Friday, January 7, 2011

Scam Email: Chuck Welch

Hi Kathleen, here are some mails I have currently received. Thank goodness I was warned by a friend, please add that name and email to your scam list

Thanks a lot for what you do.

Kind regards
Andrea
From: sccollections2@gmail.com
Sent: December 29, 2010 1:57 AM
Subject: [Website Feedback] Inquiry!!!

Hi,

I am Chuck Welch and I'll like to order some items from your store but before
we proceed I'll

like to ask the following questions.

Do you ship to Australia?
Do you do Mail Order?
Do you accept credit card as for Payment?

I await your urgent response so we can proceed.

Chuck
and here is the second email:
From: SILVER CRAZY COLLECTIONS [mailto:sccollections2@gmail.com]
Sent: January 3, 2011 7:50 AM
Subject: QUOTE NEEDED.

Andrea,

Thank for your swift response. I would like to proceed with my order via email and here are the items needed below:

SCHOOLS

riflessione-azzura

silhouette

I will like you to get back to me with the total cost plus shipping cost and here is my shipping address for you to calculate the shipping cost via UPS, Fedex or DHL or any other alternative shipping company.

Please kindly get back to me if this items are in stock.

Shipping Address:
61 Lansdowne Street,
Surry Hills, NSW 2010
Australia.

Await to read from you soon.

Happy New Year!!!

Chuck
and here is the third email:
From: SILVER CRAZY COLLECTIONS [mailto:sccollections2@gmail.com]
Sent: January 6, 2011 1:22 AM
Subject: Items Cost Only.

Andrea,

Thanks for your effort on my order.

I want you to recalculate the total cost of my order ONLY and don't worry about the shipping because I just got a response from my personal logistic agent in US that will come for the pick up of the items at your address and it will only take 2-3days Express Shipping to my shipping address and I've inform them about this and they told me the best way to come for the pick up in your store is for you to email me with your store address and the time the items will be ready for pick up with your convenience time & date.

So please kindly get back to me with this details for pick up, so that I can email you my credit card details to charge the payment now.

Await to read from you soon

Warmly Regards

Chuck
Of course the guy's next step, had this artist not caught on, would have been to explain why he was paying with a credit card for the amount he "owed" and it would include the amount owed to the shipper and he would ask her to just forward the difference to the shipper for him.... via Western Union. There is no shipper. It's them receiving the money. And the credit card would likely clear because it's a stolen number that has not yet been reported. They rely on their access to stolen credit card numbers not yet reported. Which will result in a chargeback, so the only party in this scam left with good legitimate money IS the scammer.

31 comments:

  1. Thank you for posting this. We had the same guy contacted with same method.

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  2. I just had the same email today. Thanks for posting this. Much appreciated.

    We thought something was fishy when he had changed the name on the email. Same email address as above, but the name showing on the first email was Chuck Welch and then it was "Silver Crazy Collections".

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  3. My home based business in Vancouver, BC.

    Thank you for posting this... I just had the same email today... and the name on the first email was Chuck Welch and then "Silver Crazy Collections".

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  4. We just got one here as well. Thank goodness I googled him. Exact same email word for word.

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  5. I just got this scam too. I'm so so glad I googled him. Thanks for the heads up!

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  6. OH My Goodness! Thank you so much!!! I just received this exact scam and decided to google him as well. Thank you so much!

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  7. Had a little fun with him!
    Here is his last letter.


    Thanks for waiting to read from me and for your effort on my order.

    The total cost of my order is quite correct and OK by me but I just got a response from my logistic agent that he cannot receive payment via credit or debit card from me at the moment. So I want you to help me charge another $980 to my logistic agent who is going to pick up my items from you.

    The $980 that will be sent to my logistic agent is for the shipping of my order in your store plus some other items I have ordered from other stores around your locality which will be deduct from my credit card. Also, I'm compensating you with the sum of $250 for the transfer fee and for your efforts. Please note that I should have given the shipping agency my credit card for him to deduct the shipping funds but he told me that he doesn't have the facilities to charge or debit credit card, so that's why I bring my vote of confidence in you and I don't want you to betray the vote of confidence I put in you. So I want you to transfer the funds to him after you have make the charges and the money charged from my credit card is in your account, then you can now make the transfer to my logistic agent via western union. I will have love to do this myself but there no western union here around me. So the charges you'll make on my credit card will be:

    Order fee: ($1,263)
    Agent fee with shipping fare: ($980)
    Transfer fee plus your compensation: ($250)
    Total: ($2,493.00)

    Note that my credit card will be charged for the amounts above. Please do get back to me if you are in the office right now so that I can forward my credit card details to you, then you can charge full amount and transfer the agent funds to him via western union but make sure you email me after charging my card details so that I can give you my agent details to send the money to.

    Hope to read from you as soon as possible.

    Warmly Regards

    Chuck

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  8. yuck, thanks for this...I almost fell for it.

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  9. Thanks for the posting. Glad I decided to google the company before I did too much work into getting an order ready.... But I figured something was up when he asked for a huge quantity.

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  10. I just received a similar email with the Subject Line being "Quote Needed" from a Marissa Hoffman [marisahoff@live.com]

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  11. Hi Kathleen,

    I had a gut feeling and googled "Marisa Hoffman on live.com" (marisahoff@live.com). Your "Scammer Names used to target Artists" came up.

    Outstanding!!

    Thank you for your article and your blog!

