the ride. When I told my son , by phone, not to make waves but make a quick exit there were no arguments he said the seller made his welsh rugby player look like a midget!

I immediately informed all concerned including the local police and horsewatch. None responded but three weeks later the insurance company contacted me to ask the whereabouts of the box but by then it was sold and the evidence lost. Two years later it resurfaced again for sale and again was sold. I suppose the only losers in this were the insurers because at least the unwitting new owners of the stolen box got themselves some horse transport unlike the victims of the current day scams described below. Horsebox crime has become more sophisticated there is no longer any need to dirty your hands and go to the physical effort of stealing a box, changing its identity and have the hassle of selling. No you can now sit on a yacht in the med with a drink in one hand and lap top in the other and make piles of money.........

Well by now most people if they are half awake must be aware that horsebox photos and descriptions are being lifted from bono fide web sites and being offered at half price or less on a variety of equestrian web sites and of course on ebay. The advertiser gives phone numbers that are always unobtainable , the locations are varied and the only point of contact is email. The story varies little; working on an oil rig in the north sea, going through a divorce, horsebox is in Inverness but don't worry I have found a safe way for you to transfer payment which will protect your money and I will deliver. More recently they must have grown a tad bored with this (I know I have) after all oil rigs, divorces and horseboxes stuck in outer Mongolia aren't very glamorous and perhaps don't put the victim in the right buying frame of mind,so recently to add some spice, a french connection has been added.They are now happily married living in wedded bliss in the french countryside having sold their farm in this country (and no doubt given up the oil rig grind) and need to sell the box and would bring it back to this country and deliver on receipt of funds. It had to be done this way because,oh dear , someone had wasted them an expensive journey saying they would buy the box and when they delivered it this person did not have any money......they even sent me a very blurred impression of a passport to reassure me of their integrity.......And even though the market value is £23,000 they will let you have it for a mere £5,950 because at the end of the day they are philanthropists.

Well this is a major scam and judging by the number of phone calls I have received from people who have lost their money, a pretty lucrative one.

Now I come to the latest scam which is a little too close to home for comfort. Last night someone emailed to ask me if the Marlborough Hunter was still available. I replied that it had SOLD on the listing which in fact meant it had sold. He got back to me and said he was only asking as he had been offered this box (at half its value of course). He went back to the seller and challenged her to which she replied she had bought the box from me and was now selling it. I reaffirmed that this was definitely not the case. She had sent him the photos lifted off my web site which clearly show the reg no and it was just luck that he remembered having seen this box on this web site. His girl friend just could not believe this was a scam as the seller was so plausible and was all for transferring the money.She had already paid £400 up front for some tack which to date has not been delivered! She actually said to me that she could not believe it was a scam and if it was, the scammer "deserved an oscar". The name of the seller, who said she was from Kent and was selling up all things horsey as she was pregnant, was as imaginative as the tack and the horsebox.

She said she was "Poppy Eastwood" but I suppose she could be anyone. Primrose Southwood? Daisey Northwood? Rose Westwood? Take your pick. Actually I rather like "Easter Poppy". So Easter Poppy, as you obviously read my web site, give it up - you've been rumbled..........

Minor scams;

I am currently aware of horseboxes being described as built by reputable companies at the more expensive end of the price range when indeed they are of unknown pedigree, so if its important to you to know who built your box check out its provenance before parting with money!

 

[Billabongchick]

^ This makes for an interesting read. The Sophie girl had lifted a pic of a bridle from eBay when I had problems (I recognised the pic as had been watching the bridle on eBay and after I had paid her for 'her' one she contacted me about through my wanted advert I checked my eBay out of interest and realised it was the same bridle/photo and she had stolen the photo to email me).

I actually bought my horsebox unseen through ebay but they wanted collection so although I put a holding deposit down to show I was a serious buyer I wouldn't have parted with any more cash up front and also wouldn't have done the deal if they said they would deliver or wanted payment up front. They were lovely people and I'm chuffed to bits with the box but aware that many stories do not end up in this way. It is a shame for genuine sellers/buyers that issues like this are arising. I am still amazed that the police are not interested so it seems.

 

[dianchi]

How did OP get on in the end?

 

[glamourpuss]

The bank transfer scam has been doing the rounds for years. If you pay for anything using a direct bank account to back account transfer you cannot do a thing to get the money back sadly

I posted about an EBay scam that I saw. It was for a block of stables. It caught my attention because I'd seen the stables for sale previously.
I realised quite quickly it was a scam (Wanting payment into an EBay 'holding' bank account - there is no such thing!!)
The seller produced an EBay invoice that was frighteningly convincing with working links etc but I'd made a small deliberate spelling error on my name when I emailed him & this was on the invoice (but wouldn't have been had the invoice come from EBay) also there was no evidence of an invoice/sale in my EBay history.

This seller was convincing. The previous sale had fallen through at the last minute, he needed the stables gone ASAP because he had workers coming in on site to construct something else & he would be charged a penalty if the stables weren't gone & they couldn't start work. He was providing delivery to make sure the sale didn't fall through again etc etc.

I only hope no-one fell for it

TBH if you have contact details an address etc then I'm amazed the police aren't investigating this girl for theft. I reported the above incident even though I was t scammed & they took it very seriously! I was told there is a department dedicated to Internet fraud & scams!

 

[glamourpuss]

Yes, there is a department

http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/

 

[xspiralx]

How did OP get on in the end?

I got nowhere. Reported to Action Fraud, police etc, spoke to my bank, everything.

Apparently a case is being put together against her but in the mean time she is still happily scamming people. Despicable really.

 

[glamourpuss]

Oh Spiral I'm really sorry
Any chance of opening a case in small claims court against her?

