H has an IT business.
A couple of weeks ago, someone approached him via their website to purchase some hardware. (this is a fairly common occurance). They accepted the quote and H asked for the money to be paid via bank transfer into the company bank account. The goods were worth about £1,000.
This was paid in and one week later H emailed his bank manager (or equivalent these days). She put in writing to him that "the payment has been credited to your account and you are in a 'safe' zone now and the payment cannot be recalled"
So H sends out the goods via next day courier.
The following monning he gets a call from the bank to say that it was actually a cheque that had been in to the account and it has been returned and the money recalled as the cheque had not been signed by a valid signatory.
H called the couriers but they had delivered an hour before. H sends his Sales Director (a big bloke who can be quite scary!) to the address (in S.London) to try to speak to someone/recover the goods/obtain cash. He sits outside the house for 5 hours with no-one there. Several neighbours approach him as he looks suspicious and he is told that there's a group of "dodgy types" living there.
Unsuprisingly they don't respond to emails and the phone always goes to voicemail.
H went to the police to be told there is not enough evidence that a crime has been committed. They said they need to see the cheque and the letter from the bank. H produces these. They then say that there is still no evidence that a crime has been committed and refuse to take it any further.
WWYD - Should he insist the police take it more seriously? It seems crazy that he knows where the goods went (and can prove this) but the police won't even send someone round.
