Dissertation proofing scam (UK Research Help)

Hi all, has anyone used UK Research Help? My daughter used them for proofreading and firstly the work she submitted came back with terrible errors/bad grammar etc despite paying over £400 in advance. Now the company is trying to blackmail her on WhatsApp saying they have 'set up a meeting' with the head of department at her uni and that unless she pays a further £500 they will tell the university that the work is not hers. My daughter didn't submit this company's proofread version of her work as it was so bad but they are plaguing her with messages. It's clearly a scam but is there any way of getting our money back and wondering whether anyone has had this experience with the same company. They sent their bank details and it tracks to a company with a different name: Transferwise or Wise. Thanks for any advice, Best, Bron

Unfortunately, your money is gone unless you paid by some method that allows disputing the transaction. Tell your daughter to ignore anything they say, immediately block every means by which they contact her without responding, and understand that everything they've told her so far about "meetings" (etc.) is laughably stupid. Just about every conceivable related question you could possibly ask has been answered here many times. Use the search function here for the term "blackmail," which generates all of the following threads: essayscam.org/forum/index.php?phrase=blackmail&action=search&searchGo=1

In the future, don't do business with any writer who is not willing to provide you with his or her real name and specific location, as well as with proof of same that you can verify yourself, independently. Blackmail without anonymity is entirely impossible without obvious prohibitive legal consequences, at least in nations with functional criminal justice systems. If you know the real identity of your writer, you can't possibly be blackmailed or extorted. Report any such instance to legal authorities, using the links provided in some of the threads referenced above.

You're dealing with African fraudsters, even though Ukrainians are equally skillful.

None of them has ever visited Europe, unless on Google maps. That's why, they use apps like Whatsup to try to hide their location, but if the area code is 254, it's Kenya. Check for other similar codes.

The question is, why did your daughter choose to work with the scammers?

Did she find them on fake review websites like Sitejabber, Google Reviews, Facebook, or Trustpilot? 95% of these reviews have been written by the scammers purporting to be students, they are totally fake testimonials.

After having read dozens of such experiences, why don't you stick with established freelancers or services that have existed for two decades or more? If a service has 100 positive reviews posted in the last few years, it is a scam.

No real student is going to post a positive review unless he is paid for it. If a company has 90% of positive reviews and there are dozens or hundreds of them, stay away! It is fraud - guaranteed.

Exactly. Your best bet is always to use a specific person who is willing to divulge his full name and address that you can verify, for yourself, through independent means, to be certain that you're dealing with a real person.

It is a definite benefit that your daughter did not use the sloppy work that they provided. Not that they actually have a meeting with the university head or anybody from her school, that is an empty threat. What I mean is that your daughter has a clear conscience and can sleep at night knowing that she did the right thing. Now, as for hiring writing services in the future, it is important that you recruit your next writer after a proper vetting of his information or the company background. You should come to EssayScam prior to hiring anyone or any company just to know if anybody here can vouch for the person or company. You might also get a warning that will help you avoid fraudsters.

@noted
I should know easy scam before contacting them. If I knew about this site, I would never do that. I got a big education.

@unknown1 hindsight is often 20/20. So take this lesson that you learned and never forget it. Always remember this experience when you or other students are trying to choose between essay writing services or independent writers. It never hurts to ask for other people's opinions. It is better to seek an opinion rather than deciding blindly when hiring services. I hope that you will have better luck when choosing essay writing services in the future.

@noted
Thank you very much. Unfortunately, I have finished my degree and will never go to school anymore. This was my last degree. I never hired in my entire school life, and actually I have trusted because I did not know there was such academic blackmailing, and with whom I spoke, she convinced me nobody would know about this, but after getting my information, I knew they were scammers and online extortionists.