I have been ripped off (by Mick Mason of Leicester - Facebook scammer/thief)

[ForbiddenWytch]

Just now, ForbiddenWytch said:

I’m keeping all the conversations in my messenger inbox. Happy to provide access to anyone who needs and wants them.

...except you Mick/Jason

[Guitartango]

I found Jason Lear on fb, except it's a picture of Michael mason who owns whatnowebsites. The account was created 4 days ago, 

https://www.facebook.com/jason.lear.1485. Jason Lear

https://www.facebook.com/MichaelWebMason  Staffordshire

So I take it Mick mason has created the Jason Lear account and used Michael's Picture?

The other strange thing is this 

https://mytenerifereport.com/website-scam-by-michael-mason-in-tenerife/

And whatnowebsite location is 36 miles away from his caravan site. I am not saying they are linked but it's a bit weird.

Ps I normally post on the Fretboard!

[lemmywinks]

6 minutes ago, Guitartango said:

I found Jason Lear on fb, except it's a picture of Michael mason who owns whatnowebsites. The account was created 4 days ago, 

https://www.facebook.com/jason.lear.1485. Jason Lear

https://www.facebook.com/MichaelWebMason  Staffordshire

So I take it Mick mason has created the Jason Lear account and used Michael's Picture?

The other strange thing is this 

https://mytenerifereport.com/website-scam-by-michael-mason-in-tenerife/

And whatnowebsite location is 36 miles away from his caravan site. I am not saying they are linked but it's a bit weird.

Ps I normally post on the Fretboard!

Good sleuthing!

 

[Dangreen326]

Unfortunately I am also a victim of this fraudster. Bought the sansamp pedal from him and never arrived. I have been promised refunds but they have not happened. I have lost £110, but I will be doing everything to get it back. Just google his name and you will see that he currently has a suspended sentence for fraud. If we all report this to the police, we may not get our money back, but he will likely serve a few years at her majesty’s pleasure. 

[prowla]

9 hours ago, Bassfinger said:

Jeez. This Mick geezer makes Walter Mitty sound plausible. After all, if he's such a huge promoter then why is he selling used bass and guitar gear on Felchbook for pocket money?

pocket-it-pocket-it-pocket-it...

[prowla]

9 hours ago, Maude said:

On his caravan holiday scam he created false bank statements to 'prove' to customers that he had refunded them. 

I should add that that's according to the media reports, which I've no reason to doubt. 

I had been hoping to get a copy of the ephemeral "proof of postage", so that I could do some forensics on it.

[prowla]

6 minutes ago, Dangreen326 said:

Unfortunately I am also a victim of this fraudster. Bought the sansamp pedal from him and never arrived. I have been promised refunds but they have not happened. I have lost £110, but I will be doing everything to get it back. Just google his name and you will see that he currently has a suspended sentence for fraud. If we all report this to the police, we may not get our money back, but he will likely serve a few years at her majesty’s pleasure. 

Read through the sticky post; follow the legal proceedings (Action Fraud, local Police), post (or add comments to existing posts) on FB.

He will contact you and threaten you with legal action, try and bully you, etc. Don't rise to it and respond in kind; just stick to your guns.

[prowla]

Merry Christmas to all the folks here who have been so helpful and supportive - people have got their money back as a result of this pressure.

To the watching fraudster(s) - not you!

[stingrayPete1977]

7 hours ago, Guitartango said:

I found Jason Lear on fb, except it's a picture of Michael mason who owns whatnowebsites. The account was created 4 days ago, 

https://www.facebook.com/jason.lear.1485. Jason Lear

https://www.facebook.com/MichaelWebMason  Staffordshire

So I take it Mick mason has created the Jason Lear account and used Michael's Picture?

The other strange thing is this 

https://mytenerifereport.com/website-scam-by-michael-mason-in-tenerife/

And whatnowebsite location is 36 miles away from his caravan site. I am not saying they are linked but it's a bit weird.

