possible imprort scam> please help!

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Hello I'm New here! Joined: 24 Sep 2008 Posts: 2

I am trader of olive oil and through made-in.china.com i was contacted from a company located in Benin .Here are the emails, i want your opinion on this!

Dear Sir/Madam,

Many thanks for your kind email via madeinchina.

We wish to inform you that there is a contract supply order for Extra Virgin Olive Oil to THE ASSOCIATION OF CHURCHES LOME-TOGO.

(1)Delivery time lead is within 6 months period

(2)Port of Destination is Lome-Togo Port

(3)Parking:Plastic Or Glass Bottles

(4)Sizes:250ML

(5)Quantity:600,000(Six Hundred Thousand Bottles)

(6)Target Price:Euro(4)/Bottle C&F Lome-Togo Port West Africa.

(7)Payment Term:Via 100% bank telegraphic transfer(T/T)upfront before shipment.

(8)LABELING:Any Language.

(9)Note you will give back 1% commission to my company after you receive the full contract payment if this contract is awarded to your favour.

So kindly confirm of this contract/target price and your company capability of handling this contract order.Asap I get your confirmation,we shall proceed further.

I wait to get your confirmation.

With Kindest Regards,

Mr.Lawson Egburuonu Director

MULTILINK TRADING SARL

153 BLD DU 13 JANVIER B.P.1977

TEL:00228-969-28-95

FAX:00228-226-25-274

Lome-Togo.

And the second one:

Thanks for your kind confirmation.

Find below the full contact detail of the contract awarding committee,you have to contact them for more detail and remember to mention the product you intend supply(Olive Oil)for their reference and also state that,you got their information from my company.

ATTN:PROFESSOR.GABIAM ATTAH

EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN/CONTRACT AWARDING COMMITTEE

TOGO NATIONAL CONTRACT AUTHORITY(TNCA)

LOME-TOGO GRAND OFFICE

12 AVENUE DE PRESIDENCE

B.P.1100 LOME-TOGO

TEL:00228-961-42-19.FAX:00228-96-25-00.

E-MAIL:([email protected])
([email protected]).

I hope to hear from you soonest and remember to always forward me copy of your email communications with the committee.

With Kindest Regards,

Mr.Lawson Egburuonu.

Tel:00228-969-28-95

I believe that it is a import scam but i cant locate these names at any list ... how does it seem?

Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2008 9:42 am

It a scam. There's another variation reported at http://www.fraudwatchers.org/forums/archive/index.php/t-6027.html

Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2008 11:09 am

Welcome, sonyman. Smile

It's a scam - the 1% payback is the big clue - they'll try to flash your account with the money to get you to pay the 1% or fund a transfer with a fraudulent payment, and hope the bank doesn't spot it befoer you send the $. There are postings on various Chinese trading sites under the same name (Lawson Egburuonu) but with different addresses and phone/fax numbers. He claims to be representing a company in Togo whose website is actually registered in China. The phone number is a mobile phone and the supposedly national contracting authority for Togo is using disposable, insecure, anonymous and free email addresses.

I'll post about their website in our fake sites section to see about getting it killed. Smile

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 24 Sep 2008 Posts: 2

thank you for your help , how i must handle the situation from now on? should i reply something "deal is off" or cut any further contact with them? no personal data except my name and email email is given. (they know through made-in-china .com trade site , I'm registered there)

Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 1:31 am

Note that they say "if the contract is awarded in your favor"--this could easily turn into a basic advance fee depending on who needs to be bribed to award you the contract... Either cut off contact completely, or tell them you aren't interested in such an arrangement at this time.

If you feel you have to give a reason, tell them politely that the deal is off because (pick a reason or make something up):

You don't do business with West African companies on advice of your financial advisor or lawyer.

There's too much red tape when shipping food products to African countries.

You have too much other business right now and can't guarantee you can fill an order that large, and since reputation is everything, you'd rather lose the contract than get a reputation for not being able to deliver.

You only deal with companies that you can verify through (pick a reputable trade association).

You only deal with new companies who have references among your current customers.

There are laws against "kickbacks" (which would be the 1% return, essentially) and you don't want to get into trouble with the authorities.

You don't have the time to bid for a contract right now (since they referenced IF you get the contract).

You can't meet their target prices with the costs of shipping to their country.

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