Cashing out an account (1 Viewer)

MrCatPants

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I've run an online Mavens group since the onset of the pandemic - a mix of the game I host and a game I frequently play in. Over time certain players slowed down/dropped off (as been discussed by other Mavens hosts) and so I started taking referred players on a very limited basis.

One long time player (we will call him Biff) referred his brother in law. I was able to talk Biff through various forms of electronic funds transfer and help with set up, but the brother in law is...in the age bracket above the age bracket where new technology no longer comes easily. So he sent Biff a check, and Biff cashed it and transferred the funds. He lost those funds over a few weeks and we did the process again. Brother in law won a little bit, then stopped coming around for a few weeks.

After a few weeks I did my normal thing - check in by email, see if they want to keep playing or if they wanted to cash out. Brother in law said he was busy and would be back soon.

Saw him two or three times over the next month. Then nothing again.

A few weeks later on our game's voice chat, Biff tells me his brother in law had a bad fall and has been in the hospital. Brother in law reportedly said he wouldn't be playing for a while and so asked me to send Biff the funds, and Biff would get them to him.

Account balance is about upper three digits so not a trivial amount. So I sent brother in law an email to confirm the plan. No reply for a week.

Biff just texted me 'reminding' me about the transfer. I mentioned the email and he told me brother in law was back in the ER with complications.

I'd describe my relationship with Biff as "poker friend" - no reason not to trust him, but don't know him all that well overall.

So the question - what would you do in my shoes at this point?
 
Hold onto the cash for now, let Biff know why. Get Biff to have his brother in law give him access to his email account, and then have Biff email you from that account with instructions to send the cash to him. That way at least you have some sort of document showing that B-I-L accepts you sending Biff the cash (or you can say you thought it was really the B-I-L sending the message)
 
Hold on to the cash. There's no harm in that. Biff might not be happy about it, but you're not going anywhere and it's not HIS money. He can't fault you for that. If, heaven forbid, the old timer passes, you can send the money to the Executor. It's really the only way to ensure that you don't end up on the hook for the money.
 
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I'd write a check and give it to the brother, however it would be made out to the player. If he's old school, great - he can cash it or do as he would like. That way you have record that you wrote it out to the proper player.

If there's a power of attorney in place, so be it - you are covered.
 
And now I'll post the other thing that comes to mind.

Are you sure that Biff and his brother in law are indeed to different players? Can you look at logs and verify IP addresses are different?

My thought here is that maybe Biff and this mysterious brother in law was in fact a dup account - so Biff could play two spots on two different devices........

Not saying it's likely - just that it's possible.
 
And now I'll post the other thing that comes to mind.

Are you sure that Biff and his brother in law are indeed to different players? Can you look at logs and verify IP addresses are different?

My thought here is that maybe Biff and this mysterious brother in law was in fact a dup account - so Biff could play two spots on two different devices........

Not saying it's likely - just that it's possible.
Pretty sure. Talked to them both simultaneously on a conference call once trying to explain how to set up a PP account before we settled on the other method.
 
Pretty sure. Talked to them both simultaneously on a conference call once trying to explain how to set up a PP account before we settled on the other method.
Okay- that would settle my fear for sure. I know how some people are with electronics. I have one guy who leaves $200 under my mat every week or two to fund his account :ROFL: :ROFLMAO:
 
Okay- that would settle my fear for sure. I know how some people are with electronics. I have one guy who leaves $200 under my mat every week or two to fund his account :ROFL: :ROFLMAO:
Yeah. I explained PP well enough to the 79 year old guy - but the 86 year old guy...just wasn't happening.
 
Yeah. I explained PP well enough to the 79 year old guy - but the 86 year old guy...just wasn't happening.
Oh Jeeze - yeah, I am 100% paying Biff with a check - don't keep the money, just give it to the old guy and be done with it.
 
If it makes you fell better have send you a signed email or better yet a signed letter saying he is accepting the money on behalf of his BIL
 
I will just wired the money to Biff seem like enough due diligence have been done, if biff is out to scam his BIL you have done enough to email and wait days to check.

I don't really see the need to hold the payment for further notice only jus a few hundred dollars. It not that big an amount to cheat out of your own BIL
 
I'd be inclined to just refund the money to Biff.
The money originally came via Biff. So I'd have no problem refunding via Biff.
Money came thru Biff. Money should return the same way. If Biff scams his BIL, that's not on you. Not sure which of Dante's circles of hell holds people that would scam family, but it's one of them.
 
Money came thru Biff. Money should return the same way. If Biff scams his BIL, that's not on you. Not sure which of Dante's circles of hell holds people that would scam family, but it's one of them.
Sounds like thieves, 8th circle, ditch #7.
 
Yeah. I explained PP well enough to the 79 year old guy - but the 86 year old guy...just wasn't happening.
Just now reading this. Was glad to see you clarified what you meant by "the age bracket above the age bracket where new technology no longer comes easily." LOL! Some kids these days seem to think that's anybody over 40!
 
Late to the party but ask old man Brother in law to take a selfie with him holding todays newspaper and a note saying "Transfer to Biff" and then ask for his bitcoin wallet.
 

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