 

[Marydoll]

As far as im aware, fraud and theft are crimes are they not ?There is fraud involved here as well as theft of the money, on numerous occassions, if the police havent addressed the issue with her,why not, these are multiple crimes, involving many people, with her using the same scam ?
Mabe instead of chasing things around fb you should all write en masse to the police complaints dept about these ongoing crimes with an identified perpetrator who's being allowed to carry on because the police seem reluctant to do anything

 

[asbo]

Lots about her on horse gossip and a fb page all about what shes doing

 

[Costypop]

Any update?

 

[Clippy]

Any update?

Just to bring this topic to the fore again, Poppy is still scamming people. She uses new names all the time, no point in listing them all as there are so many.

The members of the group on FB have been getting her accounts closed down but the banks are very slow to act and all the time, people are falling for this scam. It's only after the event when they've parted with their money and got nothing do they start to dig and realise how many others have lost money - anything from £100-£600 each. She's had literally tens of thousands out of this scam and is currently on Police bail

 

[glamourpuss]

Oh so the police have done something then?
I can't believe she is still scamming though
Has anyone been in touch with watchdog/rogue traders? This sounds right up their street

 

[Caramac71]

I am shocked how little is being done about her. This has been going on for months and has been reported to police for months. Yet they allow it to continue? All the scams reported link to her, by way of phone number, account numbers etc. it seems she doesn't have to try hard to get the accounts set up in these different names. And she is clearly making £1000s of pounds each week!

All that is happening is that scams are reported and accounts closed, but nothing to prevent her setting up another name and account number immediately and carrying on with it.

If she's out on bail and still doing it, surely she's breaching bail terms??? And if she's on bail, has she been charged in connection with this offence, or is it gro something different entirely?

I just can't believe this is being allowed to continue either so much evidence about her.

I really feel for anyone who has lost money to her.

 

[Dry Rot]

Find out who the chief constable is of your area and write him a private and personal letter and send it by recorded delivery, obviously keeping a copy for yourself. Ask for an acknowledgement within ten days and a full reply as soon as convenient.

Make it polite, factual, and unemotional. Stick strictly to the facts, preferably listing them in a bulleted or numbered list.

Mention The Police Act which states the duty of the police is to protect life and property.

If you don't get a response, send copy letters to your MP. If you have to write to your MP, use www.writetothem.com as a no reply is recorded and can effect how many votes they get!

 

[Oliver12]

Find out who the chief constable is of your area and write him a private and personal letter and send it by recorded delivery, obviously keeping a copy for yourself. Ask for an acknowledgement within ten days and a full reply as soon as convenient.

Make it polite, factual, and unemotional. Stick strictly to the facts, preferably listing them in a bulleted or numbered list.

Mention The Police Act which states the duty of the police is to protect life and property.

If you don't get a response, send copy letters to your MP. If you have to write to your MP, use www.writetothem.com as a no reply is recorded and can effect how many votes they get!

I agree with the above. I had a run-in with the police a few years ago involving fraud, theft and an incompetent police officer. I was absolutely livid with the lack of help and interest from the police and lodged a complaint with the IPCC. A few days later I had a visit from a very senior policeman and the matter was taken further.

What really makes me sick is that if a kid pinched some sweets from the local shop, there would be a fleet of squad cars turn up.

 

[Billabongchick]

A lovely older lady on my yard who is a non Facebook/forum user told me she had posted a wanted ad on NFED and smelt a rat when she was texted by someone who was unable to provide a photo of said wanted item. She asked me to look into it after my Sophie Blanchett escapades of a similar nature. And lo and behold when I checked the number against those on the Facebook page it was Poppy related. Can't believe she is still getting away with it and police are so slow in acting.

 

[shona]

Poppy east wood has been caught!!!! Please read the news shopper or google her name she appeared in court regarding i pads why is she not being prosecuted for all the other scams she has done??

 

[Patterdale]

http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/10985988.Orpington_girl_Poppy_Eastwood_in_court_for_fake_iPad_ads/

Bipolar and anxiety as mitigating circumstances my hoop!
Why isn't she answering charges for all the saddle scams!?

For anyone worried about buying through Facebook - ALWAYS USE PAYPAL and remember to tick 'business transaction.' That way, you'll be covered.

 

[Caramac71]

I think the police have seriously failed the people scammed for saddles etc. in the Facebook group there is over £12,000 taken from members of the group. Police have full details, they can link all the offences to the same bank accounts and personal information, I don't understand why she has only been charged with 2 ipad scams?

 

[Billabongchick]

I think the police have seriously failed the people scammed for saddles etc. in the Facebook group there is over £12,000 taken from members of the group. Police have full details, they can link all the offences to the same bank accounts and personal information, I don't understand why she has only been charged with 2 ipad scams?

TOTALLY ridiculous. If you walked into a bank and stole that much then you would feel the full force of the law so what is the difference here? It makes me so angry.

 

[Pigeon]

She's probably blocked you, not deleted her facebook. I'm happy to do some facebook pestering (I have a couple of VERY scary friends) if you want a hand

 

[elliefiz]

Can I ask why no one has just shown up to this girls house? Her address is all over the internet. If it was my money I would be at her front door and not leaving til I got my money.

 

[candyflosspot]

apologies for bumping a very old thread but just wanted to say that Poppy Eastwood & her several million alter egos is still busy trying to scam people for money.

I honestly dont know how she is still getting away with it...

 

[Ladyinred]

apologies for bumping a very old thread but just wanted to say that Poppy Eastwood & her several million alter egos is still busy trying to scam people for money.

I honestly dont know how she is still getting away with it...

She tried to scam a friend of mine last week. Friend, however, was aware who it was and spent an afternoon leading her up the garden path before telling her what she thought of her. She just doesn't stop and the police seem to do nothing.