My account balance is currently -4,999 Lindens. What's gone wrong?

[CosmicSystems]

Hi there. I have a big problem!

My account balance is currently -4,999 Lindens...

Following a conversation with a person at one of my favourite sims. We were talking about a really interesting object in SL costing 3,500 lindens, after I told him that I wasn't able to afford it at the current time, he gave me the gift of 5,000 lindens and then shortly after disappeared. Confused but delighted at receiving my gift, I went out and spent it! What can you expect? And so I came back online a couple of days later, with a sharp "-4,999L" on my account balance. Apparently the system has debited me 5 thousand lindens. What can I do about this? Someone told me that this could possibly be because the mone y gifted was 'stolen'. I would NEVER steal money, or use money that was illegal. 

But, I still refuse to pay back 10 pounds worth of lindens when really I didn't do anything wrong. 

Any help would be appreciated.

[Madelaine McMasters]

Hi Cosmic,

While you didn't steal the Lindens, it appears they were stolen by the unknown person who gifted them to you. And if that's truly the case, it was proper for Linden Lab to return them to their rightful owner. They're unlikely to take further steps.

If something seems too good to be true...

:-(

 

[Pamela Galli]

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CosmicSystems wrote:

 

But, I still refuse to pay back 10 pounds worth of lindens when really I didn't do anything wrong. 

 

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You refuse to give it back?  LL asked your permission whether you wanted to give it back or not?

[CosmicSystems]

Yes. If I no longer buy lindens, I can't be charged.

[Lindal Kidd]

You may not have KNOWINGLY done anything wrong, but in fact you did...you received stolen $L.  (No, YOU didn't steal the $L.  The person who gave them to you did, possibly by using a stolen credit card to buy $L.)

When this happens, LL usually will either fine you the entire amount PLUS a 50% penalty, or ban your account.  You got very lucky, it could have been much worse.

Buy some $L and make up the deficit.

Then take the person who got you in trouble off your friends lis!