Scam Email: Dennis Moore II

This is a long post but I thought was very enlightening to watch the flow of communication from a scammer trying to work their scam on a potential victim. Fortunately, in this case, all the artist lost was the $10 check bounced fee but the back and forth here is enlightening. Check it out.

from Dennis Moore [mmmoreec@gmail.com]
date Wed, Nov 10, 2010 at 1:25 AM
subject: artwork

Aloha,
Good day to you over there, My name is Dennis Moore I'm from Hawaii and i hope this
message finds you well.I was going through your works and my eyes caught this
particular work(he inserted the url to an image from the website), i will
like to have it for my new apartment this month.please let me know if the piece is
available, if yes let me have the detailed price and more information about it. i will be
waiting to read from you.Regards.

Next correspondance after the artist replied and gave detailed information about the piece mentioned:

from Dennis Moore [mmmoreea@gmail.com]
date Thu, Nov 11, 2010 at 1:21 AM
subject: Awaiting your message

Thanks for the message,I am very happy to know that the Artwork is
still available for sale. i must tell you i am very much interested in
the immediate purchase and i am willing to pay the asking price .
I will like to let you know that your payment will be in a Certified
Cashiers Check and i will wait till it clears your bank before
telling my shipper to come for the pick up, this will not take time at
all because the payment will be sent out immediately i read back from
you.You don't have to worry about shipment, my shipper will handle it.
This is because i am currently out of the country on a business
proposal. So get back to me with the information needed to send you
the payment
Full Name
Standard Mailing Address
Phone numbers
asking price reconfirmation so that i can proceed with the payment
arrangement, consider it sold get back to me with the details.will
await your message.

The artist replied with the information asked. Here is the next email from our scammer. He was ready to put the hook in for what he's really after - the difference in cash. There is no shipper. It is just them at the other end of Western Union:

from Dennis Moore [mmmoreea@gmail.com]
date Fri, Nov 12, 2010 at 1:11 AM
subject Pick up arrangement

Hello,
Thanks for the details which Ive noted down and have also forwarded it
to my shipper.He's due in the US sometime next week and will
definitely be getting in touch with you for the pickup.The truth is, I
would have handled this much differently if i would be at home but Im
a bit pressed for time myself. Im moving to the UK this month as im
being transferred.As it is, I'm sending you an overdraft which will
include my shippers fees as well.He has asked for an upfront before
coming and since I have no access to a lot of cash, Im trying to kill
two birds with a stone.So, once you've received and cashed the check,
deduct your funds and PLEASE help me send the remaining funds to him
(shipper).I'll forward his contact details to you once you've received
the payment.Now I'm concluding you are a responsible person and I can
therefore entrust you with this arrangement.Ill let you know
Immediately the check is sent out to you so you should be looking out
for it.P.S:I`ll require that a reconfirmation of your address is done
for menow. I await your reply.

The artist actually agrees to forward the money to the shipper and asks how they found out about their artwork:

from Dennis Moore [mmmoreea@gmail.com]
date Sat, Nov 13, 2010 at 4:32 PM
subject Re: Pick up arrangement

I got to know your work through a friend meanwhile i will have your payment mailed by
monday and i will give you an update as soon as it get mailed and do notify me as soon as you
receive it.
Regards

He figures he has got a victim on the hook and now he is going to reel him in (he almost can't contain himself with the exclamation point...):

from Dennis Moore [mmmoreea@gmail.com]
date Wed, Nov 17, 2010 at 1:53 AM
subject PAYMENT WILL START DELIVERING TO YOU AS FROM TODAY

