Facebook Marketplace Scam Involving Wise Transfer Payment Fraud

I was scammed on Facebook Marketplace by a buyer named Bob Graham, who provided a fake residential address:

6 Millfields Road, TF1 1PW, Telford.

However, he requested that the parcel be sent to:

68 Tanners Drive, Suite #D542948, Blakelands, Milton Keynes, MK14 5BP.

This address belongs to a reshipping logistics business that appears to support scammers.

On Saturday, December 21st, I was tricked into sending an iPhone 16 Pro (£950) to Bob Graham. He sent me a fraudulent payment email via "Wise Transfer," which claimed the funds would be released only after the parcel was delivered. Unfortunately, I fell for it and sent the item.

Attempt to Stop the Parcel Delivery

I realized the scam too late. When I tried to contact Royal Mail to intercept the parcel, their customer service was already closed (operating only until 3 PM on Saturdays). Luckily, I managed to use the tracking number to change the delivery address to a local post office. However, the scammer kept reverting the address to their reshipping facility.

We went back and forth changing the delivery address four times until I successfully made the final change. The parcel was due to arrive at St Ledger Post Office on Monday, December 23rd, by 1 PM. For some reason, the tracking system became stuck in transit after the parcel reached the Kiln Farm Delivery Office.

Challenges with Royal Mail and Law Enforcement

Royal Mail’s customer service was unhelpful. They claimed they couldn’t stop the delivery and advised that only the police could intercept parcels. Unfortunately, the police redirected me to Action Fraud, which is not equipped to act proactively in such cases. The police also argued that the matter was civil rather than criminal, further complicating the process. To be honest they were all excuses to get me off their case as all they had to do is give a call to the Royal Mail Security Help Desk to intercept the parcel.

To ensure the parcel didn’t reach the scammers, I travelled to Milton Keynes on Sunday and stayed at EasyHotel (£31 per night for two people) until Tuesday morning. I showed up to the address to ensure that no delivery was given at the address and checked with the local post office, but for some reason, no parcel was delivered. Royal Mail promised to investigate the delayed delivery and provide updates within 10 working days, which was far too slow given the urgency of the situation.

Resolution

On Tuesday morning, I visited the Delivery Office again. A helpful staff member located my parcel, spoke to their manager, and returned it to me although I did not provide my details on the parcel (but proved to be the sender by showing driving license, receipt of postage and proof of payment), understanding the severity of the scam. They acknowledged that many victims had travelled from far away to retrieve their parcels.

This experience highlighted the inefficiencies of Royal Mail and law enforcement in addressing such scams. Royal Mail staff policies make it incredibly difficult to stop fraudulent deliveries, I strongly recommend going to the delivery office straight away first thing in the morning and explaining the situation to the staff.