Don't know how to handle this

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Hello I'm New here! Joined: 29 Oct 2006 Posts: 9

I run a small restuarant and recieved an email from a "Prof Bryan Carter" enquiring about making bookings for 15 people for 3 night in November.Something about it got my spidersense twitching, but i answered politely, discussing menus etc.Then his latest email has this

"Dear Adrian

Thanks for your response with your Menu. I will make a deposit payment of £2000 to you, this is because we are not yet sure of what the guests might like to eat and drink.Our menu request will reach you before our arrival. The balance payment will be made on our arrival to your restaurant.

Moreover, we were able to make an arrangement with a pre-paid Transport Consultant who will take care of our Flight and Transportation requirements during our stay. So in order not to share the Visa Card information with a third party, I have decided that only one person will have to handle the Credit Card information.So once you are in receipt of my Credit Card details, you are required to charge a total of £7000 in your account then deduct £2000 being your deposit payment and send £5000 to the Transport Consultant whose Information I will forward to you once this is confirmed. Confirm this message and provide me with your

(1) YOUR FULL NAME:
(2) FULL ADDRESS:
(3) PHONE NUMBERS for office record.

All checks and balances shall be done on the final day of our Dinner.

Dr. Bryan Carter
Edinburgh ,
Kirkliston
EH29 9EB, UK
Bryan Carter
Phone:+447024010199
Fax:+448709746660"

which made me think of this forum( i have been lurking here for a while)
So the question is how best to handle this? Ideally i would like to play him along,but no real idea of what to do.Any ideas?

Cheers

Adrian

Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 6:20 pm

Hi Johndoeman

Looks like a scam to me. The credit card is probably stolen. He is counting on getting his 5K before you learn that.

You should drop all contact with him. More information about this sort of scam can be found at:

http://www.scamwarners.com/ or www.fakechecks.org

Here's a snip from scamwarners:

Quote:

Cheque/check or money order scams
There are many variations on check scams and we have more information in our specific scams section. The most popular are overpayment for goods, investor scams, and the company agent or representative scam. If you have been asked by someone you don't know to cash a check, money order or traveller's check and send on the proceeds or goods, please act with extreme caution.

The basics are that the scammer asks the potential victim to receive payment (whether for goods being sold, investment, or from a �customer� of the scammer) and to forward all or part of the proceeds. The check/money order is fake, forged or stolen. The scammer hopes that the victim�s bank will not realise initially, and will clear it. The victim sends money on, the bank later realises and debits the victim�s account, and the victim has then lost the money sent on. The bank will almost certainly not be liable, and the victim may also find that their account is closed and/or that they are arrested or investigated by the police for money laundering.

Good job spotting it.

Not quite a Newb Joined: 14 Jul 2005 Posts: 41

Well, since he knows your real info, I'd just tell him to go pound sand and make sure your staff knows that it's a scam.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 29 Oct 2006 Posts: 9

Pound sand??

Not quite a Newb Joined: 14 Jul 2005 Posts: 41

Take a long walk off a short pier, get bent, eff off....take your pick. Laughing

Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 6:28 pm

Pound Sand

Eater has dramatically improved my vocabulary. Very Happy

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 29 Oct 2006 Posts: 9

I,m going to ask him a few questions before making some excuse as to not being able to take his bookings. Thanks for the advice.

Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 6:35 pm

Good spotting the scam, and not becoming a victim. I would either:

a) Tell him to get bent
b) Ignore him for now on
c) Pass him off to my "Party Organizing Dept." to finalize the arrangements, menu, payment, travel, time wasting.

I'd probably go with 'C' since I'd want to get the CC information so it could be reported to the proper lender, in case it is stolen. Of course, that CC number "wouldn't go through", so I'd ask for another (rinse, repeat). May be able to help someone who is a real victim.

Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 6:39 pm

^^I don't think C is a good option. Because the scammer knows exactly where and who johndoeman is, the scammer could create problems once he knows he's been jerked around. That would be unsafe baiting at its finest.

Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 6:49 pm

@ johndoeman

I'd leave this guy for now but keep his email address safe and sound.
Then in a couple of months time, drop him an ASEM from a safe address and bait his scamming ass.
Revenge is a dish best served cold, right? Twisted Evil

Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 6:53 pm

I'd, personally, risk my luck from someone thousands of miles away to possibly help actual victims who may have had their CCs stolen. Done with finesse, they wouldn't know they are being jerked around. Helping actual victims, and finessing the bait.. priceless (to me).

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 29 Oct 2006 Posts: 9

I think i could string him along gently for a while, maybe getting a CC number without too much risk.

Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 7:06 pm

^^seems reasonable.

Mike Oxlong wrote:

I'd, personally, risk my luck from someone thousands of miles away to possibly help actual victims who may have had their CCs stolen

You might be right. The risk of anything bad happening is probably low, but since it is easily avoided, I wouldn't do much more than what johndoeman is contemplating. Lads often work in gangs and have connections all over the world. Also, it isn't necessary to be near someone to cause problems, if someone is determined and resourceful.

Slightlyoutofit's approach is a nice way to have the best of both worlds.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 29 Oct 2006 Posts: 9

http://www.ukapas.ross-web.org.uk/?p=602

Found him elsewhere!

Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 8:15 pm

I'd brush him off with an excuse that your CNP (cardholder Not Present) floorlimit isn't high enough for you to put the transaction through.

Then rebait him Twisted Evil

Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 10:18 pm

Hit the "block" button on your email and make sure your staff knows it is a scam. Ignore it.

But write down his details and get ready to have some fun Twisted Evil

First go read all the stickies here. Safe baiting, grabbing a mentor, all that good stuff. Then go get yourself a shiny new safe email account. If you don't know what that means don't worry, you will when you finish the first part Wink

All ready? Good... here's the fun part. Make sure that shiny new safe email is in the name of your non-existent catering business. That specializes in parties for diplomats and has no problem accepting advance payment from overseas. Make up a short little paragraph about your "service."

Now go look at them there details that you writed down about that there lad and go to town... Laughing

Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 11:04 pm

johndoeman wrote:

. . . . . you are required to charge a total of £7000 in your account then deduct £2000 being your deposit payment and send £5000 to the Transport Consultant

If that doesn't get your alarm bells ringing then nothing will.

Quote:

So the question is how best to handle this? Ideally i would like to play him along,but no real idea of what to do.Any ideas?

Why bother stringing him along?
If you are busy running a restaurant why not just ignore him?
Or, give the details to someone else and allow them to bait him.
It doesn't matter that he has the email address of your restaurant; he isn't going to turn up there, he's just trying you out as another potential scam victim.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 29 Oct 2006 Posts: 9

i have a new email account, will see what develops.Not busy at the moment, off on holiday on friday, so something to amuse me.

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