A disabled pensioner has fallen victim to a cruel scam on Facebook Marketplace, losing £300 while attempting to pay for his heating by selling his old iPhone. Ben Simmonds, 62, who battles cerebral palsy and resides in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, faced financial hardship amid January's freezing temperatures. To manage his costs, he chose to sell his unused iPhone 12 Max.

After swiftly finding an interested buyer on Facebook Marketplace, Ben dispatched the phone through Royal Mail. He later confirmed via the app that the item had indeed been signed for and received. Retired Ben pursued the transaction only to receive fraudulent bank screenshots from the prospective buyer, falsely assuring him of the payment.

To his dismay, he soon uncovered the deceit when he found himself blocked and their exchanges deleted. In response to this setback, Ben has established a GoFundMe page in hopes of recovering his lost funds. He advises folks in similar straits to "remain calm" and consult with specialists.

"It hit me hard at first but it's happening to thousands and thousands of people every day," shared Ben with PA Real Life. "There's so many dishonest people around and they're getting cleverer and cleverer. This person definitely took advantage of my position."

Single and childless, Ben has contended with cerebral palsy from birth, which lately has increasingly impacted his mobility. Ben, who suffers from severe leg spasticity causing muscle contractions and spasms, recounted his struggle with high energy bills during January's cold snap.

In an effort to save on costs, Ben said: "I have storage heaters where I live and they're really expensive," explaining how he often only heats one room. During the bitter weeks in January, he admitted, "I sort of only heat one room – barely that sometimes – and when it was really cold in the first couple of weeks in January I didn't put it on."

Facing financial pressure, Ben decided to cash in by selling his old iPhone 12 Max for around £300 on Facebook Marketplace, including postage. He posted the phone on January 4 and received messages from a prospective buyer just three days later through Facebook Messenger. "They were quite impatient, if I didn't get back to them straight away they would be on the case, that sort of thing," he revealed.

Concerned about the condition of the gadget, Ben reassured the buyer: "I did everything I could to help them, they could tell quality of the phone, they could see I look after my things – I take pride in my things." The buyer claimed they wanted the device as a present for their child, prompting Ben to agree to send the phone for the agreed price on January 16 using Royal Mail tracked special delivery to an address provided by the buyer.

To his relief, Ben discovered through the Royal Mail app that the package was signed for on January 17, confirmed by a photograph showing the parcel on an indoor doormat as proof of delivery. Ben was duped by a buyer who sent him doctored screenshots of supposed bank emails, claiming payment for a phone was imminent.

The falsified images, examined by PA Real Life, showed Ben's banking details in a mismatched font and colour compared to the rest of the email, with the year erroneously marked as "2024" instead of 2025 in fine print. The email also indicated that the bank was holding the payment until a tracking number for the shipped item was provided.

"The screenshots said it was pending and the money would come through," Ben recounted. His suspicions grew, and after discussing with a neighbour who also found it dubious, he contacted TSB Bank directly.

"I phoned the bank (TSB) and they automatically said it sounded like I had been scammed as this wasn't their normal process." Attempts to confront the buyer hit a dead end when Ben discovered they had scrubbed their messages from Facebook Messenger and blocked him.

"I wish I had taken screenshots of our messages before I realised – which I didn't and not many people would realise – it was probably a false account," he lamented. In an effort to recover his financial setback, Ben has initiated a GoFundMe campaign, which has collected £25 thus far.

"I didn't want to ask anyone for help but it would help me get back on track," he expressed. Ben, having been through similar experiences himself, offered some words of solace for those facing scam situations: "I know it's difficult as I've been through it myself but try to remain calm and get some expert advice."

Victims suspecting they have been targeted by scammers have the option to seek assistance from Action Fraud. In response to a query from PA, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, recommended various safety measures for users of Facebook Marketplace.

These involve scrutinising whether a Facebook profile seems recently created or isn't fully fleshed out, opting to meet in public when viewing an item before sealing a deal, and ensuring no payment is made until the item is personally inspected. For further information, individuals can visit Ben's GoFundMe campaign.