Ps I normally post on the Fretboard!

I was going to raise the Tenerife article earlier, hhhmmm......

[prowla]

21 minutes ago, Dangreen326 said:

Unfortunately I am also a victim of this fraudster. Bought the sansamp pedal from him and never arrived. I have been promised refunds but they have not happened. I have lost £110, but I will be doing everything to get it back. Just google his name and you will see that he currently has a suspended sentence for fraud. If we all report this to the police, we may not get our money back, but he will likely serve a few years at her majesty’s pleasure. 

Also, welcome to BC and Merry Christmas.

(I'm just about to put the turkey in...)

[prowla]

8 hours ago, Guitartango said:

I found Jason Lear on fb, except it's a picture of Michael mason who owns whatnowebsites. The account was created 4 days ago, 

https://www.facebook.com/jason.lear.1485. Jason Lear

https://www.facebook.com/MichaelWebMason  Staffordshire

So I take it Mick mason has created the Jason Lear account and used Michael's Picture?

The other strange thing is this 

https://mytenerifereport.com/website-scam-by-michael-mason-in-tenerife/

And whatnowebsite location is 36 miles away from his caravan site. I am not saying they are linked but it's a bit weird.

Ps I normally post on the Fretboard!

That is quite bizarre!

It is possible that the namesakes and proximity to Skeggie is a coincidence.

Actually my parents had a caravan at Ingoldmells in the 80s (until my dad died there, just walking to the shops).

 

Edited December 25, 2020 by prowla

[BreadBin]

2 hours ago, Dangreen326 said:

Unfortunately I am also a victim of this fraudster. Bought the sansamp pedal from him and never arrived. I have been promised refunds but they have not happened. I have lost £110, but I will be doing everything to get it back. Just google his name and you will see that he currently has a suspended sentence for fraud. If we all report this to the police, we may not get our money back, but he will likely serve a few years at her majesty’s pleasure. 

Did you get a tracking number for the parcel? PN518894078GB by any chance?

[SamPlaysBass]

I have also been conned by Mick Mason as it would seem. Paid for the SansAmp on Monday 14th Dec 2020, said it would be 48 hours via courier. A week later, nothing. Said the courier picked it up on Thursday. Asked him for a tracking number - radio silence. I think he’s gone quiet judging by this thread. Had a chat to Krishna from Barclays this morning who said I have to give him 15 days before the bank will take action. I hope a SansAmp arrives before the 29th 🤷🏼‍♂️ 

[ped]

https://tinyurl.com/MickMasonScam
 

To help those sharing

[sprocketflup]

On 24/12/2020 at 12:08, GuyR said:

This thread appears to have provided a very useful service.

Pinning it would serve as a warning to other potential victims, as well as other potential perpetrators.

I've not read all the thread coz there's loads, but my band was contacted last year by Mick about a possible gig. One of our band, who has been in the biz a while said " Mick Mason? No way, unless he pays up front."

 

Make of that what you will.

 

**just realized I've quoted the wrong post. Ah well, you get the gist Im sure.

Edited December 25, 2020 by sprocketflup

[ped]

More legal threats at 8:30 this morning - Xmas day! He must be rattled. BC office is close until late Jan. 

[Billy Apple]

Just a reminder... in your language and content be the Ladies and Gentlemen that form the backbone of Basschat and the wonderful bass playing community. Please do not give the mods any extra work in order to let this thread run.

Yea and verily we are blessed with the might and truth of the low end register

The machine heads turn slow, yet they grind fine.

 

[Pseudonym]

1 hour ago, ped said:

More legal threats at 8:30 this morning - Xmas day! He must be rattled. BC office is close until late Jan. 

 

50 minutes ago, Steve Browning said:

He is rather leaving himself open to folk forming the opinion that he is an idiot. 

As you say, is he so daft as to still imagine anyone is remotely intimidated by him?

What I find particularly amusing is that he thinks his penny-ante sense of money will scare people. It mostly indicates that he is utterly out of his depth where legal costs are concerned.

