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Woman who bought €3,000 ring from Dublin jeweller discovers it's a fake

Sunday World

2 hours ago

Sunday World

Woman who bought €3,000 ring from Dublin jeweller discovers it's a fake

Independent goldsmith inspected ring bought from Shuwan Li's Empress Fine Jewels off Dublin's Grafton Street A customer of a Dublin-based jeweller who has filed for bankruptcy is 'disappointed but not surprised' to learn that a €3,000 emerald and diamond ring she purchased contains fake gemstones. Shuwan Li, who ran Empress Fine Jewels on Johnson's Court off Grafton Street, was being pursued for debts of €1.5m when she went bankrupt in March. The Sunday World recently revealed that another customer took legal action against Empress Fine Jewels, which was ordered to pay her nearly €35,000, after diamond rings she entrusted to the store were reported stolen while being taken by a pensioner on a bus to another location to be cleaned. In the aftermath of publicity surrounding this case, another woman decided to have her triple diamond emerald cluster ring — which she bought from the jewellery shop in December 2023 — tested. An independent valuer examined the ring using specialist technology and has in recent days confirmed the woman's suspicions that the stones are fake. This customer, who does not wish to be identified, said she visited a number of jewellers in search of an emerald ring before attending Empress Fine Jewels in mid-December 2023. If it seems too good to be true, then it probably is 'The initial price I was quoted was €4,200 but I got the price down to €3,000. That was the red flag I didn't see. As they saying goes, 'if it seems too good to be true, then it probably is,'' she said. The woman said she did not expect to be sold fake emeralds from the jewellery shop on Johnson's Court, near more established jewellers in the Grafton Street area. She said she was provided with a valuation report from Empress Fine Jewels upon purchase, which stated that the '18ct gold triple diamond emerald cluster ring' had a 'market value' of €4,200. This document, as well as the woman's €3,000 invoice, have been seen by this newspaper. However, in recent weeks, the woman decided to have her emerald and diamond ring tested by a Dublin valuer to establish the authenticity of the gemstones. The independent goldsmith has now confirmed that the gemstones are not emeralds and the diamonds are also fake. Shuwan Li Sources familiar with the case say it is likely that the ring is in fact only worth a couple of hundred euro. The customer has not made a complaint to An Garda Síochána. She feels it 'might not be worthwhile' as it would be highly unlikely she would get her money back given that Ms Li has filed for bankruptcy. When she bought the piece of jewellery, the ring needed to be resized, so it took a few weeks for her to receive it. 'When I did get it, I always felt it wasn't the same ring I had chosen in the shop. It was too shiny. I always had concerns about it and now it is confirmed that it is fake. It was a wicked thing to happen but at the same time, there are far worse things going on in the world,' she said. 'You live and learn. I was duped. I had decided to treat myself and I wanted an emerald ring. Of course, I wish it didn't happen. I will probably still wear it on the odd occasion. I've accepted that it is fake and decided to just move on, because there's nothing that can be done now. 'I just hope it hasn't happened to too many other people and I would like people to be aware,' she added. An independent valuer confirmed the ring's emeralds and diamonds were not real Efforts were made to contact Ms Li for comment. Court filings show Ms Li had just €100 in cash and €21.88 in her bank account when she sought to have her €1.5m debts wiped out. Her only personal assets were a €3,000 engagement ring and a €900 wedding ring. The Sunday World reported in recent weeks that another Dublin woman obtained a judgment of almost €35,000 against Empress Fine Jewels and Ms Li earlier this year after four rings she left in for cleaning were reportedly stolen. She took a civil case against the business and a Circuit Court judgment seen by this newspaper ordered that Shuwan Li, trading as Empress Fine Jewels and Empress Fine Jewels Ltd, reimburse her €34,180. However, court documents also reveal that Ms Li filed for bankruptcy on March 3 this year, so the woman who sued her is unlikely to be compensated. Shuwan Li Mooney ran a jewellery shop in Dublin city centre On May 8, 2024, the woman left four rings worth around €35,000 into the store to be cleaned. They included her wedding and engagement rings, and two other pieces with rare stones. She received a call the next day from the jeweller, telling her the rings had been stolen from a person travelling on a Dublin Bus. She was told a pensioner had been entrusted to take the jewellery to another premises to be cleaned by a specialist and used a bus to get there. Gardaí were told the alleged robbery took place on the pensioner's return journey. This is not the first time Empress Fine Jewels has been before the courts The customer said she had no idea that her rings were to leave the premises for cleaning. She said she was 'flabbergasted' that the items would be taken elsewhere, and also that they would be transported on a bus by a pensioner, who appeared frail, given his use of a walking aid. Gardaí have obtained CCTV of the man on the bus and later took a preliminary statement from him. The customer has also given gardaí a formal statement. The investigation remains open, but there have been no arrests and no significant developments in terms of recovering the missing rings. This is not the first time Empress Fine Jewels has been before the courts. Last year, an agreement was reached to resolve a High Court row between the business and an Italian jewellery distributor over €500,000 worth of jewels. World Diamond Group (WDG) sued Shuwan Li and Empress Fine Jewels. Among the claims were that Shuwan Li made an alleged threat to 'put people in the river' in the midst of the fallout between the diamond sellers.

