Yup, Tom - it's a scam. Delete it and do not respond.
Hi Kathleen,
Its been 2 years since my last email about the scam I was in the middle of – and got out of with your help. I received another email yesterday from 'Steve Wood'. The punctuation in his message is strange, and he only
answered one of two questions I first asked him, in his response. He didn't tell me how he ran across my work:
*I want to have the beautiful painting ("name here") purchased immediately for my wife as a gift for our anniversary.I'm presently on deployment in Afghanistan,so i have limited access to communication,i will only be able to respond through email at the moment. I would have personally appreciate to have it purchased in person and to meet with you could have also been a great privilege The price is totally acceptable by me $2,000 i'm sure its framed? i will authorized a check payment to you immediately i can get hold of your information,and i want it to be delivered as a surprise to our new home.Please consider the beautiful piece of the artwork sold to me.
However,you don't have to worry about shipment,my shipper will handle it.I'll notify my shipping agent who's moving my belongings from our old home in Florida to get ready for the pickup of the artwork from your
address. I will appreciate if you can forward to me your Full details,(which you want the check payable to ) such as your Full name,contact address and mobile number.The payment will be sent to the address provided,i will not want any delay due to my inability to access to easy communication.I expect your prompt response.Thank you
Best Regards*
I'm not going to respond as I think its a scam. Two years ago, the other scammer spoke in an inflated way about my work, was unavailable to talk by phone, was 'in transition' between homes, has a 'shipper' who would handle delivery, and asking me for too much info... (who asks for a mobile number?). And the interest sounds 'urgent' and he doesn't want 'any delay'.
Your thoughts?
thanks, Tom
Showing posts with label scamming artists. Show all posts
Showing posts with label scamming artists. Show all posts
Monday, August 25, 2014
Thursday, June 5, 2014
Scam Email: Lesley Donna
Odds are that I, too, am going to receive scam emails directly to my email account, even as I spend so much of my time and energy trying to expose scammers. But scammers don't care - it's a numbers game to them... how many hundreds of thousands of emails can they send, what percentage of people reply thinking it's a real client, what percentage of them get funneled through the entire steps of the scam and actually send their good hard-earned money to a scammer... it's all about the numbers.
How did I know the below was a scam email? Well, I've been looking at these same "stories" for years and really they don't vary much. Also, lately scammers have been really annoying in when they set up their fake name, they've been picking two first names so that usually tells me it's likely a scam email to look at further. Then scammers do this other very odd thing... and they've done this for years - their name at the end of the email always seems to contain a period. In a place where a real person would NOT be putting a period. I don't know why scammers do this. I think they are just using some template and are too dumb to remove it. They also always have this international thing - their fake story either has them living internationally, moving to an international location or temporarily working or serving in the military in some foreign location. That will set up the later part of their scam story as to why you need to *wire* money to them. DON'T! Step away from the western union counter! Don't do it. For any reason. THAT is what the scammer is after. Not your paintings, not your widgets... they are after your cash. Do not accept overpayments and do NOT wire money to anyone for any reason. P.S. Any credit card they use will be stolen (and not always reported as such yet) so ask the scammer for the billing address on the credit card. Chances are the scammer will end the scam right there because they won't know the billing address. Or they may try to provide you a fake one. Call the credit card company and verify if the billing address is the same one as on file.
Okay, enough venting about these scum bags. Here is the scam email I just received.
Return-Path: [rahadmin@stjameswood.net]
From: Lesley Donna [lesley.donnashop@gmail.com]
Reply-To: lesley.donnashop@gmail.com
Subject: Interested in placing an order
Good Day,
I am Lesley Donna from Norway, i want to inform you that your items are most creative & desirable, so much talent! I am interested in purchasing some of your artwork/items into my shop here in Norway, but before this is done, i want to inform that i will be making the payment with my Master card Detail because presently my best form of payment is via credit card.
This is where i put all my money for any international transaction, so kindly reconfirm your website/contact details and get back to me with it so as to know if I'm right with the site.
Concerning the shipment, my shipping company will be coming to pickup the items because i already have some merchandise with them in which they will be shipping together to me here in Norway, so you don't need to be worried about the shipment nor handling fee.
Lesley-DonnaShop
Brenneriveien 9 B,
0182 Oslo,
Norway.
Telephone: + 47 23 32 53 20
Telefax: + 47 23 32 37 04
lesley.donnashop@gmail.com
Warmest Regards,
Lesley Donna.