It doesn't seem to occur to this chappie that legal action would invite reciprocal civil action. As things stand, he and anyone covering for him have a certain amount of legal exposure should they initiate proceedings against anyone here, or against anyone with a legitimate claim related to deception. And he (and possibly any of his friends or associates who have aided him in any way) would find it hard to avoid giving evidence under oath in a civil matter.

Also, he simply doesn't have the means to prevent his identity and criminal history becoming very public indeed should he initiate court proceedings. He would find himself fully exposed in public reporting by facts that he would be unable to suppress.

Sometimes, people who are desperate think they have nothing to lose, but that is seldom the case.

(I agree with others that his brave words about visiting people "for a chat" are so much noise. That said, any such "suggestion" from him in the future should perhaps be passed onto the local constabulary, just in case there is a pattern of behaviour that warrants police attention. I'm 5000 miles away and very well protected, so he certainly doesn't intimidate me -- but desperate and inept people are inherently unpredictable, and can pose risks to public order and the safety of others. I would hope that anyone reading this would take any possible threats seriously, even though they might be hogwash.)

Ped, please let me know if he does ever follow through on his threats of legal action. I might be able to help in some way.

[Kiwi]

48 minutes ago, tauzero said:

You could have left the bit in about hiring a solicitor for £150+ an hour, as that does point out the pitfalls of going down that route.

I didn't moderate the thread.  

[prowla]

4 hours ago, Steve Browning said:

Excellent news. The more empty threats the better. 

Meanwhile, also on Christmas Day, two more people who haven’t received their items have come forward. 

After careful consideration, I tend to feel more sympathy for his victims.

Edited December 26, 2020 by prowla

[prowla]

Regarding defamation cases, the Defamation Act 2013 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2013/26/section/2/enacted) states:

Quote

Truth

(1)It is a defence to an action for defamation for the defendant to show that the imputation conveyed by the statement complained of is substantially true.

(2)Subsection (3) applies in an action for defamation if the statement complained of conveys two or more distinct imputations.

(3)If one or more of the imputations is not shown to be substantially true, the defence under this section does not fail if, having regard to the imputations which are shown to be substantially true, the imputations which are not shown to be substantially true do not seriously harm the claimant’s reputation.

Quote

Honest opinion

(1)It is a defence to an action for defamation for the defendant to show that the following conditions are met.

(2)The first condition is that the statement complained of was a statement of opinion.

(3)The second condition is that the statement complained of indicated, whether in general or specific terms, the basis of the opinion.

(4)The third condition is that an honest person could have held the opinion on the basis of—

(a)any fact which existed at the time the statement complained of was published;

(b)anything asserted to be a fact in a privileged statement published before the statement complained of.

Quote

Publication on matter of public interest

(1)It is a defence to an action for defamation for the defendant to show that—

(a)the statement complained of was, or formed part of, a statement on a matter of public interest; and

(b)the defendant reasonably believed that publishing the statement complained of was in the public interest.

There is further advice on a number of sites:

• https://www.channel4.com/producers-handbook/media-law/defamation/the-defences
• https://www.daslaw.co.uk/blog/defending-against-defamation-claims
• https://www.carruthers-law.co.uk/our-services/defamation/defamation-defences/
• https://www.blakemorgan.co.uk/a-brief-guide-to-the-tort-of-defamation/
• https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html

The fact that there are multiple people who have come forward detailing how they have undergone the same experience, plus several more anecdotal/background stories, would suggest that all three points of Truth, Honest Opinion, and Public Interest can clearly be proven.

(Note to self: you can't just precede anything by "IMHO" or "Some might say" as a get-out, though.)

