Official Luthiers Forum!

A fresh scam email. I guess hope springs eternal in the world of crooks. Is there a luthier out there who hasn't had and/or doesn't know about these??

Here it is, in all it's glorious broken English:

Dear Madam / Sir

I'm buyer from Singapore, and it seem i'm interest with your product on your website store.
First i need to ask you a few question:

>> Could you charge Credit Card directly?
>> Do you use UPS worldwide Express for shipping to Singapore?

Please tell me about the question above and i will start looking the items that i need from you website store.

Sincerely
Qyutech Manager


He/she was SO impressed by my work that I got TWO copies of the same email 10 minutes apart!
Do you think I should pull up a copy of the Nigerian reverse scam I played out a couple years ago, change the names/dates and have some fun with the Qyutech Manager???

Meanwhile to all you OLF'ers....Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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Hank Mauel

Hank, I got the same one this morning!

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Support the OLF! Bookmark our STEWMAC link Today!
Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Darn, Evelyn Thompson must have changed her name again. But she new I wasn't biting, no email!

Go for it Hank!

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

Maybe we should forward this email that pawn shop that has the fake Martin?

Hank, I'd like to know more about the Nigerian reverse scam!

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Mike

"The Dude abides. I don't know about you but I take comfort in that. It's good knowin' he's out there. The Dude. Takin' 'er easy for all us sinners. Shoosh." The Stranger

[QUOTE=SniderMike] Hank, I'd like to know more about the Nigerian reverse scam![/QUOTE]

I "played" one of those Nigerian fellows with his own game about 2 years ago. Don't know if Lance archived it, but I'll send you the copy of the fun I had to your PM address.

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Hank Mauel

[QUOTE=Bruce Dickey] Darn, Evelyn Thompson must have changed her name again. But she new I wasn't biting, no email!

Go for it Hank![/QUOTE]

Well, it just goes to show you who the REAL POPULAR luthiers are!
With all this fame, I just wish somebody would send me this weeks 6 winning lottery numbers...before the draw! And I'll share! I'm needy, not greedy!

Luthery joke: What does a luthier do when he wins the lottery?

Keeps on building 'til the money is gone!   Tuh- Da!

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Hank Mauel

I wondering if anyone on this forum has been taken by this scam. Wonder if there checking out this site to get the names and website info, since many of you list them at the bottom of your post. They could be using the site as a reference site for names and contact info.

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Guitars, guitars and more guitars.

Ya, maybe someday, you'll get an enquiry from a next of kin of a deceased President or bank owner who have buried 200 million USD cash away somewhere and wanted to exchange it for some of your guitars!

Jeff

Ihavent got one of these types of emails, but all of a sudden it seems that someone thinks my penis needs to be largerand that I need to buy the drugs in canada. I have now got about 50 of these e-mails in the last coupld of weeks. Before this I had not had even one piece of SPAM to deal with... wonder how they are getting our e-mail addresses?

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Reguards,

Ken H

oh yeah, I still have a donkey, and he makes about 75 donkey apples every day. They are your for the asking if you need something to ship to the guy.

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Reguards,

Ken H

[QUOTE=jeffreyyong]

Ya, maybe someday, you'll get an enquiry from a next of kin of a deceased President or bank owner who have buried 200 million USD cash away somewhere and wanted to exchange it for some of your guitars!

Jeff

[/QUOTE]

Oh yes, Jeffrey. Had those almost daily about 4 years ago. That scam seems to have been put on the shelf for a while. Too bad, I could have been a billionaire by now and all the African nations would be backrupt from the outflow of currency!

By the way folks, Jeffrey is the only legit luthier I have ever met from Malaysia. Some of you other builders may have met him at the Healdsburg Festival.

Merry Christmas, Jeffrey!

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Hank Mauel

Hi Ken, I recieved at least 20 such mails everyday, I did try to reply to one but the mail came back, wonder who send and for what if it cannot return their mail....

Hi Hank, its great to meet you at the HGF, Thanks! I really appreciate your friendship.

Merry Christmas to all!

