Online friend sent money to me to trade on the forex market and lost it now threatening to call police

[parkinghelp1]

True!

The whatsapp messages state that it was a bet and i said are you going to stick to your word when it came to paying the bet to me and he goes “as long as you trade it for me”

i did agree on that and we agreed on a % split of profit but yeah i get what you mean

[dx100uk]

it doesnt matter it was to do with crypto etc.

its someone impersonating a police officer 

and you have a very good lead as to whom would have arranged it even if it was not him.

the police will not be one bit interested into whats behind why it happened thats immaterial and none of their business, its a civil matter.

now if this was me i'd play the game and get my mate to ring him up and pretend to be another pc investigating a bogus call from someone pretending to be from the police...but im evil like that. he'd pass a brick and it would be a hoot to listen too.

dx

[BazzaS]

That’d make your friend (& you !) equally guilty of impersonating a police officer / conspiracy to do so.

Far better to have it done by the actual police!

[dx100uk]

spoilsport....

[unclebulgaria67]

Suggest that personal safety measures are considered, if you don't know the person you are dealing with.  What if this online friend is involved in criminal activities.

Presume the online friend does not know your residential address and cannot find it out by using social media ? 

 

[Ethel Street]

Quote

"if not im sure you know the person whos made this allegation if you can get back the money to them, what ill do ill give u till thursday if not ill be applying for a court warrant and ill see you then"

"is so fake on so many levels it definitely isn't the police.

Police would never say something like that, nor could they apply for a "court warrant" [whatever that is supposed to be] without interviewing you.

I would say it's someone on behalf of your online friend trying to scare you into going to a police station and "turn yourself in".  If the caller had left an actual PC's name I'd say call the police station and ask for them personally. But as they left no name ignore it but keep the recording.

One call may not be a crime against you (although it might be for impersonating a police officer) but if it keeps happening possibly harassment,

so keep a record of all incidents/calls if there are more. In writing, a timed and dated record signed by you with a summary of what happened. Keep recordings of all calls if you can.

If your 'friend' actually reported it to the police they might start asking where he got the money from.....

[parkinghelp1]

They do not know my full name just my nickname and do not know my address which i want to keep it that way.

the voicemail was sent on the 3rd feb.

Said it saves for 7 days, i cant download or anything i can record it on another device but not sure if thats helpful?

Or should i definitely go into the station today?

What do i exactly say im sure the police will ask why are you getting these calls etc..

how much of the situation to i tell them etc if they do ask.. 

[Ethel Street]

My advice is to do nothing. A single call, especially one that did not directly threaten you, is unlikely to be a crime. For something to be the offence of harassment it needs be repeated conduct. Look up The Protection from Harassment Act 1997 online, lots of guidance. Note that in this situation it isn't normally a crime if it's a one-off, it has to be what the Act calls "a course of conduct".  So police are unlikely to be interested at this time.

Important thing is to keep good records for yourself to use as evidence if it continues. If it does become harassment having good quality records of what has happened to use as evidence will be key to getting police/courts involved.

I wouldn't advise reporting the impersonation of a police officer either. Probably too trivial for the police to be interested at this time. More importantly for you if they did start investigating and if they were ever able to track down your 'friend' they might when interviewing him disclose your real name. You don't want that to happen.

If recording the voicemail onto another device is the best you can then do that. It's better than not keeping anything. Or if you can't make a copy at all transcribe it and keep hard copy (signed/dated etc). Also photograph the call details shown on your phone - date, time etc - and print off a hard copy for your records. When you do that sign/initial and date the printed copy yourself. 

Incidentally you say the voicemail named a police station. Is the police station near you? Reason I ask is if your 'friend' doesn't know your address how would he be able to name a police station near you? Or does he know roughly where in England you live, just not the exact address?

[parkinghelp1]

Yes the ‘friend’ knew roughly the area which is a big area, but not the exact address.

also this person has been messaging other online friends of mine through social media saying

“i know you know him just wanted to make you aware he is in serious trouble with the police, he is under investigation at the moment, he has stolen alot of money from me and is in big trouble.

i just wanted to make you aware so you can protect yourself and if you have any information you’d like to share to stop him that would be so helpful”

[Ethel Street]

Geting social media operators to take down fake allegations isn't something I know much about but hopefully others here can advise.

[parkinghelp1]

He hasnt posted it online publicly just direct messaging people that he knows i know as they have come to me and told me

Edited February 9 by parkinghelp1

[Ethel Street]

Presumably you will respond to them (private message to them individually) saying it is false information, wholly untrue, you have done no such thing and you aren't being investigated by the police? On the message system you use can you send private messages in a way that prevents the recipient forwarding or sharing it?

When you send that reply do it knowing that some of your online friends will forward it to him if they can so don't make defamatory comments about him, just rebut his alleged "facts". I would decline to give any further details - "that's between me and him" - otherwise you risk getting into a pointless message battle of the "I said/"He said" variety. 

And keep hard copy of all the messaging. It's now becoming a 'course of conduct' - harassment.

[dx100uk]

film the phone playing the msg with another phone - that will not only record the msg but also show the app playing the voicemail and its date on its screen

 

[parkinghelp1]

i have recorded a video on another phone of the voicemail, you have to call a number to listen to it, it dosent show the date and time of the call, but says it vocally before the voicemail plays, from the automated voicemail message.

Yeah i have messaged the people telling them its untrue etc to the ones who have reached out to me, some of them have removed me but no big deal, didn’t know them personally just though an online game/online friend group. Its what was said that makes people think differently “he has stolen alot of money from me” (it was sent willingly, with no force or no pressure), what was also said to some people they know i play with/talk to online is that i “prey on girls for money”(which i never have ever done!)

”under police investigation, not the only report had about him made to the police” 

no police has contacted me, the last time i was in trouble was for a speeding fine. 

just annoying because people look at you differently.

i have took screenshots of all messages they have been sending to people.

this is crazy! 

[parkinghelp1]

Is there anything i should message this person? Along the lines of 

spreading false information to people such as “i have stolen alot of money from you” is a xxxx

and also who you or got some to impersonate a police officer is a serious crime and will not be taken lightly.

Edited February 9 by parkinghelp1

[unclebulgaria67]

I would do nothing.  The more you add to Social Media the more of a problem you may be creating.

I would just stay silent for now, but monitor posts to the social media site.