Hello there,
How have you being? hope everything has been going on fine with you.Well, I just want to let
you know the check has been prepared and has been mailed out to you already.I was told at the
post OFFICE that it will be delivered to you by wednesday or friday.
Once you receive the check, deduct your own money and kindly help me send the remaining
balance in cash! to my mover who will be coming over to your place for pick up.He actually,
prefer to receive his money via Western Union Money Transfer,you can walk into any of their
locations around you and send the money to him. Once you have the cash sent to him, kindly get
back to me with all the information which will be needed for the collection
of the money i.e;
Sender's name
Amount sent
and MTCN#
Then will get the info across to him asap. Once he receive the money from you, he will give you
a call and also set up a time and date with you when he would be coming over to your place for
pick up.
Below is the information in sending the money via Western Union;
Henry Thobela
address...Cannon House, 2255 Coventry Road
city..Birmingham
state...Sheldon
country..united kingdom
Zip code....B26 3NX
Thanks for your help and understanding and am really sorry for the delay in this transaction so
far.
Regards.

here is our scammer, hard at work following up on his active potential victims:

from Dennis Moore [mmmoreea@gmail.com]
date Sat, Nov 20, 2010 at 4:09 AM
subject Delivered ??

Hello there,
Just checking if you have receive the payment, you can also check your mailing box for the
payment.
Will await your message.
Regards.

Then the artist receives the check and says they will deposit it tomorrow and the scammer writes back and repeats the core part of his scam:

from Dennis Moore [mmmoreea@gmail.com]
date Mon, Nov 22, 2010 at 6:20 AM
subject PICK UP DATE AND TIME

Hello,
Thanks for the message and i really appreciate your honesty, the payment can be cashed instant
and you can leave the artwork at Asheville, Nc my mover will go and pick it up from there all i
will need is the standard address where the artwork is locate.
This is how to go about the payment ,you will deduct payment for the Piece and the remaining
funds goes to my mover who will be coming to your place for the pick up i think i have
explained to you so far and the excess on the fund should be sent to my mover via WESTERN
UNION MONEY TRANSFER, all the western union charges should be done on the shippers
fee.you will have to take cash to the western union office to make the transfer.
He actually, prefer to receive his money via Western Union Money Transfer,you can walk into
any of their locations around you and send the money to him. Once you have the cash sent to
him, kindly get back to me with all the information which will be needed for the collection of the
money i.e;
Sender's name
Amount sent
MTCN(10 digit #)
Then will get the info across to my mover asap and once he receive the money he will give you a
call and also set up a time and date with you when he would be coming over to your place for
pick up.
Below is the information in sending the money via Western Union;
Henry Thobela
address...Cannon House, 2255 Coventry Road
city..Birmingham
state...Sheldon
country..united kingdom
Zip code....B26 3NX
Will await for your message.
NB:
LET ME KNOW THE BEST TIME AND DATE FOR THE PICK UP CAUSE I CANT WAIT
TO HAVE THAT ARTWORK IN MY POSSESSION

The artist says the bank has a 6 or 7 day hold on the check and he can't send the art before then:

from Dennis Moore [mmmoreea@gmail.com]
date Tue, Nov 23, 2010 at 4:18 PM
subject Re: Delivered ??

Im still waiting to read from you.
Regards.

Now our little scammer is getting impatient, so he repeats himself - again:

from Dennis Moore [mmmoreea@gmail.com]
date Wed, Nov 24, 2010 at 2:58 AM
subject AS SOON AS THE HOLDS IS REMOVE DO SEND THE MONEY VIA WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER

He actually, prefer to receive his money via Western Union Money Transfer,you can walk into
any of their locations around you and send the money to him. Once you have the cash sent to
him, kindly get back to me with all the information which will be needed for the collection of the
money i.e;
Sender's name
Amount sent
MTCN(10 digit #)
Then will get the info across to my mover asap and once he receive the money he will give you a
call and also set up a time and date with you when he would be coming over to your place for
pick up.
Below is the information in sending the money via Western Union;
Henry Thobela
address...Cannon House, 2255 Coventry Road
city..Birmingham
state...Sheldon
country..united kingdom
Zip code....B26 3NX
Have a great day!!