Jeff

Since those scambugs can see our faces on our website, how about asking a nice picture of them when they seem to have so much interest to purchase our works!

If you are talking about enhancement, meds or replica watches, My blocking system catches about 100 to 150 per day, and about 20 get through all the blockades I have in place.  Some of that comes from owning a domain name, where all the mail sent to anything@xxxxxx.com comes to the primary email address.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Hey I'm from Singapore...

by the way Hank, do you take cashier's cheques .... :p

In all honesty, I think what I would do is go ahead and ask the "buyer" for their credit card number so that you can complete the transaction.

All credit cards begin with a certain number depending on what type of card it is (Ex. Discover begins with a 6, Visa begins with a 4, etc...)

Then I would call the credit card company and let them know what is going on and give them the number. This will give them a chance to cancel the card before this person is able to rack up charges on it.

And if you really have a lot of time on your hands, emial back the "buyer" and tell them that the card is declined and ask if they have another one. Keep playing the same game until they finally get the picture and hopefully run out of credit card numbers.

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Thanks,
Blain

http://www.ullrichguitar.com

"89.67% of all statistics are made up on the spot."

[QUOTE=pakhan] Hey I'm from Singapore...

by the way Hank, do you take cashier's cheques .... :p[/QUOTE]

Are you a luthier?
Meanwhile, until I "meet you", Jeffrey still the one and only!

Yeah...what amount do you want to write the Cashier's Check for???? And should I give the change to some 3rd party yet to be named?

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Hank Mauel

Well folks, I played out some line and a freshly baited hook and "Qyutech Manager" has risen to the bait. Think I'll have some fun with him after Christmas and into the New Year.    
I'll keep you posted...obviously he/she doesn't read the OLF!

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Hank Mauel

[QUOTE=blain1976] In all honesty, I think what I would do is go ahead and ask the "buyer" for their credit card number so that you can complete the transaction.

All credit cards begin with a certain number depending on what type of card it is (Ex. Discover begins with a 6, Visa begins with a 4, etc...)

Then I would call the credit card company and let them know what is going on and give them the number. This will give them a chance to cancel the card before this person is able to rack up charges on it.

And if you really have a lot of time on your hands, emial back the "buyer" and tell them that the card is declined and ask if they have another one. Keep playing the same game until they finally get the picture and hopefully run out of credit card numbers.[/QUOTE]


Blain...I did that with the Nigerian scam. He gave me 4 VISA numbers, all the same except for the last 4 digits, all with the same Expiration Date. I called my card processor and they hooked me in with the VISA folks who promptly froze those numbers. I continued the scam for about 2 more weeks after that, then gave the bum his come-upance. I also ratted him out to the Yahoo folks (whose email address he was hiding behind) and they cancelled him. I'm sure he went elsewhere, but at least I ruined a few of his "hopes and dreams" ...he thought he was into me for 4 guitars, worth more than $20K!

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Hank Mauel

Not quite a luthier, Hank... although you did sell me a lot of tonewood quite recently.

I must have forgotten to CC you on my 'moving to singapore' email..

Warmest regards,
Terence

[QUOTE=pakhan] Not quite a luthier, Hank... although you did sell me a lot of tonewood quite recently.

I must have forgotten to CC you on my 'moving to singapore' email..

Warmest regards,
Terence[/QUOTE]

Why didn't you say so? I didn't know that "pakhan" was your new nom de plume for the OLF. Good old "Terence" always worked and I knew who I was talking to!
I knew you were heading to the Far East, but I thought it was Hong Kong. So how is it being a doctor in Singapore?

As an aside...the use of "aliases/stage names/pen names/etc while posting has always left me a bit cold. What is wrong with using a name, even just a first name? I was never afraid to use my name when corresponding on forums or newsgroups and I've been "on line" now for more than a decade, including a web site for my guitar business. In all that time the use of my real name has never caused any grief. I would hope, too, that it adds to the credibility of my posts and responses along with the work that I do in my shop. You all know who is "slinging the bull" when I post!
Am I missing something in the so called "internet etiquette"?

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Hank Mauel