posted
I'm pretty sure this is a scam. But, considering all the weird things that have happened in my life, I just never know.
Mom answered the phone. It was a TDD/TTY call. We're pretty used to those because we get calls from clients over at the deaf school several times a year.
This one was from a Rev. Wayne Larry. After the pleasantries, Mom gave him my e-mail address and told him he needed to e-mail the information to me so I could quote it.
Ok. Nothing out of the ordinary.
So far.
I get the e-mail and he's requesting a quote on a double-sided 40'x60' sign. Black letters on a white background. But he doesn't want one sign. He wants 60 of them.
Looking at the language of the e-mail, I'm not sure if he misstated the size. Maybe he meant 40"x60" or 4'x6'.
I wrote back. He responded that he does mean 40'x60'.
Ok. I'm getting a bit amused.
Here is the exact text of his e-mails as he wrote them. What do you think?
quote: Dear LINDA,
Thank you very much for the patience you had with me on the relay service and infact i really appreciate that .However as i said whiles we are on the relay i will like to order some sign for my church convention .Below is the information of the sign i need, size:40x60 feet. wording:(GOD IS THE ALPHA & OMEGA)(both duoble sides). number of colors needed:TWO colour(" WHITE & BLACK "). quantity:(60),I WANT THE COLOR OF THE SIGN SHOULD BE WHITE AND THE COLOR OF THE ART WORK SHOULD BE BLACK. also email me back with the total price on the 60 also advice the method of payment you accept so that i can make the payment now.
Thank you .
Rev,WAYNE LARRY.
...and.....
quote: Hello Glenn Taylor,
Thank u for your email and i do aprecaite that also i will like the 40ft. x 60ft and i want the material would be plywood and also this sign are going to use for my church convention and i am looking for something sturdy and for permanent outdoor also i will like u to email me with the total quote for the quantity 60 so that i can arrange for the full payment.. Looking forward to here from u soon. Stay Bless.
Rev,Wayne Larry.
Hmmmm...... Also, he's using a "gmail" address.
Now, I would love to do a $2,000,000 job, but......
.
[ January 02, 2008, 05:18 PM: Message edited by: Glenn Taylor ]
posted
It's a well known scam. This is how I understand it..they try to pay by stolen credit card(s) - if it goes through (and you are unaware) they then say they want the goods shipped by a particular freight company and ask you to pay that company the 'shipping' cost. You believe you have a valid credit card to charge it against, and the freight company is bogus. Thus they have your money...they're not interested in the actual goods at all..
-------------------- Graham Parsons Signs 'n Such Ltd Swift Current Saskatchewan Canada. www.signsnsuch.com
"Saskatchewan - hard to pronounce, easy to draw" Posts: 710 | From: Saskatchewan, Canada | Registered: Oct 1999
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posted
It seems to me an educated man in charge of a church with that kind of resourses should be able to spell....No? Now here is a job opportunity.....editing scammer's emails.
[ January 02, 2008, 05:41 PM: Message edited by: Kelly Thorson ]
-------------------- “Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?” -Winnie the Pooh & A.A. Milne
Kelly Thorson Kel-T-Grafix 801 Main St. Holdfast, SK S0G 2H0 ktg@sasktel.net Posts: 5496 | From: Penzance, Saskatchewan | Registered: May 2002
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posted
It's amazing how the credit card companies do nothing to protect you from stolen credit cards. Read the fine print in your credit card agreement.
-------------------- Frank Smith Frank Smith Signs Albany, NY www.franksmithsigns.com Posts: 807 | From: Albany, NY USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
All of it is a scam - Glenn. It happened to me with a gazillion pieces of cut vinyl 3x5, no imprint, no grommets, and they were willing to pay 18 dollars a piece if I use their shipper. Same TDD calls, same ridiculous kind of order, and also no problem with any price given and using the incredibly poor grammar/spelling/English.
It's just like Graham outlined.
I had to make a folder with all the communications from them, just to keep it all straight.
I was on the phone with Bob Gilliland, and it popped into my head to complain about this going on. He linked me to Signs 101 (name?) and they had lots and lots of incidents of it and it saved me from continuing with them.
Don't just beware, tell them you're on to them and to chose a different industry, that's what I did.
On the other board, one guy who was on to them wrote to them that he was out of grommets, but found that if they are not used in the rain yellow life savers worked really well. They did not care........
-------------------- Myra A. Grozinger Signs Limited Winston-Salem, NC
signslimited@triad.rr.com Posts: 1244 | From: Winston-Salem, NC USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
I received the same email last September, but had been warned- no phone call first though.
I wonder how you'd go if your payment terms were 100% cash up front!
-------------------- "Stewey" on chat
"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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posted
I repled to a similar email just today (after also receiving 2 or 3 earlier email, & 2 or 3 relay calls) saying my price was one million plus their first born son... Last time I did a layout for 50 "Save the Children" banners, but mine said "Spare the Children from Deaf African Reverands and their SorryA$$ Scams!
posted
It appears that the good Rev Wayne Larry is well on his way on the bus to hell.....