Now our artist tells him the check bounced and what can they do to rectify this. So our scammer makes a final act to just try and get all the money directly by claiming the money was "released" and now the artist has to send it ALL back, of course via Western Union:

from Dennis Moore [mmmoreea@gmail.com]
date Thu, Nov 25, 2010 at 3:20 PM
subject Re: AS SOON AS THE HOLDS IS REMOVE DO SEND THE MONEY VIA WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER

Hello,
So sorry about that i had to call the issuing bank to act fast cause i was notify that the payment
was release to you and you don't notify me on time that why..
To all the funds back you will have to send $2000 to me directly cause they thought something
else.
Get the money sent to me today so that your account can be balanced.
Here is my information
Dennis Moore
77 pedley rd,
city..Birmingham
state...England
country..united kingdom
Zip code....RM81XQ
As soon as you get the money sent get back to me with the information below.
Senders name a
Amount
MTCN..
Will await your message.
Regards.

The scammer doesn't hear anything from the artist so he writes again:

from Dennis Moore [mmmoreea@gmail.com]
date Thu, Nov 25, 2010 at 3:22 PM
subject Awaiting your message

Your account will be fixed up with the money that clears with it,as soon as i get the information
required.
Sorry for the inconveniences.
Regards

So the artist offers to accept a credit card payment:

from Dennis Moore [mmmoreea@gmail.com]
date Thu, Nov 25, 2010 at 11:31 PM
subject Re: AS SOON AS THE HOLDS IS REMOVE DO SEND THE MONEY VIA WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER

Im sorry thats the only solution for now and do send the money and let me know when has sent.
Regards.

The artist finally says he isn't going to do anything and there is no deal and our little scammer moves on to greener pastures and never writes back.

Scam Email: Alexander Trowell

Interesting the way this scammer positioned himself as "in behalf of" but then email was signed by the other "person" anyway. Scammers have very confused minds. But this has all the usual telltale signs of a scam.

From: mackerelrodrigo@gmail.com [mackerelrodrigo@gmail.com] on behalf of Alexander Trowell [alexander_trowell@yahoo.co.uk]
Subject: Sculpture inquiry

Hello

I came across your sculpture through your website and i fell in love with your sculptural approach and creativeness i do not reside in the United states which as been a major concern to me on our to purchase your sculpture because i would like to own one or two piece to be placed in my new home in United Kingdom, as a means of beautification and modification of the building. would appreciate it if you can kindly enlight me on how to make this work out. I await your response

Regards

Alexander

Scam Email: Sharon Collins

We've reported on a Ray Collins in the past with the same scam pitch so I'm guessing this is the same person now launching a new slew of scam emails under this name.

Here is an email I just received from an artist:

Hi Kathleen, thanks for putting this resource up!  I’ve had people buy two painting but never 5!  The whole thing didn’t seem right and a quick Google brought up your site…this time the name was

Sharon Collins, shacollings@gmail.com

Moving to South Africa, third party shipper etc….

Thanks again,

Tim

Scam Email: Jason Max

Just got to love these scams coming in on our turkey day. Given, it is not a holiday in anyone's country but the U.S., but it just goes to show how many of these emails originate from outside the U.S.

This comes out of Australia and I didn't even engage him, so he hasn't gotten to the "meat" of his scam yet. But it has enough the tell-tale signs. I'm posting the full headers so you can see the difference between his "From" and "Reply-to" email address and the actual "Return-path" (shown when you view full headers).

I think they are getting hip to us asking them to come up with specifics and now they are asking what our website is when replying, to make sure they are contacting the right *victim*... I mean store... Very funny of them to do this.

