Wheres the scam here?

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Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2007 11:11 am

I'm sure hes a scammer but has anyone ever encountered this before?

I support a football team in England and we've got a website for our club.The owner of our site was contacted with the following-

Quote:

Subject: DearXXXXXXXBecoming Man City Member
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2007 11:46:43 -0700 (PDT)

Dear XXXXXXXX,
if i am needed,i am fit to play for Man City I am dreaming when i
am
playing for Man City i am more done ready to give my services to
Man
City
since i am agent free so i have to come to am Asking for AIR-TICKET
from
You as a Member of Support Club let me tell you this story i am Fit
to
play
so i believe i will be here and to be able to wear a Man City Shirt
and
play in is my Dream i believe is gona come true i will be over the
moon
My best will come at this Man City because i will be playing
alongside
top
quality players who will only help me to develop my game
in my Heart i believe This is the best Club in the and the best
Club to
be
at so if i cant do it here then i wont be able to do it anywhere
yours player
Semwogerere Francis

So when I seen this I thought...hes a lad looking for a free airfare....no doubt to be sent WU.So I asked the club to be allowed to run with it...work away they said.---

My reply

Sir,
Thanks so much for getting intouch regarding getting on the first team. Can we have more information on yourself.
Nationality:
Age:
Age started playing football:
How many trophies won:
position:
whats more important? To score a hat-trick and lose/not to score but to win;

Can you tell me a bit more about yourself.
If we do provide air travel to here are you from a country that needs a work permit?
What would be better for you airfare or air ticket?
.

Please get incontact but do not share this information with anyone under this clubs confidential agreement.

Yours,
Bill Marno

his reply-

Quote:

Dear Bill Marno,
let me promise you i will not contact any other person over clubs confidential agreement with you Sir. just send INVITATION LETTER
I think all can work airfare air ticket both can work for work permit just send air-tickets and invitation letter that all then i will shall see other things in England

Hope to Hear from you soon

Love and Blessings

Semwogerere Francis

Strange I thought no asking for an airfair...so time to keep at him-

Dear Mr Francis,
Before we send an offical invitation letter there is more information that we need to tell you. You would not be signing straight away for the main club...that would just be crazy.You would have to come for a trial with us, if you can prove yourself then there is a good chance that the main scout will come and have a look at you.We will pay your air fare and a member of the club will let you stay in their house for four nights.You will then be expected to pay your air fare back home.

Whats in it for us?...you will sign an agreement that binds you to pay us �15,000 when you make a first team appearence.This may seem a lot of money but it isnt that much when you consider first team wages.

If this is okay with yourselves then we'll take it to the next step and we will send an invitation and the request for a security photograph.This is ofcourse an anti fraud measure to prove that you are indeed who you say you are.

Please get bck if you want to proceed.

yours,
Bill Marno

his reply

Quote:

Dear Bill Marno,
ok please let me know the names of your Club secondly i am ready to come for trails and to do everything in England well i will sign for you Sir

Please send INVITATION LETTER direct to the England Embassy in Kampala Uganda

Hope to hear from you soon

STILL no asking for money has got me thinking maybe hes not after money but a flight here?....what do you think..bit a quick googleing and heres my reply-

Dear Mr Francis,

Francois Gordon, CMG
British High Commission
4 Windsor Loop
PO Box 7070
Kampala

Tomorrow we will write to the above man in order to see what needs to be done to facilitae travel to the UK.

We will be intouch...

Bill Marno

heres his reply-

Quote:

Dear Mr Bill Marno,

Thank you very much let me know how far you have gonne with Mr Francois Gordon over my visa

So what do you think? Why is he getting me to contact the visa people?...why doesnt he just cut to the chase....surely the visa people would inform me that its a scam?...anyone help here?

Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2007 11:15 am

Maybe her really wants to play for Man City, someones got to Wink

I think that you may have found a lad who just wants a chance to play football.
Tell him that there are no places available but you know of a first team position going with Accrington Stanley.
Seriously, if he doesn't want money or airfares and wants a legitimate visa then I wouldn't bait him as he's not actually trying to scam you (and may not even be a scammer).

Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2007 11:27 am

Some people bait these, personally I don't. It's just outright begging. If you keep replying, he'll eventually say he needs some help with money for something. He probably does have dreams of being a famous pro footballer.

On the other hand, he might have a plan to convince you he's a damn good investment, fleecing you that way, or he might just be conning his way into the UK, but without evidence of that, I prefer to leave 'em alone and go after the real predators.

[edit] Alf, I see he didn't ask for his air fare, but he asked you for his air tickets and invitation letter.

Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2007 11:39 am

It's a begging scam,
He is begging for a visa invite.

It might be all he wants is to leave where he lives and go live in some place that he considers a better place.

He wants

Quote:

Please send INVITATION LETTER direct to the England Embassy in Kampala Uganda

Note the caps lock Smile

I'm not sure if it's bait worthy except that I would test him on his soccer knowledge skills.

have fun

P_S nipped me at the post

Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2007 11:41 am

I'll drop him.Thanks...I guess it just someone trying to get a better life....who knows I may be in a programme in the future billed as the man who turned down the new Pele....doh!

Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2007 11:41 am

A few things:

1) He knows who he emailed, so baiting him (if he's a scammer) is not really that safe.

2) As the others said, he's probably just begging. This isn't a regular script. he has put time and thought into trying to convince you to let him play.

I'd personally leave him alone.

Or you can always email him from another address and send an ASEM about a WU that you forgot to send or smething - and see if he bites.

Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2007 11:47 am

Quote:

Or you can always email him from another address and send an ASEM about a WU that you forgot to send or smething - and see if he bites

Cheers Eliza..just took your advice...will keep you informed.

Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2007 11:47 am

I just reread this

Quote:

just send air-tickets and invitation letter that all then i will shall see other things in England

No intention of hanging around once you get him there Smile

Edit

definitely baitable

Twisted Evil

Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2007 12:00 pm

^^ But it's still outright asking for what he wants, and promising you nothing in return, so it registers pretty low down on the shitometer scale.

Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2007 12:15 pm

If I would invite someone from, let's say Uganda, and that someone tunrs out to be an asylum seeker, guess who takes the fall?
I wouldn't know about UK though...