HOW TO TRUST A REMOVALS

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A family who fell victim to a ‘removal man scam’ have lost almost everything they own. Becky Szenk, 22, and fiancé Mark Higgins, 28, had their furniture, clothes, photographs and even Becky’s engagement ring stolen by the two men they believed to be removal men. The couple, who estimate their stolen belongings to be worth about £10,000, booked the ‘removal men’ after seeing their page on Facebook to move their belongings from their flat in Bilston, near Wolverhampton, to one above the a pub eight miles away they manage. However after the removal men, who were described as courteous and polite, packed up the family’s belongings and drove off they were never seen again.

Their Facebook page, calling the business Lee Green, was also removed from the site. Becky said: ‘The men had told me in advance to pack all of our belongings into boxes and label them up clearly – I didn’t realise at the time, but they took the most valuable items first.’ ‘I have never cried more in my life than I did on Friday afternoon – I am so distraught that they have taken my engagement ring and my baby’s toys,’ she added. The couple, who have a seven-month-old baby Ariyah together, were hoping for a fresh start in living above the pub they manage, however now they have been left with nothing and have had to rely on the kindness of others to get by. Becky said they ‘don’t even have a blanket to sleep under’ in their new home, however she is putting the needs of Ariyah first. ‘Some people have come forward recently to provide us with essentials, but we still don’t have everything,’ she said. ‘I have to put my daughter first and it important that she is looked after before Mark and I have what we need to live.’ West Midlands Police confirmed they are investigating and treating the crime as theft. GET A QUOTE www.altrinchamremoval.com

AVOID WARNING !!! FACEBOOK SCAM MAN AND VAN

www.altrinchamremoval.com ARE SORRY THIS... Couple lose everything they own in removal van scam A couple who had everything they owned stolen by a 'man with a van' have thanked the public for their donations. Mark Higgins and Becky Szenk were looking forward to moving into their new flat in Walsall in the West Midlands. VanGMBPlay video But they are now missing a sofa, bed, washer - and even the contents of their fridge - after the removal man who called himself Lee Green failed to turn up at their new address.

Mark, 28, told Itv news and Good Morning Britain he found Green through Facebook as they had a friend in common. "He had loads of good reviews on his page and he gave us a good price so we though we'd book him." Becky, 22, who is mum to the couple's seven-month-old daughter Ariyah, was in their flat when two removal men came round. She said: "He was very polite and courteous. He was very professional actually, got the job done quick. I genuinely had no suspicions." The Facebook page used by the 'removal man' has since been taken down. The Facebook page used by the 'removal man' has since been taken down. Credit: Good Morning Britain Despite losing all their furniture Becky said it was the sentimental pieces she was most devastated about. These include a bracelet with her engagement ring gem on, family photos and her first mother's day gifts. "These are things that can't be sold on. Nobody would want them apart from us," she said. A Gofundme page was set up to help the couple and has since raised over £3,000.

Becky said they really appreciated all the donations of furniture they had been given. "It's absolutely helped us 110% and we just want to say a big thank you for that," she said. West Midlands Police are still investigating and the removal man has been put on their persons of interest list. Here's some advice on how to protect against scammers: Check they are reputable by checking reviews from several different sources If possible, get a recommendation from a friend who has used the service before Make sure your belongings are insured - many removal services offer this service themselves WATCH