Belfast - scammer trying to extort money

[GymFitJim]

Folks,

Just thought I’d share a somewhat unsettling experience that happened to me yesterday morning. I visited a lady who I’ve seen a couple of times last year, in a well known apartment block in the city centre. I’ve had a great time with her in the past and what happened is no reflection on her (I think). Anyway had a great time with her again.

When I was leaving I stepped out of the front door of the block and a young fella approached me with his top covering the bottom half of his face. He told me not to return to my car as it was being watched and that I had been photographed entering and had just been photographed leaving. I was shocked as you can imagine so I walked a few paces with him. It was obvious he was trying to scare the s*it out of me and it nearly worked. He then said ‘they’ had my car reg and ‘they’ were going to post the pictures on Facebook but they wanted £300 and the pictures would be deleted. At this point I realised I was being scammed , turned on my heel got into my car and left.

The mind works overtime in these situations. The block has a glass front and the lady had to come down to let me in because of an intercom problem so if someone was taking pictures they would have seen me meeting and hugging her in full view. But I’ve since seen reviews from others who mentioned the same intercom issue.

So on balance I’ve decided I have nothing to worry about and nothing has happened since. But just be aware.

[Corsasport]

Folks,

Just thought I’d share a somewhat unsettling experience that happened to me yesterday morning. I visited a lady who I’ve seen a couple of times last year, in a well known apartment block in the city centre. I’ve had a great time with her in the past and what happened is no reflection on her (I think). Anyway had a great time with her again.

When I was leaving I stepped out of the front door of the block and a young fella approached me with his top covering the bottom half of his face. He told me not to return to my car as it was being watched and that I had been photographed entering and had just been photographed leaving. I was shocked as you can imagine so I walked a few paces with him. It was obvious he was trying to scare the s*it out of me and it nearly worked. He then said ‘they’ had my car reg and ‘they’ were going to post the pictures on Facebook but they wanted £300 and the pictures would be deleted. At this point I realised I was being scammed , turned on my heel got into my car and left.

The mind works overtime in these situations. The block has a glass front and the lady had to come down to let me in because of an intercom problem so if someone was taking pictures they would have seen me meeting and hugging her in full view. But I’ve since seen reviews from others who mentioned the same intercom issue.

So on balance I’ve decided I have nothing to worry about and nothing has happened since. But just be aware.

Some dicks about just chancing there arm at anything..

[Navi34]

In Derry there is a scam in one particular car park where they give out fake parking tickets and try to extort you to give them the money if you don't pay. They do it by taking a picture of your number plate rather than send a fake traffic warden so every 5th car or so coming in will automatically get one in the hope that one sucker will pay it. I got so many that the money they are looking for is more than what the car is worth. £100 per 30 min, not £300 like you said. I suppose people might pay it to avoid their wives finding out if their wives were not happy with their husbands seeing escorts.

[TheKinkyMasseuse]

Folks,

Just thought I’d share a somewhat unsettling experience that happened to me yesterday morning. I visited a lady who I’ve seen a couple of times last year, in a well known apartment block in the city centre. I’ve had a great time with her in the past and what happened is no reflection on her (I think). Anyway had a great time with her again.

When I was leaving I stepped out of the front door of the block and a young fella approached me with his top covering the bottom half of his face. He told me not to return to my car as it was being watched and that I had been photographed entering and had just been photographed leaving. I was shocked as you can imagine so I walked a few paces with him. It was obvious he was trying to scare the s*it out of me and it nearly worked. He then said ‘they’ had my car reg and ‘they’ were going to post the pictures on Facebook but they wanted £300 and the pictures would be deleted. At this point I realised I was being scammed , turned on my heel got into my car and left.

The mind works overtime in these situations. The block has a glass front and the lady had to come down to let me in because of an intercom problem so if someone was taking pictures they would have seen me meeting and hugging her in full view. But I’ve since seen reviews from others who mentioned the same intercom issue.

So on balance I’ve decided I have nothing to worry about and nothing has happened since. But just be aware.

Did you warn the lady that this had happened?

[ConanDoyle03]

Still a scary experience though right???

[philipkntz]

Sorry boss, I've spent my allowance for this week. Can I meet you here same time next week?

[jre679]

Did you warn the lady that this had happened?

I hope he did. I feel for her safety. I'm just wondering if it's just very opportunistic i.e some scumbag has visited her and knowing the intercom is broken couldn't help but take advantage, or is it more organised?

If it's where i think it is (going by the description) it's not a particularly nice part of Belfast.

[giuseppeh99]

Not Belfast, but had a similar experience leaving the Chinese lady near the book depository in Bray. Young hoodie stuck a phone in my face and threatened to send it to a certain newspaper. Unsettling, but didn't engage at all. Just some chancers taking the piss.

[GymFitJim]

I did let her know, she has since left town, with as far as I know, no further incidents. Nothing has come my direction either I’m happy to say

[Joelegs]

The carpark that you are talking about is real enough. It is not a scam, but it is a bit sneaky. A private enforcement company oversees the carpark and also the surrounding parking by the quay. The tickets are handed over to a debt collection company. It is a scam, but unfortunately it is a legal one.

There is a loophole through, the company has to prove that the owner of the vehicle was driving it when the ticket was issued. Under Northern Ireland law the keeper of a motor vehicle is not legally obligated to inform a private enforcement company who was driving the vehicle at the time the parking infringement allegedly transpired.

If you have any comeback from the tickets, simply inform the company that you as the registered keeper were not driving the vehicle on the day bin question.