How did I know the below was a scam email? Well, I've been looking at these same "stories" for years and really they don't vary much. Also, lately scammers have been really annoying in when they set up their fake name, they've been picking two first names so that usually tells me it's likely a scam email to look at further. Then scammers do this other very odd thing... and they've done this for years - their name at the end of the email always seems to contain a period. In a place where a real person would NOT be putting a period. I don't know why scammers do this. I think they are just using some template and are too dumb to remove it. They also always have this international thing - their fake story either has them living internationally, moving to an international location or temporarily working or serving in the military in some foreign location. That will set up the later part of their scam story as to why you need to *wire* money to them. DON'T! Step away from the western union counter! Don't do it. For any reason. THAT is what the scammer is after. Not your paintings, not your widgets... they are after your cash. Do not accept overpayments and do NOT wire money to anyone for any reason. P.S. Any credit card they use will be stolen (and not always reported as such yet) so ask the scammer for the billing address on the credit card. Chances are the scammer will end the scam right there because they won't know the billing address. Or they may try to provide you a fake one. Call the credit card company and verify if the billing address is the same one as on file.
Okay, enough venting about these scum bags. Here is the scam email I just received.
Return-Path: [rahadmin@stjameswood.net]
From: Lesley Donna [lesley.donnashop@gmail.com]
Reply-To: lesley.donnashop@gmail.com
Subject: Interested in placing an order
Good Day,
I am Lesley Donna from Norway, i want to inform you that your items are most creative & desirable, so much talent! I am interested in purchasing some of your artwork/items into my shop here in Norway, but before this is done, i want to inform that i will be making the payment with my Master card Detail because presently my best form of payment is via credit card.
This is where i put all my money for any international transaction, so kindly reconfirm your website/contact details and get back to me with it so as to know if I'm right with the site.
Concerning the shipment, my shipping company will be coming to pickup the items because i already have some merchandise with them in which they will be shipping together to me here in Norway, so you don't need to be worried about the shipment nor handling fee.
Lesley-DonnaShop
Brenneriveien 9 B,
0182 Oslo,
Norway.
Telephone: + 47 23 32 53 20
Telefax: + 47 23 32 37 04
lesley.donnashop@gmail.com
Warmest Regards,
Lesley Donna.
Friday, December 6, 2013
Scam Email: Luiza Kwiatkowska
Scammers are not above grabbing the names of real people online and using them for their own criminal purposes. Also notice how, in the below scam, the scammer begins by asking about PayPal (thus trying to establish some credibility with their victim) but then switches, using some trumped up story, to what they actually need for their scam to succeed: a wire transfer via some service like Western Union or MoneyGram.
Hello Kathleen,
Well, it's the first time it's happening to me. I'm glad I found your site, thank you for doing this. The name was not on your list, it's luiza kwiatkowska, e-mail luiza.kwiatkowska@o2.pl. When I look for the name on the internet it seems to be a renowned graphic designer and illustrator in Poland but I'm pretty sure it's not her...
She contacted me via a website where I sell some artwork. In her profile at that site, she mentions she
is from Miami.
Here's the conversation (and LOTS of warning signs). I replied to her first e-mail only, to see if she was serious. And then her second e-mail just raised some major suspicions and was just plainly ridiculous. I didn't reply to her and I'm going to delete the e-mail :
*luizakwiatkows*
offers 600 CAD on your artwork Modèle au corbeau
Hello,
I have read very about your item.
Am okay with the condition of the item. But before i proceed with the payment i will to ask about the item..
I have a private shipping company that will come for the pick up of the item in your location
Do you accept PAYPAL as you mode of payment?
What is the final price of the item without shipping cost?
Get back to me in my private mail at : luiza.kwiatkowska@o2.pl
Best Regards
My reply :
Hello,
> I have a private shipping company that will come for the pick up the item in your location
We are in Montreal, Canada. I can have the painting available at my usual gallery here at a time of your choice.
> Do you accept PAYPAL as you mode of payment?
Yes, you may address the payment to [paypal e-mail]
> What is the final price of the item without shipping cost?
600$ is fine.
Thank you for your interest.
Hello
I'm about to make the payments when i had this little problem with the picking up agent of the Item,I think you remember what i said in my previous mail that I'm working presently on the sea,so i tried to secure booking with my pick up agent,but they asked me to pay first before they can make the booking, and they only accept Western Union Money Transfer for payments and they don't accept PayPal or bank transfer, So i tried to send the money online but it's not going through and i am on the sea, there is no way i can find a western union agent to make the transfer to my pick up agent, so i wanted to ask if it will be OK for me to include my pick up agent's fees together with your payments through PayPal,So you will help me wire the pick up fee to them via western Union Money Transfer immediately i pay you,i don't mean to bother you I'm sure you understand that I'm presently on the sea and there is nothing i can do to that,The bottom line is after I have made the payments via PayPal,you will help me wire my pick up agent fee to them through western union money transfer, I just wanted to seek your consent before going ahead with the payments,I will be very happy if my offer is given a favorable consideration,Respond as soon as possible so that i can send out your Payment.