 

[prowla]

3 hours ago, Silky999 said:

Let him sue...the standard of proof in civil court is lower than criminal court so  for him to prove libel (which I suspect he would claim) would invite disclosure of his previous convictions and any evidence to disprove his claim such as the body of proof of people scammed on this forum and elsewhere. Plus libel cases are extremely expensive to mount for the claimant and if not found in his favour, he runs the risk of being ordered to pay for the respondant’s legal fees as well. County court judges can literally be a law unto themselves.  
If he has a previous conviction and suspended sentence, any trip to criminal court for a like offence and guilty verdict is likely to result in activation of the suspended sentence. 
Anyone who has reported Mick to the police for a crime and then receives “threatening” communication can report Mick for witness intimidation. Now that is something a court takes an exceedingly dim view of. I’ve seen people get more for that than the offence they were originally being dealt with for.

That's a good point about intimidation there.

Also, it should be noted that the cases raised with Action Fraud do not automatically terminate on repayment; the attempted fraud is still a criminal activity.

Which (https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/how-to-report-a-scam) gives this advice:

Quote

Reporting fraud is important to help stop criminals, and to prevent others from falling victim to the same scam.

Quote

You can report any attempt to steal your money or personal information to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 3040, or report it online.

https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/

Quote

Action Fraud is the UK’s national fraud crime reporting centre. It gathers intelligence on scams and passes it onto the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau for analysis by the police.

Quote

You can also report an attempted scam, even if the fraudsters were unsuccessful.

The Which advice also includes these statements:

Quote

If you've seen a dodgy advert, or feel you’ve been misled by one, you can report it to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

https://www.asa.org.uk/

Quote

The ASA will investigate and can get scam ads removed. It can also fine companies or individuals that breach its guidelines.

 

Edited December 26, 2020 by prowla

[prowla]

The Which page (https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/how-to-report-a-scam) also gives advice relating to scam companies, ie. items being offered for sale under the guise of a company (eg. Guitar Garage).

Quote

How to report scam companies?

If you report a scam to your local Citizens Advice, it may be able to offer you practical advice.

Citizens Advice has a strong relationship with Trading Standards (https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/get-more-help/report-to-trading-standards/). When you report a business you have concerns about, it will pass on information for officers to look into.

Trading Standards officers investigate companies that may be involved in illegal activities. They have powers to take criminal action against fraudulent firms.

 

Edited December 26, 2020 by prowla

[prowla]

The Which page (https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/how-to-report-a-scam) gives advice on support for the victims of scams:

Quote

Emotional support after a scam

Being scammed can take a huge toll on your mental health.

You might find it helpful to talk to someone about what you’re going through. It’s not your fault, and there are plenty of non-judgemental advice lines you can call who will understand.

Quote

Mind has a confidential information and support line, Mind Infoline, available on 0300 123 3393 (lines open 9am - 6pm, Monday - Friday).

https://www.mind.org.uk/

Quote

Victim Support has a free helpline where you can speak to someone confidentially available on 0808 16 89 111 (lines open 24/7).

https://www.victimsupport.org.uk/

I would suggest that this thread (and ones on other sites) provide a valuable service to the victims of the particular scam in question; I have certainly found the support and corroborating information to be an immense help.

[prowla]

8 hours ago, tauzero said:

IANAL but in the case of Lawrence Godfrey vs Demon Internet, Godfrey issued a take-down notice over a newgroup posting that he said defamed him (it was a forgery, purporting to come from him but evidently not doing so as the spelling and grammar was not his usual form). I suspect there might be something along those lines tried by Mason, but he'd have to take a solicitor on to start doing that at £150+ an hour. This is mere speculation . And seeing as Facebook also now has postings concerning his possibly illegal activities, he'd want to take them and their army of lawyers on too.

 

8 hours ago, Kiwi said:

Well if he wasn't aware of the route before, he will be now. Speculation isn't helpful either. 

Just refer to the above posts giving excerpts from the Defamation Act 2013 and advice from various sources and you can easily see that would not apply to this thread, not least because the veracity of people's personal statements (ie. The Truth) could easily be established and thus defeat any claim of defamation.

Edited December 26, 2020 by prowla