Return-path: [crothing@ju001lcs00.syd.the-server.com.au]
Received: from ju001lcs00.syd.hosting-server.com.au (HELO ju001lcs00.syd.the-server.com.au) ([113.20.10.185])
          by ironport1-mta.cbr1.mail-filtering.com.au with ESMTP;
Received: from crothing by ju001lcs00.syd.the-server.com.au with local (Exim 4.69)    (envelope-from [crothing@ju001lcs00.syd.the-server.com.au])
    id 1PLiZh-0008Tw-E1
   
Subject: ORDER ENQUIRY
From: Jason Max [jasonmax147@gmail.com]
Reply-To: jasonmax147@gmail.com
Message-Id: [E1PLiZh-0008Tw-E1@ju001lcs00.syd.the-server.com.au]

Hello,
 How are you doing, i will like to order some of your products, i will be  making payment via my credit card,i will have a shipping agency pick up my  order from you as soon as payment is cleared, i will like you to include  your web page while replying back to confirm i contacted the right store,i  will like you to treat this mail with good concern and reply earnestly so we  may proceed,
 Thank you
 Jason

Scam Email: Tonya Denise Goodloe

This scam email is almost funny in how desperate and aggressive it is. Really desperate. Way too aggressive.

Subject: Re: [name of piece was inserted here]
From: everestskils@gmail.com

Hello here is the tracking# 1ZRV77900198039307 .Be available on delivery and when it delivers,simply take the check to the Bank and have it cashed instantly or deposit it into your Bank account and withdraw the shipping funds immediately.Deduct your payment and also deduct $100 that is to cover the cost of your running around wish I promised and have rest of the funds wired to the shipper asap so the shipper can make the trip over for the pick up.Here is the shipper information to send the money to via Western Union Money Transfer(Money In Minutes) or Money Gram Money Transfer(Money In Minutes)......

Name; Tonya Denise Goodloe
Address; 16539 South Main Street
City; Los Angeles
State; CA
Zip Code: 90018
Email: acbshipping@yahoo.com

You will also email me them the transfer information,used in sending the payment as it serves as receipt for the pick up.Reply in the following way............

1..Sender's name and address used in sending the money
2..Receiver name and address
3..MTCN # or REFERENCE #...Money transfer control number (10 digits #
on western union receipt)
or Money Gram Reference number (8 digits # on money gram receipt)
4..Actual amount sent
5..A scan copy of western union receipt or on money gram
receipt.(optional)

Please pay off the Transfer charges from the remaining fund after you must have deducted your payment for the purchase and the extra $100. Kindly locate a Western Union store close to you from their website http://www.westernunion.com/info/agentLocator.asp?country=global

*** pay off the transfer charges from the excess fund that is going to shipping company.i will awaiting for the information soonest.***

Your Tracking Information
Status: IN-TRANSIT
Last Scan: 11/20/2010 3:13:00 AM LOCATION SCAN LOUISVILLE, KY US
LOUISVILLE, KY US
Carrier: UPS
Service: NEXT DAY AIR
Expected: 11/22/2010
UPS Tracking Number: 1ZRV77900198039307

You can track it at www.iship.com/trackit

Thank you.

Scam Email: Edmund Vale

This scammer was bold enough to try and go for a high amount. At least they lost money on sending the bad check via overnight. That always pleases me. Here is what an artist just wrote to me:

I've just had 20 emails and a phone call from a person 1st named Vale Edmund then Edmund Vale: the same "person" who contacted Victoria Fuller!

His email: edmundvale@yahoo.co.uk And his MO is the same: a new office, a friend likes my work, he wanted the most expensive piece and that I'd get a cheque in overnight mail.... I did with $3,000 extra "to cover shipping."

Turns out the shippers will bill him directly and he asks that I return the $3,000 via Western Union. I Googled his name and found your site and Victoria's post about him!

The Federal Reserve Bank refused to cash his check because it was written on a closed account. Western Union told me that scammers often request money transfers through them because apparently the recipient can't be tracked.

Vale's emails were worded exactly as scammers with other names who are reported on this site: "I look forward to reading from you soon."

Scam Email: Kessler Cole

Well, here is another classic scam email. We've seen many versions of faked names using "Cole": Robert Cole, Rose Cole, Alfred Cole, Katty Cole, Thompson Cole, Cole Johnson, etc. Now we can add Kessler Cole to the list. 