Regards.
Hello Kathleen,
Well, it's the first time it's happening to me. I'm glad I found your site, thank you for doing this. The name was not on your list, it's luiza kwiatkowska, e-mail luiza.kwiatkowska@o2.pl. When I look for the name on the internet it seems to be a renowned graphic designer and illustrator in Poland but I'm pretty sure it's not her...
She contacted me via a website where I sell some artwork. In her profile at that site, she mentions she
is from Miami.
Here's the conversation (and LOTS of warning signs). I replied to her first e-mail only, to see if she was serious. And then her second e-mail just raised some major suspicions and was just plainly ridiculous. I didn't reply to her and I'm going to delete the e-mail :
*luizakwiatkows*
offers 600 CAD on your artwork Modèle au corbeau
Hello,
I have read very about your item.
Am okay with the condition of the item. But before i proceed with the payment i will to ask about the item..
I have a private shipping company that will come for the pick up of the item in your location
Do you accept PAYPAL as you mode of payment?
What is the final price of the item without shipping cost?
Get back to me in my private mail at : luiza.kwiatkowska@o2.pl
Best Regards
My reply :
Hello,
> I have a private shipping company that will come for the pick up the item in your location
We are in Montreal, Canada. I can have the painting available at my usual gallery here at a time of your choice.
> Do you accept PAYPAL as you mode of payment?
Yes, you may address the payment to [paypal e-mail]
> What is the final price of the item without shipping cost?
600$ is fine.
Thank you for your interest.
Hello
I'm about to make the payments when i had this little problem with the picking up agent of the Item,I think you remember what i said in my previous mail that I'm working presently on the sea,so i tried to secure booking with my pick up agent,but they asked me to pay first before they can make the booking, and they only accept Western Union Money Transfer for payments and they don't accept PayPal or bank transfer, So i tried to send the money online but it's not going through and i am on the sea, there is no way i can find a western union agent to make the transfer to my pick up agent, so i wanted to ask if it will be OK for me to include my pick up agent's fees together with your payments through PayPal,So you will help me wire the pick up fee to them via western Union Money Transfer immediately i pay you,i don't mean to bother you I'm sure you understand that I'm presently on the sea and there is nothing i can do to that,The bottom line is after I have made the payments via PayPal,you will help me wire my pick up agent fee to them through western union money transfer, I just wanted to seek your consent before going ahead with the payments,I will be very happy if my offer is given a favorable consideration,Respond as soon as possible so that i can send out your Payment.
Regards.
Scam Email: Andrew Hembree
Hi Kathleen,
Thank you for doing this. I received a similar email back in August which is what made me suspicious of this one. It was a different name, Steve Levitt, but the phrasing was almost word for word the same. The first one I received is on your list, but this one is not. In August I did not respond, but this time I wrote back and said I was in contact with the Federal Trade Commission. It will probably not do any good, but it made me feel better.
Thanks again,
Elizabeth
On Dec 2, 2013, at 5:46 AM, andrew hembree (andrewhembree01@gmail.com) wrote:
Hello,
I actually observed my wife has been viewing your website (piece in subject field above) on my laptop and i guess she likes that piece, I must also say you are doing a great job. I would like to know what inspired that work.
I am very much interested in the purchase to surprise my wife. Kindly confirm the availability for immediate sale.
Peace and blessings
Andrew
Thank you for doing this. I received a similar email back in August which is what made me suspicious of this one. It was a different name, Steve Levitt, but the phrasing was almost word for word the same. The first one I received is on your list, but this one is not. In August I did not respond, but this time I wrote back and said I was in contact with the Federal Trade Commission. It will probably not do any good, but it made me feel better.
Thanks again,
Elizabeth
On Dec 2, 2013, at 5:46 AM, andrew hembree (andrewhembree01@gmail.com) wrote:
Hello,
I actually observed my wife has been viewing your website (piece in subject field above) on my laptop and i guess she likes that piece, I must also say you are doing a great job. I would like to know what inspired that work.
I am very much interested in the purchase to surprise my wife. Kindly confirm the availability for immediate sale.
Peace and blessings
Andrew
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