I Was Scammed and Lost All My Camera Equipment—Please Help

Hi, I'm Luna (Kangyue Zhang) , a visual artist and photographer based in London. I'm a victim of a scam crime which occurred on 7th March, 2025, and lost all my camera equipments. I have report to police but I don't have hope that police will help me find my camera back......

Things started from last Monday, March 3rd, while job hunting in London as usual, I came across a job posting on Indeed for an event photographer offering £35/hour. The job listing included a WhatsApp contact for the company, so I immediately sent my CV, cover letter, and portfolio. The person responded quickly, and from Monday to Thursday, we went through a series of screening processes, professional questions, and contract discussions. The contract seemed legitimate—it contained basic information, a company signature, and good pay of £475.

However, one clause in the contract seemed odd: I was required to hand over my equipment the day before the shoot to a delivery service (Addison Lee, as they claimed). They said this was due to a security check required by the event organizers at Walkie Talkie. I started feeling suspicious, anxious, and worried about a potential scam. But they manipulated me with various tactics, such as providing me with the contract, fake insurance documents, and a false guarantee. Desperate for money, I chose to believe them.

The next day, 8th March 2025, at 7:30 AM, I arrived at the event location, only to be told by the actual event organizers that they had never hired this company or any freelancers. It hit me instantly—I had been scammed. I immediately reported it to the police, but by then, my camera gear was already being listed for sale on eBay.

My stolen equipment includes:

Sony A6400 camera bodies and lumix lecia camera, Tamron 15-75mm lens. A Godox flash and Lens filters and a cleaning kit. Total cost almost 2500£.

One of my cameras has a crack on the rubber eyepiece, something my friends can recognize, and I have photo proof. Just hours after the theft, I searched eBay and found my camera listed for sale—but there’s nothing I could do further. It made me feel helpless and drained. I hardly trust anyone or any post from indeed or eBay now makes me feel sick to my stomach.

At first, I did try to verify the company’s name. The scammers impersonated a real company, and I even found the founder’s Instagram, but I never messaged their official email or Instagram. This mistake led me deeper into their trap. Looking back, I realize it was my own desperation that made me believe in the job opportunity. I just wanted to make some money to pay rent.

Now, I feel completely crushed. This experience makes me question whether I can continue in photography. I need a stable job, but after this, I can’t trust anyone on Indeed anymore—so many postings and recruiters feel like scams. I feel so helpless. I barely have any money left and can’t even afford rent. The camera I relied on for survival was stolen while I was simply trying to get a job.

Once again: Never trust anyone who asks you to pay money or hand over your valuable belongings before starting a job. Don’t let greed cloud your judgment, even for a moment. Stay alert and don’t fall for scams like I did.

Please, I really need your help to get through this tough time. I work so hard to chasing my dream and to do photography as you could see from my works on instagrams. I have passion for art, but this case scammers exactly using my passion to manipulate me into thinking I've landed my first well paid job in the photography industry, it is genuinely sick how they take advantage of young peoples ambition and desperation for work.

Please help me share this and help me recover if you would like to support this case. I really appreciate my friends and kind people around me who encourage me to do this founding. I don't know how would I thank you but with my sincere, if you need any photography in the future I would be happy to work for free as return!

With all my thanks

Luna Zhang