    With much appreciation,
    Abbie

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  12. We just had the same run in with "Marisa Hoffman"
    things wern't adding up so i Googled her name and came up with Art Scams. Thank you for your blog....
    The Clausen's

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  13. Chuck just tried the same scam with me today. As others have mentioned his emails are word for word. Can't anyone stop this fool.
    Lee

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  14. "Marisa Hoffman" tried the same scam with me over the last few weeks. I just sent back one last comment:Actually, Australian, I've just seen one of your pictures online, and I've fallen in love with it! I'll send you $5000 by carrier pigeon if you'll just send me $365 for his feed.
    I hope someone catches this scoundrel.
    Thanks to everyone who has posted for helping to confirm my suspicions.
    Susanna

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  15. I recently had the same e-mail from Chuck. I got a little excited about the order but was also skeptical so I went online to look up Silver Crazy Collections and I came to this site. So glad to find your posts and not become another victim to this crime.
    Thank you

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  16. I had a strange feeling on this one when I got it. It's pretty much the same word for word. I think this guys needs to be strung up by his family jewels so he can't reproduce. Thank God a friend emailed me this site!

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  17. Thanks for this info. I received also a mail and since the country didn't show up in my website listings I got suspicious and googled the name and country.

    Thank you again.

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  18. Yep, same email series to me today. Glad I always Google new customers. Thanks for originally posting.

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  19. I have "Chuck" literally live right now, via email and telephone, and I traced his number! So far I have talked him out of 4 credit cards (all stolen). More to follow but I going to string him along for as long as he will play..... Keep you posted.

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  20. That is cool! We know he likely has a disposable email address - and maybe a disposal phone, but if you are comfortable in one of your updates, let's publish his phone number publicly. We can put that on Facebook as well.

    These guys must have access to a whole database of stolen credit card numbers, to so easily come up with 4 for just your interaction.

    Do keep us updated.

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  21. Just for the record, the "Chuck Welch" scam remains active. I just got a note form "him" today. I'm not sure where they found the information as they used an e-mail that is not normally associated with my work... Just saying. "Hello,

    I am Chuck Welch and I'll like to order some items from your gallery/store but before we proceed I'll like to ask the following questions.

    Do you ship to Australia?
    Do you do Mail Order?
    Do you accept credit card as for Payment (My US Master and Visa card to be precise)?

    I await your urgent response so we can proceed.

    Chuck"

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  22. I got one today too! Ick! Like the previous person said, it came to an email not associated with my work either.

    Hello,

    I am Chuck Welch and I'll like to order some items from your gallery/store but before we proceed

    I'll like to ask the following questions.

    Do you ship to Australia?
    Do you do Mail Order?
    Do you accept credit card as for Payment (My US Master and Visa card to be precise)?

    I await your urgent response so we can proceed.

    Chuck

    ReplyDelete
  23. just got the exact same email this morning (4/20/2011)
    googled the "sccollections2" and Chuck Welch. Nothing on sccollections, but got you on Chuck Welch. knew it was fishy since the opening line read:
    "I am Chuck Welch and I'll like to order some items from your gallery/store but before we proceed I'll like to ask the following questions." We've received plenty of these approaches from African scammers who don't know the difference between "I'll" and "I'd" future or future perfect. All Australian would (not "will") inherently know the difference.
    thanks for the alerts.
    -thom edel

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  24. Still scamming as of April 19,2011. He must have found my email address on my website. The address he used was unique to my website. I do not accept credit cards and he has not attempted to contact me again

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  25. He tried with me but today I told him that will only take paypal.

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  26. Thanks for posting this. I received a request from Chuck Welch also.

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  27. Oh no, we fell for this and processed a payment with him. What do I do now? Please help.

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  28. Call Western Union and see if the transaction has been picked up yet. You can reverse it if its not been claimed but if its been claimed, it's too late.

    I just hate hearing stories like this... I'm so sorry you got caught in their scam.

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  29. Just got the same scam but it was a CHARMAINE JOHNSON (Chuck Welch might be catching on or it could be Chucks little offspring) looking for me to order 1200 in product + the 980 western union +100 in tip and deliver the extra to a CINDY BROWN at allstatetowing@gmail.com which happens to be Charmaine's private Currier Service tel #206-202-0126 where no one happens to answer the phone.. Nice try CHUCK!! hopes this helps someone out.

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  30. I just got this...

    From: Etherington Parton [mailto:e.partonsupplies0@gmail.com]
    Sent: Tuesday, 13 September 2011 11:31 AM
    To: xxx
    Subject: INQUIRY TO FIJI ISLAND...

    Hello,

    I'm Etherington Parton and I'll like to order some items from your store/gallery but before we proceed I'll like to ask the following questions.

    Do you ship to Fiji Island?
    Do you do Mail Order?
    Do you accept credit card as for Payment (My US Master and Visa card to be precise)? NOT PAYPAL

    I'll be waiting for your response so we can proceed.

    Warmly Regards,

    Etherington

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  31. Deepest thanks for your post. I found myself just about to reply to a similar email that just looked a little fishy. Because of your blog I have decided not to reply. Thanks for saving me the hassle.
    The emails reads:
    "Chucks Welch chuckscomp11@aol.com
    reply-to Chucks Welch
    to
    date Tue, Oct 25, 2011 at 11:02 AM
    subject Order



    Hi,

    I am Chuck Welch and I'll like to order some items from your gallery/store
    but before we proceed I'll like to ask the following questions.

    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 Camberwell,Australia is estimated to be 3-4days) I have used their services in the past and it was splendid.

    Do you do Mail Order?

    Do you accept credit card as for Payment?

    I await your urgent response so we can proceed.

    Owner

    Chuck"

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