[pshabi]

Alright, I'm posting this here because I don't think the person in question reads here. I've got an issue that I'd like advice on.

A little over a week or so ago, some guy came onto another message board I frequent, and wanted to play in our NLHE tourney on Pokerstars. Of course, you guessed it, he needed a transfer.

I'm a nice guy, he transfers $50 to my party account, I help him out with $50 on Stars.

A week later, I try cash out my winnings from reload time at Party, total cashout up over $1100. I get a call two days later telling me that they are withholding the money that was transferred to me because of possible "fraudulent activity in his account." So, basically, homeboy took my $50, blew it, and then the $50 he gave me got taken away because of his "fraudulent activities."

I told the guy that the money was taken away and he told me he would look into it. He was obviously doing something wrong, because Party asked him to send some identifying documents and he refused. In his correspondence with me, he told me he was "giving up" his account. Why would any honest person do that?

Anyway, he promised to work to pay me back. If he couldn't get the money from Party he would, "most likely" make a deposit and pay me that way. Most likely? Anway......

in the meantime he gets some money on Stars and he's bragging about SNG finishes, etc. I'm hounding him for my cash, etc. He's replying with crap like, "I told you when I got $50 I'd pay you, I've only got $46 LOL" and bullshit like that.

So, after a week or so of this, I decide to take matters into my own hands. I called Party, we had a very in depth phone call and I voiced my displeasure that I was having my money withheld (I'm a good customer routine). Well they finally told me to "settle it offline." My final strong arm tactic was this: "Are you telling me that $50 is worth more to you than my business? If that's what you're telling me, say yes, we hang up, and I never play on Party again." I'm put on hold again, and they finally come back telling me that they've credited the account with Party money and that the original transfer was going back to whatshisface's fraudulent account.

Then I get home later, and I find out my scammer has in fact made good and paid me in Poker Stars. I told him that Party comped me and he demanded that I pay him back.

I told him to stick it because Party paid me with their money, not his. Remember, you've been playing all week on my money. I gave you $50, you gave me $50, we're square. If you want your $50 back, resolve it with Party and get it back.

Remember, I had to deal with his antics for a week, I had to sit through a grueling conversation with Party for 30 minutes (if you've ever called the investigations team, you know I'm not exaggerating).

Does anyone think that morally, I should give this cat back his $50 or should I take the $50 for my troubles and the lesson I had to learn about not transferring to ANYONE?