While this scammer is waiting for the potential victim to reply once before revealing the next part of the scam (that they are working or living in a foreign country and have a shipping company who will be moving all their possessions or handling the shipment of the artwork; and that they will send a certified check overnight or pay by credit card [which will turn out to be a stolen number but not reported as stolen yet]), they often ask some initial simple question - usually asking for a volume discount, what the prices are, or can they arrange for them to be framed. Then they get you to reply and continue on with the steps of the scam.


This emails demonstrates other classic signs - the period in odd places like at the end of the subject line and after their name at the end of the email, as well as that classic lack of proper space after commas and/or periods in their sentences.

The artist who forwarded this to me also said she has never received an email from an actual art collector who used all capital letters in the subject line, so that is what got her suspicious. It's a valid additional clue."...how much discounts are you willing to give" also highlights typical poor grammar in scam emails.


If you are dealing with a Kessler Cole, you can stop wasting your time. It's a scam.

From: Kessler Cole [kessler249@yahoo.com]
Subject: ARTWORK PURCHASE.


Hello,
  I came across your artworks on internet search,I am interested in purchasing the following artwork from you (name of 2 pieces of artwork inserted here copied and pasted from the artist's website) from you.

Let me know if the artwork is still available and how much discounts you are willing to give?I will await your advise on how to proceed.Have a wonderful day.
Regards,
Kessler.

Scam Email: Louise Haynes

This scammer just demonstrated no signs of intelligent life on any level. They could not maintain the spelling of their fake name, which went from Louise (in the email signature) or Louis (in the FROM field) to "Loius", which makes no sense. And then you will see in the exchange below that was forwarded to me from an artist, this scammer - who probably sends out hundreds of thousands of these and just has no system for keeping track of what he is doing, signed one of the exchanges as "Robert" and when asked about it made up some lame story that it was his brother (and then proceeded to misspell his own name again as Loius). So ridiculous. Here is the exchange:

FROM: Louis Hayne [loiushaynes@yahoo.co.uk]
SUBJECT: Interest in your work

Dear
        I was going to come over to the United States for christmas holiday and was hoping i could purchase  some of your work in person and as it is i do not think i will be coming to USA  but am highly interested in purchasing some of your piece so am thinking the best thing to do is have you send me some images of the piece you have available or website to which i can see them and i select the one's that interest me and we can work out payment.I hope to read from you soon.
Regards
Louise

---------------------------------------

FROM: Loius Haynes [loiushaynes@yahoo.co.uk]
SUBJECT: Re: Interest in your work

Dear
     Thanks for the swift response  i was going through the website link you send to me and i came across the following work

[the name and sizes of 4 art pieces were inserted here]

I am interested in know more about the piece and the cost of each one of them i await to read from you soon.
Sincerely
Robert

---------------------------------------

FROM: Loius Haynes [loiushaynes@yahoo.co.uk]
SUBJECT: Re: Interest in your work

Dear
     yes am loius my brother Robert replied my previous mail i  am so pleased to be able to communicate with you well in such a little period of time,to be sincere with you i had never taught it was going to be easy getting across to you most of your work that have seen so far are attractive with a well defined statement and an artisitc's touch going through the piece you have sent to me i can afford to purchase the following

[2 pieces were inserted here]

I have learned through a friend that i can purchase a cashier cheque online from a United states bank  and have it linked to my account in the UK because a cheque from the United Kingdom will take month's to clear in your bank account the total i will be sending to you is $5300 to cover the cost of the piece and shipping am sure $1000 will cover the cost of shipping.
I will be needing your contact address and phone number to write and send the cheque to you.Hope to read from you soon.
Regards
Louis

Note My address for shipping
loius Haynes
123 Copeland Road,
Peckham Business Park,
SE15 3SN,
London.
+447023017686

And there was the hook, at the very end of this exchange. Sending a "cashiers check" for $5300 when the art would add up to $4300, saying $1000 should be sufficient for shipping. They send a check that is fraudulent, the artist sends the art worth $4300 and loses both the money and the art. Actually, the typical version of this scam runs with the scammer asking for the overpayment, after shipping costs to be wired to their third party shipper (who doesn't really exist, it's really wired to the scammer) and we really don't know if this particular scammer was still going to get to that part of the scam. I am assuming they were because it is not the art they are after, but the cash.

