Help needed - hit by con artist - a sad day !

[Douglas 5]

The address and his name used for the Bank transfer :

TASSOU Nikolaos email// karrarask- at - yahoo - dot -gr : or shows as Karras Kostas ( goes to an I-phone 5 )
Mihai Eminescu 3( was changed recently to 3b!) !
235200
Caracal phone 0040762541936 ... does not work from here !
Romania

Bank :BCR- Romania
Banca Comerciala Romania
Nicolaie Titulescu 44
235200
Caracal
Romania

This is where local help is needed .
Any help here from a local collector from those regions that can check to see how legit any of these address are and phone number ?

Original payment for the 1st cross was done on insistance of the seller as a Bank transfer . The bank transfer went no where . 2 traces I had to be done to find it . It was stuck at his bank in Caracal : The account number did not belong to the name on file at the bank . It is coming back next week . This kind of transfer is fully insured and would have not lost it at all .
To him the bank did not accept certified check or bank draft .
A ploy to force payment via other means . He apparently had a collector from Sweden coming down on last Wednesday and after all the delays at my end had to have some money now in hand to hold items or he would sell to all to him . I refused to send the entire amount as first asked for and settled for a much smaller amount .... but still substantial !

As mentioned here by a member .... water marking pictures is a good idea .
I had innocently posted many of the Luft awards that belong to norsk41evl on the appropriate forum section and no pictures were recconaized as belonging to him ( all good - 1 is fake) . Been so long probably - 2 years or more - I would not remember them either .

We appreciate the replies and sugestions received so far .

Regards Douglas

[Jon Fish]

Oh dear, a KC for $370 ? ALARM,ALARM !!

[Douglas 5]

Yes a KC as a filler , Jon ... it is not real , right .?

Douglas

[Jon Fish]

Douglas, I really hope you get your money back. Don't bid on these auction sites from countries like that, it will end in tears. But we have all been done one time or another so also don't feel alone mate.

[Douglas 5]

Yes JT ;... a police matter . That is why I was hoping for some help from any of our Greece and Romanian members that can look up the address and phone number befor I go to the police here , find out as much first - what is correct or false .
Thinking about it now ... ironicly he wanted to fly to Vancouver , BC and meet here to do the exchange at the air port ... OR ... me and my wife were also welcome any time to travel to his place and pick up the medals ourselfs !!
I feel like traveling there right now !

Douglas

[Robert T.]

Yes a KC as a filler , Jon ... it is not real , right .?

Douglas

Looks like a wartime K&Q...

Robert

[Douglas 5]

It is not the first time I got ripped off . The first time was in Vienna 1975 by Souval . This the 2nd time .
As to the War relics forum he - Nikos -had participated on an auction site using Jo'rns pictures but was shut down , as some member recconnaised his pictures . Have to see jet if I can get some info from them .

Douglas

[wachmeister]

Hello Douglas,
Sorry to hear about your loss. It sure looks like a most elaborate design to scam you out of spending money .
Myself ,I would stay away from buying in that geographical area , especially if it looks like a good deal - for you .
As far as smoking this character out of his hole , then swooping down to deliver justice - it just my end up costing you more money without any satisfaction to you.

I've paid my dues in the Balkans !

cheers
samo

[Douglas 5]

Please - Robert -- don't say that is a real KC now ... !
It looked nice enough to be a filler , KC are not my area , and about the price range for them . I looked at it as a post war cross . I realize now he never had it to sell .

Douglas

[streptile]

Hi Douglas,

What a terrible story. Very sorry for the situation.

I can't imagine what help I could offer you, but if you need an ally in the US, please don't hesitate to drop me an email.

In my opinion the RK the crook was "offering" does indeed look like a good, wartime K&Q.

[sam1chlt]

It is not the first time I got ripped off . The first time was in Vienna 1975 by Souval . This the 2nd time .
As to the War relics forum he - Nikos -had participated on an auction site using Jo'rns pictures but was shut down , as some member recconnaised his pictures . Have to see jet if I can get some info from them .

Douglas

Douglas,
Please contact Ade! He knows the story and may have some more light to shine on the subject! This #$% used a picture of a DKIG I had for sale that he stole off War Relics before he was kicked off! Someone from the forum asked if I had sold it to someone in Romania....I stated I had not! It was named Udo Panter on the back so the $%^#@ was not too bright to notice that fact. We all have to be diligent in policing this sort of thing! I was burned for $1500 as a new collector 1 year ago sending payment to a bank account off photos that were sent to me of an SS Dagger! As everyone states make sure you get a picture with there name on the items or a news paper with current date! I don't always do this, but this reminds me of how valuable that is!!

I am so sorry for your loss and feel your pain!!

[darobs]

Douglas

I hope that in the end all this works out for you and your good lady. Its never a nice thing to have to go through.

Best of luck!

D

[Douglas 5]

Yes Samo ... a most elaborate scam not even going into decusion details , we talked about banks and the econmy where he was forced to leave Greece to find work in Romania ... etc and where he could not talk for 2 days as his best friend had been killed in a car accident . We sent a condolence card electronicly as most would do .... /// ... he is probably still laughing about that one .
Yes the wife and I realize the cost that can occure may end up more than the lost amount .
Filing a complaint here may have only little effect . Unless he travels to BC - then he may be arrested for fraud ?? A report by us would have to be filed in Romania in person or lawyer . Not sure how things would work . Proof that he never owner the awards , meaning the original owner has to go there or be represented by a lawyer ... and so on , ... and yes lots involved .

Douglas

[sam1chlt]

Douglas,
Here is the link that I started that we were able to catch this @#$%! Please read!

http://www.warrelics.eu/forum/ss-hel...r-real-199029/

[mathiass]

Possibly one of our Greek forum members can provide help?

Regards
JT

With what?
The best thing is to go to the police, we cannot do other things to trace the actor.
The only thing that can be done, is to see from what IP the email was sent, and then we can see from what country and internet provider, after that we can do nothing - but the police can.
If it has become a police matter, then they will ask for the person behind that IP, who sent the email - and that person will probably be held responsible. Still the easiest way for em to get anyone cought, is to arrest that guy who is behind the bank account.

If you cannot get the money back from your bank, saying that you have putted the money in the wrong account?

Anyway, so very sorry to hear about this. This is what I am worried about myself, to happening to me too.
There is no punishment hard enough for people who try to sell repro as genuine, or people that frame others.