Thursday, Aug 27, 2020, 4:27 pm

By:James Fraser

Internet is great, but then, you shouldn't believe in everything you see on the internet. You never know how criminals hatch evil plans using the social media websites like Facebook. This incident that happened in the UK last year is a prime example how the internet can make people go from riches to rags in a matter of hours. Beck Szenk and her fiancé Mark Higgins faced a rather unusual problem with a moving/removal company they found on the Facebook. Continue reading to know what happened to the family of three. 

1.Becky Szenk and Mark Higgins

A couple named Becky Szenk and Mark Higgins lost almost everything they had after falling prey for a Facebook removal van scam, last year. The couple from UK lost $14,000 worth of belongings that included their furniture, electronics, baby toys and even their jewelry, which left the family of three in deep distress.

2.How it all started

The couple invested all of their money in a pub. They hoped to make it a big success. They also decided to live in a house very near to the pub they own. They wanted the stuff in their apartment to be moved to their new house, so they contacted this 'Lee Green' moving company they found on Facebook.  

3.They Followed their instructions

Becky Szenk spoke to the people at the 'Lee Green'. She was very satisfied with the discussion. Going by their words, she found the company to be very professional. They asked Becky to pack and label all the items in the house. The woman did just as they told.

4.Two Men Showed up at the Couple's Apartment

As asked by the movers, Becky packed everything and labeled them clearly. Two men from the moving company showed up at the couple's apartment, with a removal van. In about 45 minutes, they managed to move everything in the house into the van. Becky mistook the 'speed and urgency' of the two workers as 'professionalism'. 

5.The Realization

Mark was waiting at their new house for the van. The distance between the two places is eight miles. Mark waited for more than a couple of hours. They tried contacting the company again, and the phone number was unresponsive. The couple finally realized they were duped and scammed by a fake moving company. 

6.The Most Horrible Night of Their Life

They lost $14,000 worth belongings. The furniture was gone. The electronics were gone. They even lost their valuables like jewelry. They didn't even had a single blanket left that night to sleep. They had no clothes to wear. The couple had a 7-month-old baby named Ariyah at that time, whose future was on a big risk. The couple spent whatever they had to take care of their baby, not caring about themselves.

7.The Couple Lost Their Engagement Rings too

Becky and Mark were deeply depressed when they realized they lost their engagement ring and other personal valuables. The couple lost their family pictures, gifts, and even their baby's toys. The only thing they had was their TV. As it is a highly fragile item, they wanted to move the TV on their own. 

8.Help Started to Pour in

The couple slept on the floor for a few days. The kind neighbors and the customers of their pub began to help them by donating things. They received approximately $6000 in help from their GoFundMe campaign. The couple is now doing fine. They are back on the track. 

9.Police Arrested Lee Green

Soon after the incident, police had arrested a 32-year-old man named Lee Green, accusing him of stealing the couple's belongings. He has pled not guilty. The court granted him a conditional bail very recently. He will return to the court on March 4, 2016. 

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