Scam Email: Jerry Watts

[This was forwarded by another person, it seems the scammer found him through his ad on Craigslist (notice how the first email is just so they can get a real email and begin writing directly to their potential victim)]

seen your site and wanted to help out, below is two messages i receved from one of the scammers. top one was the last i got, second just under is the original. and below that is the full message details.   hope this helps.   good job

i am also going to keep on with this scamer so he will send the payment, i found out last time this came up that the checks are fake with stolen info from real companys, and the senders are sending the checks with stolen shiping info so some other companys are having a really hard time with the checks and the shipping costs they are fighting off.

last time john deer paid the shipping lol. anyway yea if i can save the companys a lil hassle by giving them a heads up the ill try to help if i can

----- Forwarded Message -----

From: Jerry Watts [dexme004@gmail.com]
Subject: The towing and repo high speed dollies - $800

Thanks for the prompt response,i will like to proceed with the
transaction asap and my mode of payment will be via Bank certified
check. However, to ease the pick up the item will be picked-up from
you by my shipper once you receive and cash the check,i am willing to
wait for your bank to verify and clear the check before the shipper
pickup the item therefore I'll need this detail below to mail out the
check.

* The Full name on check
* Mailing address (Deliverable Address)
* Phone Number

Proceed to delete the advert of this item if my mode of payment is
accepted and get back to me asap with your details to mail out the
certified check to you.

Thanks

First Email:

Message body

** CRAIGSLIST ADVISORY --- AVOID SCAMS BY DEALING LOCALLY
** Avoid: wiring money, cross-border deals, work-at-home
** Beware: cashier checks, money orders, escrow, shipping
** More Info: http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams.html

--
Do you still have these item for sale?
Get back to me asap.

Scam Email: Abdul-Quahaal

This scammer went right for the fake name that doesn't even sound english, perhaps hoping that might explain the bad grammar and formatting. This scammer also wasted no time in going right for the meat of the scam, that they will use their third party shipper (which really doesn't exist). That way, they can then in a later email explain why they are sending payment for MORE than the amount and ask you to send the difference on to the shipper via Western Union. Again - no shipper. Fake payment (whether by check or credit card). Only them at the other end of Western Union, collecting up your good money in a very untraceable way.

Don't fall for it.

Return-path: [phantomp@impala.ip-sg.net] (124.217.238.101) Malaysia
From: Abdul-Quahaal [abdulquahaal@yahoo.com]
Subject: Order Enquiry

Hi Sales, Am Mr Abdul-Quahaal currently based Dubai . I will like to place an order from you. I know there a lot of difficulties encountered when shipping internationally, But that will not be a problem because i am registered with a shipping company whom i have used severally without any delay nor problems with my goods. Before i place these order, i want you to notify me if i am able to place the order and most importantly: If i can make payment with my credit cards Visa/Mc because that is the only way we are set for payment now without no delay. I don't place online orders can i e-mail my ORDER needed then you can give me a quote here and make charges to my cards manually on your end ? Pls Clarify. Looking forward to your swift response then we can proceed further as soon as possible. Warmest Regards. Mr Abdul Quahaal Shipping Address: 215, III Floor, Matar Al Tayer Bldg Karama Dubai 115334. UAE. Registered in UAE, Reg. No. 1450827

Scam Email: David Williams

There are lots of things you can learn by glancing at the full headers. Of course, I immediately knew this was a scam because I am an artist and don't sell the items listed below. They are playing a numbers game and hardly care about anyone who doesn't actually match their email. They only care about those - in the hundreds of thousands of emails they send out at any given time, that SOME will be people who sell those items and think they have a real buyer.

But let's get back to the headers. So I view the full headers and I immediately see the email came from an IP owned by celtusdigital.com. I google it. I *don't* go to it. I just google it. It's not in english and its a joomla site (like wordpress) so now I'm guessing the owner doesn't even know the scammer hacked into their site and is using it to send out massive amounts of spams.

Interestingly, the line with X-PHP is more revealing. It is the scammer software script this cockroach used to send out the massive amounts of spams and the IP number for that sourced to Gambia, Africa. That is probably where the scammer is sitting.

