I know it's a con but how

[Chrispy]

I just received this mail, now I know it's tosh because I don't have a on line store, but I can't see where the con bit comes in? amazing the efforts some people will go to to try and fool the hard working.



Greeting Sales,
We extend our kind interest to make purchase on some items in your Store. Before we proceed kindly let us know the kinds of credit card Payment you accept ,I will appreciate if you return to us by email your attached wholesale price sheets.
Looking forward to your quick response.

Best Regards,
Anderson Chow
GSI Limited
09 Vitogo Parade
Lautoka
Fiji.
Phone:- (679) 3387011
Fax:- (679) 3387412
E:- [email protected]
Web:-Under Construction

 

[finneyb]

Suspect that they will send you a cheque/money order etc that is for more than the amount you require.
They get you to send the difference back to them. Their cheque/money order etc then bounces.
You are then out of pocket - they are not interested in the contents of any online store - even though you don't have one.

Brian

 

[Normancb]

If you reply, you are also confirming the validity of your e-mail address

 

[Mike.S]

I suspect this is a preliminary approach to gain confidence. As Brian suggests it is likely that some form of payment will be made that will be returned unpaid leaving you out of pocket - because you've 'refunded' the overpayment or as goods have been despatched.

I once investigated a fraud case where a purveyor of specialised meat processing machinery agreed to sell valuable machinery (including, BTW, bandsaws for cutting meat/bones) against payment by CHAPS (guaranteed cleared funds). £60k of goods later the CHAPS payment turned out to be a cheque paid in at another bank, initially credited to sellers account (so he released goods, thinking it was the agreed CHAPS payment) but which was taken back when the cheque bounced. The seller was initially approached by phone (rather than email).

The fraud Brian describes was typically initiated after people placed ads in papers/mags for cars and other goods, where some overseas buyer would send a cheque for too much money - the excess to be used to pay the 'courier' to ship the goods overseas. Needless to say the seller would pay the 'courier' just before the buyer's payment bounced.

It can be a cruel world....

 

[finneyb]

I've just got this one - anyone any thoughts?

Brian

' Hi, I'm Cpt.Dennis Hall and I'm an officer of the United States Army. Please kindly hit me back if you can assist me with the safe keeping of some valuables packages. I will share more details as soon as I get a positive response.

God Bless

Cpt. Dennis Hall '

 

[brianhabby]

These emails are what the delete button is for!

Don't ever reply; as mentioned above the least you will do is confirm your email address which will then be passed to other spammers/scammers.

regards

Brian