Woman who bought €3,000 emerald and ring from Dublin jeweller discovers it's a fake

Sunday World

6 hours ago

Sunday World

Woman who bought €3,000 emerald and ring from Dublin jeweller discovers it's a fake

Independent goldsmith inspected ring bought from Shuwan Li's Empress Fine Jewels off Dublin's Grafton Street A customer of a Dublin-based jeweller who has filed for bankruptcy is 'disappointed but not surprised' to learn that a €3,000 emerald and diamond ring she purchased contains fake gemstones. Shuwan Li, who ran Empress Fine Jewels on Johnson's Court off Grafton Street, was being pursued for debts of €1.5m when she went bankrupt in March. The Sunday World recently revealed that another customer took legal action against Empress Fine Jewels, which was ordered to pay her nearly €35,000, after diamond rings she entrusted to the store were reported stolen while being taken by a pensioner on a bus to another location to be cleaned. In the aftermath of publicity surrounding this case, another woman decided to have her triple diamond emerald cluster ring — which she bought from the jewellery shop in December 2023 — tested. An independent valuer examined the ring using specialist technology and has in recent days confirmed the woman's suspicions that the stones are fake. This customer, who does not wish to be identified, said she visited a number of jewellers in search of an emerald ring before attending Empress Fine Jewels in mid-December 2023. If it seems too good to be true, then it probably is 'The initial price I was quoted was €4,200 but I got the price down to €3,000. That was the red flag I didn't see. As they saying goes, 'if it seems too good to be true, then it probably is,'' she said. The woman said she did not expect to be sold fake emeralds from the jewellery shop on Johnson's Court, near more established jewellers in the Grafton Street area. She said she was provided with a valuation report from Empress Fine Jewels upon purchase, which stated that the '18ct gold triple diamond emerald cluster ring' had a 'market value' of €4,200. This document, as well as the woman's €3,000 invoice, have been seen by this newspaper. However, in recent weeks, the woman decided to have her emerald and diamond ring tested by a Dublin valuer to establish the authenticity of the gemstones. The independent goldsmith has now confirmed that the gemstones are not emeralds and the diamonds are also fake. Shuwan Li Sources familiar with the case say it is likely that the ring is in fact only worth a couple of hundred euro. The customer has not made a complaint to An Garda Síochána. She feels it 'might not be worthwhile' as it would be highly unlikely she would get her money back given that Ms Li has filed for bankruptcy. When she bought the piece of jewellery, the ring needed to be resized, so it took a few weeks for her to receive it. 'When I did get it, I always felt it wasn't the same ring I had chosen in the shop. It was too shiny. I always had concerns about it and now it is confirmed that it is fake. It was a wicked thing to happen but at the same time, there are far worse things going on in the world,' she said. 'You live and learn. I was duped. I had decided to treat myself and I wanted an emerald ring. Of course, I wish it didn't happen. I will probably still wear it on the odd occasion. I've accepted that it is fake and decided to just move on, because there's nothing that can be done now. 'I just hope it hasn't happened to too many other people and I would like people to be aware,' she added. An independent valuer confirmed the ring's emeralds and diamonds were not real Efforts were made to contact Ms Li for comment. Court filings show Ms Li had just €100 in cash and €21.88 in her bank account when she sought to have her €1.5m debts wiped out. Her only personal assets were a €3,000 engagement ring and a €900 wedding ring. The Sunday World reported in recent weeks that another Dublin woman obtained a judgment of almost €35,000 against Empress Fine Jewels and Ms Li earlier this year after four rings she left in for cleaning were reportedly stolen. She took a civil case against the business and a Circuit Court judgment seen by this newspaper ordered that Shuwan Li, trading as Empress Fine Jewels and Empress Fine Jewels Ltd, reimburse her €34,180. However, court documents also reveal that Ms Li filed for bankruptcy on March 3 this year, so the woman who sued her is unlikely to be compensated. Shuwan Li Mooney ran a jewellery shop in Dublin city centre On May 8, 2024, the woman left four rings worth around €35,000 into the store to be cleaned. They included her wedding and engagement rings, and two other pieces with rare stones. She received a call the next day from the jeweller, telling her the rings had been stolen from a person travelling on a Dublin Bus. She was told a pensioner had been entrusted to take the jewellery to another premises to be cleaned by a specialist and used a bus to get there. Gardaí were told the alleged robbery took place on the pensioner's return journey. This is not the first time Empress Fine Jewels has been before the courts The customer said she had no idea that her rings were to leave the premises for cleaning. She said she was 'flabbergasted' that the items would be taken elsewhere, and also that they would be transported on a bus by a pensioner, who appeared frail, given his use of a walking aid. Gardaí have obtained CCTV of the man on the bus and later took a preliminary statement from him. The customer has also given gardaí a formal statement. The investigation remains open, but there have been no arrests and no significant developments in terms of recovering the missing rings. This is not the first time Empress Fine Jewels has been before the courts. Last year, an agreement was reached to resolve a High Court row between the business and an Italian jewellery distributor over €500,000 worth of jewels. World Diamond Group (WDG) sued Shuwan Li and Empress Fine Jewels. Among the claims were that Shuwan Li made an alleged threat to 'put people in the river' in the midst of the fallout between the diamond sellers.