In any case, this artist realized something was not right, googled the name and found this blog and confirmed the request to purchase his art was not real. So I'm glad to say there was no money lost in this case. Yea!

Scam Email: Ryan Wickham

This scammer was not going to get very far by sending his scam email to "undisclosed". Lazy. And an obvious tip-off to the recipient.

From:    Ryan Wickham [wickhamryan@yahoo.co.uk]
To:    undisclosed-recipients:;
Subject:    Original Painting

Good Evening,

I saw some of your paintings in your website i am interested in purchasing some of your Original paintings for my mum as a gift for the new year I am a Geologist by profession  and i reside in Manchester United Kingdom.

Since it almost the end of the year i would like to know if you still have some paintings available at the moment i will also appreciate it if you can kindly let me know which section of your website i can see more of your new works. 

Regards

Ryan

Scam Email: Dennis Moore

We've seen this before but here is the latest, just to put it on record. He skipped putting his name at the end but there is that signature "period" which is very often there, name or not. I am assuming part of the template they use to send these out in volume.

From: Dennis Moore [mmmoreec@gmail.com]
Subject: Slipstream

Hello,
Good day to you over there, My name is Dennis Moore I'm from Seattle and i hope this message finds you well.I was going through your works and my eyes caught this particular work, i will like to have it for my new apartment this month.please let me know if the piece is available, if yes let me have the detailed price and more information about it. i will be waiting to read from you.

Regards.

Scam Email: Paul Watts

Those who are regular followers of this blog will recognize ALL the tell-tale signs of the below scam forwarded to me by an artist. He said he was fortunate not to listen to wife who was encouraging him to proceed with the sale, saying "what could go wrong?" I'm glad he didn't. Always something in our gut tells us there is something not right. I'm glad he googled for more information before proceeding. I have to say, I still find it odd that the software the scammers use to send these emails out seems to often put a period after their name at the end... and the grammar and sentence structure never really gets cleaned up. It's a numbers game. Why make great looking emails when you can catch victims with crappy formatted emails??

First email from scammer:

From: Paul watts [mailto:paulwattss@live.com]
Subject: Placing an order!!!!

 Hi,
  This mail is to make inquiry on the below question. 1- Do you carry  overseas? (though i already know of a freight forwarder that will pick my
 packages from you,since they ship lesser than any other courier and they  are so effective in shipping my goods to me here in Queensland,Australia
 is estimated to be 3-4days) I have used their services in the past and it  was splendid. 2- Do you accept credit card for payment(my U.S.A Master and
 Visa card to be precise)? Kindly let me know your comments on these,before  i send the items i am interested in purchasing from you.
  Paul.

Second email from scammer:

From: Paul watts [paulwattss@live.com]
Subject: ITEMS NEEDED!!!!

Hello,
Thanks for your prompt response, Please find below for the list of items needed and get back to me with the quote asap.

KITE,
BLACK-SHOULDERED
1/3 size
Decorative
Tupelo Wood
Oils
Padula Base
QTY:1

RED_BREASTED
MERGANSER DRAKE
Smoothie
Tupelo Wood
Acrylics
QTY:1

MALLARD DRAKE
Gunning Decoy
Tupelo Wood
Acrylics
QTY:1

Please get back to me with the total cost estimate for this order so that i can make my payment via my visa or master credit card.Like i stated in my previuos message i am an American but I live and work here in Australia and I want these products here. Do not worry about the shipping, I will make arrangement for the pick up of these items from your place thru my shipping agency.
PLEASE LET ME KNOW THE GRAND TOTAL WEIGHT OF THESE ITEMS FOR SHIPPING REASON.
Paul.