-------------------- You ever notice how easily accessible people are when they are requiring your services but once they get invoice you can't reach them anymore
She got those kinds of calls all of the time at her dad's store. Someone would call from a different state and order a dozen DVD players and want to have them shipped somewhere.
Anyhow, the saga continues. I got another e-mail this morning.....
quote: Thank u for your email and i do aprecaite doing bussines with u as at know the total quote that u gave me was soo cost so i will like u to goahead and requote me the total quote for 4 piceis of the sign so that i can make the full payment ... Looking forward to here from u soon. Stay Bless.
Rev,Wayne Larry.
Hehehehhee.... I think I'm going to string this one out a bit.
posted
Well, it looks like he's downsizing a bit.....
quote:Hello Glenn Taylor,
Thank u for your email and i do apprecaite doing bussines with u as at know as for thr attachment i am sory to inform u that my church member"s said they will like u to requote me the total quote for 30 x 40 inch sign and also i will need 3 PC of them so pleas try and email me with the total quote for that so that i can make the full payment with my credit card account for the full payment also i will reconmend u to a fright company which will come to your location as soon as i make the full payment to u ..i will like to know if u are ready for my credit card account as soon as u email me with the total quote for the 3 PC so that we can proceed on with the ordre.. Looking forward to here from u soon so that i can make the payment today...also stay bless.
Rev,Wayne Larry
I've already spoken to a Deputy. He's instructed me that as soon as I get a CC number, to call the city police and have a detective come to the shop. At this point, the scammer hasn't broken any laws. But, as soon as I get a CC number and its shown to be stolen, then they will have something actionable.
posted
Well, I just got another e-mail response after I sent the specifics about our shipping and payment policies.
quote:Thank you very Much for the Email and i really Do Appreciate to do Bussiness with you and i will like you to help me Out of this Order so that it can be Shiped TO my new church in west africa as i told you.The Reason is that i had a call That i Should Attend a Church Meeting In Canada, So i will like you to Help me so that this can be Ship to West Africa for me what i want you to do is that i know a shipping company that can Handly the Pickup to Ship there In west Africa , so i will like you to Contact them and get me the Shipping Charges AND ADD IT TO THE TOTAL QUOTE OF MY ORRER so that i will make the Payment for u to make the Payment to them before i live . so i will like to Provide you with their Contact Details so that you can Send them an email and get me the Shipping Charges and then email me back with the Total plus the Shipping Charges..So here below is thier Contact Details.
SHIPPING COMPANY CONTACT DETAILS
NAME OF THE COMPANY:AZTEKSHIPPINGCOMPANY@POST.COM
I will like you to Contact them with this Information.
{1} Contact Them with the Full Pickup address that is in your Location {2} Total SIZE of the SIGN"s Or QUANTITY Sizes and Diamention. {2} Full Delivery Address Which am Going to Indicate Below to you.
DELIVERY ADDRESS IN WEST AFRICA .
MR JOHNSON CALEB. 152 KANDA HIGH STREET. KANDA-ACCRA GHANA- WEST AFRICA 00233.
As soon as you send them an email try and get me informed so that i will see how to handle that and then when you send them the email they will email you back with the freight charges and then you send me an email with that and also they will send you their methods of payments so that you send me an email with that and then we can schdule for the payment with them right away and then schdule for the pick up right away for before i live to my trip ...so goahead and send them the email right away with all this information and then get back to me as soon as possible.. Thank you and i really apprecaite abaoute your business for now.. You are really a joy working with you... May God richly bless and honour you for your support.. Stay blessed. Email me back as soon as you send them an email right away.
Rev,WAYNE LARRY
I googled the shipping address. hehehe...Those idiots. The address has already been flagged on the web.
posted
Hahahahaha,, i went thru this last fall.. was given the call, cause they couldnt understand the fellow,,, he phoned back a few times,, always told hime he had to talk to owner,, and they werent in... next time he called i was goin to tell him i'd transfer call to owners cell,, than transfer the call to local RCMP.... im ready next time.. hehhhhe
-------------------- Del Badry philmdesign Sylvan Lake, Alberta Posts: 636 | From: Sylvan Lake, Alberta | Registered: Nov 1998
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But keep practicing. One day, you can join me here in Hell.
All My Love, Satan
He responded....
quote:Hello Glenn Taylor, Thank u for the attachment and also i jest have a call from my church member"s and they said they are sory so..so i will like u to email me with the final total quote for 12 Pc of the sign so that as soon as i receive that i can goahead and then fax u with my payment information for u to charge for the fullm payment of my ordre.. stay bless. Rev,Wayne Larry.
posted
My daughter tried to find a home for a cat a couple of months ago and received countless emails and phone calls from west Africa with the convoluted "we'll send you a money order and you deduct the shipping and remit the difference by Western Union" payment structure. I responded, "Western Union works both ways."
-------------------- David Harding A Sign of Excellence Carrollton, TX Posts: 5084 | From: Carrollton, TX, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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