A Revolut user encounters ‘evasive' customer service after €1,850 fraud

Irish Times

9 hours ago

Irish Times

A Revolut user encounters ‘evasive' customer service after €1,850 fraud

On May 22nd a reader's mother, a woman in her 70s, contacted Vodafone Ireland to report poor wifi and was promised a call back from a technician. The following day the call she was expecting came – or so she thought – but what happened next has left her traumatised and substantially poorer. The caller referenced the wifi issue 'and said she was eligible for a refund,' her son writes. 'She was sent a text link and asked to click it to 'verify' the refund.' She did as she was asked to do by the person claiming to be from Vodafone but after following the link and inputting some key details her banking app was compromised, her Revolut account remotely accessed and €1,850 sent to a sterling account in the UK. READ MORE 'She immediately reported it to Revolut, Vodafone, and An Garda Síochána, submitting screenshots of all the suspicious activity, a signed statement and the full context of the scam,' her son writes. He tells us that she was asked by Revolut 'to upload this same dossier five times [and] Revolut never called her, despite promising to'. He describes Revolut's support system as 'opaque and evasive, consisting of scripted replies and AI loops, with no clear case management or human escalation'. He says that when he asked 'a basic admin question – what documents are needed to file a fraud report in Ireland – they refused to answer, citing GDPR, even though I never asked about her account,' he says. [ 'Sorry you lost the money': Couple loses thousands of euro of wedding savings in Revolut 'ordeal' Opens in new window ] He also says Vodafone has 'not yet explained how someone knew about the wifi complaint and used that to engineer the scam'. Our reader points out that the funds 'were sent to another Revolut account, raising questions about their fraud controls and whether the funds were frozen. 'At this point, we just want honest answers and a fair process. My mum has done everything asked of her, but she's getting nowhere – and it feels like the system is built to exhaust people into giving up.' He says that 'everything is handled by bots with repeated requests for the same info, vague timelines, and generic cut-and-paste responses. Even now, weeks later, she still hasn't received a proper update, and it's genuinely shaken her confidence in using digital banking at all. It's an insane system and the fact you can't talk to a human is ludicrous.' He says that when Revolut wanted his business account, 'the office would receive regular phone calls and emails from reps looking for the business. How could they not provide the same support to existing clients? Has Revolut quietly built a wall between customers and accountability?' There are two troubling strands to this scam. Did the criminals know she had contacted Vodafone and were able to time their first contact with her to coincide with the exact time she was expecting a call from that company? And why are the systems that Revolut have in place so opaque and why has it proved to be impossible for this family to speak to a human being or even get a sense that Revolut is addressing this issue with the seriousness that it deserves? First we contacted Vodafone and shared the details of this scam with them. The company checked its systems and said that there was no evidence of a data breach on its side and a spokesman could not definitively say how it was that our reader – or at least their mother – would receive a call purporting to be from Vodafone less than 24 hours after she had contacted the company. It could be simple coincidence. Scammers make many, many such calls everyday and they must sometimes get lucky. We also contacted Revolut. In a statement the company said it was sorry for this person's experience 'and any instance where our customers are targeted by ruthless and sophisticated criminals. Revolut takes fraud, and the industry-wide risk of customers being coerced by organised criminals, incredibly seriously. Each potential fraud case concerning a Revolut customer is carefully investigated and assessed independently of other cases.' The statement stresses that it has 'a fervent focus on improving the customer experience at Revolut, and the protection of our customers' money is paramount to that. We provide customer support 24/7 in-app via chat because it is the most secure method to communicate with customers, and helps to ensure that they can be certain they are connected with a member of our team. 'Any reported fraud automatically triggers human intervention from our customer service team, ensuring a user's case is handled by skilled live agents with expertise in financial crime.' It said that in recent months it had introduced in-app calls 'to give users a secure way to engage with our customer service team over the phone and help them to expose phone call scams.' Revolut said that last year it had prevented more than €700 million in potential fraud against customers by implementing in-app calls, real-time AI fraud-detection systems, transaction limits, in-app warnings and delayed payments for suspicious transactions, biometric authentication requirements, and providing educational resources to help consumers remain informed about potential risks. 'Revolut's financial crime prevention team now represents almost a third of our global workforce and, alongside many other payments firms, we deploy a number of different interventions that are solely designed to 'break the spell' of scammers and fraudsters,' it said. 'Whilst Revolut is unable to comment on the specifics of these interventions, so as to not provide any insight that could help ruthless criminals socially engineer their victims and bypass these, we are constantly innovating and testing a range of eye-catching warnings. 'While we are fully determined to protect our customers as best we can through our fraud prevention technologies, and go to every length to ensure scams are avoided, there is no denying that fraud is an industry-wide issue that needs to be tackled at source, particularly by the telecoms companies and social media apps that are enabling this. Banks and financial institutions should be the last line of defence, not the only line of defence.' The story does have a happier-than-expected outcome. Initially the company wrote to her and outlined its processes and the steps it had taken to prevent any suspicious transactions taking place before determining that it was not at fault and as such no money would be refunded. A day later we heard back from our reader again. 'You won't believe this. We went from that email yesterday to my mother getting her cash paid back today.' In a letter the company sent to her a representative said that 'upon further investigation of your case, we have identified a mistake in how it was previously handled. Subsequently, we have reclassified the situation as an account-takeover fraud and organised a full reimbursement of €1891.50 along with €150 as a compensation for the stress caused by the whole situation. The payment was sent directly to your Revolut account.'

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Woman who bought €3,000 ring from Dublin jeweller discovers it's a fake

Woman who bought €3,000 emerald and ring from Dublin jeweller discovers it's a fake

A Revolut user encounters ‘evasive' customer service after €1,850 fraud

Senior garda used official channel to import gun parts for private club

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Woman who bought €3,000 ring from Dublin jeweller discovers it's a fake

Woman who bought €3,000 emerald and ring from Dublin jeweller discovers it's a fake

A Revolut user encounters ‘evasive' customer service after €1,850 fraud

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