David Williams (or Lin Williams or Rose Williams or Terry Williams - you get the picture) is a common fake name lots of scammers use, and the gmail account to correspond with their potential victims who do reply is a disposable gmail account.

By the time I look at the actual content of the email and where they pretend they are from, it's all already so obvious that it's all made up.

Return-path: [revistap@celt.celtusdigital.com]
Received: from 184.172.246.156-static.reverse.softlayer.com ([184.172.246.156]:38106 helo=celt.celtusdigital.com)
X-PHP-Script: www.revistapikabu.com.mx/mail.php for 41.76.9.170, 41.76.8.4 (The Gambia, Africa)
Subject: Order Quote
From: David Williams [bquality.venture@gmail.com]

Hi Sir/Madam,

      We are requesting pricing for the items mentioned below through  your store, kindly get back to us if any of this items can be supply as soon as possible  also advice on your payment methods.

Item:

1) USB Flash Drives 2 / 4 GB
2) Mirco SD CARDS 1 GB
3) HEW C9730A HP OEM Black Laser Toner Cartridge

We look forward to read from you soon.

Best Regards

David Williams
234n Palm Ave,
Hemet,CA 92543
818 358-0535

Scam Email: Etherington Parton

This scam has the typical content of the "template". Looking at the headers and glancing at the RETURN-PATH field rather than the FROM field revealed the shady shady source of this email. Also, pretty bizarre fake name for this scammer to have chosen. I really think they must have software that just randomly chooses and throws names together. And this scammer was hedging their bets by referring to me as a "gallery/store".

Return-path: [nobody@zero8.webzero.kr]
Received: from [110.45.139.18] (port=53783 helo=zero8.webzero.kr) (Seoul, Korea)
From: Etherington Parton [e.partonsupplies0@gmail.com]
Subject: Inquiry...

Hello,

I am Etherington Parton 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.

Etherington

Scam Email: Dakar Arts Festival

So this scam is a little different than the ones we typically deal with on this blog. But a scam is a scam and I intend to post all of them that I receive which target artists. I did review the lovely flowchart this artist provided of how the scam operates and what IS the same is that the "organizers" are after direct cash from the artist - requiring a booking fee (one level of collecting money) and THEN upon the artist shipping the artwork requiring some time of service fee (level 2 of collecting money). If they've gotten their victim through two levels of payment, they will attempt to make up other stories of why they need more money in fees or in assisting some type of sale (obviously fake) of the artwork.

I want to say 'shame on you, scammers', but then I have to remember they are sociopaths and are incapable of feeling or recognizing shame or guilt or any moral behavior. So let's move on.

An artist sent me this information and I am posting it as it was sent to me. I thank this artist for continuing to spread the word so artists do not fall victim to this stuff.

Dear Kathleen,

I am a interested reader of your "Stop Art Scams" Blog!

I am also following the nasty "DAKAR ART FESTIVAL" scam, where the scammers try to get money from artists by organizing a fake art festival.

I hope you can post it on your site to warn other artists as well!!

Attached I also put a diagram showing the "anatomy of the scam".

A fellow french artist also translated parts of the page into french.

Here the "open call" they use, they also write the same text as emails directly to victims:

FESTIVAL ARTS SENEGAL 2011

DAKAR INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2011
Dakar. July, 01-2011 TO August,01-2 011

Under the patronage of the Ministry of Culture in association with the art galleries of Africa and especially West Africa (ECOWAS). Senegal ( Dakar ) will host for the first time an International contemporary Arts Festival From July,01-2011 to August,01-2011 All arts galleries, Artists from all over the world are cordially invited. ARE INVITED: Arts lover, Art Galleries: Artists, Drawings: Painters, Photographers, Sculptors, Graphic Designers, Digital, pastels, watercolors, Potteries .

PROGRAMS: -Exposure -Speech) -Carnival) for more information for your  participation

CONTACT US AT: BP: 2240 Dakar Arts Festival Dakar – Senegal Mr. Sow 
TELEPHONE + 221- 77-743-63-51 + 221- 76-743-63-51 Write us at dakar.arts@yahoo.fr
  Contact Mr Sow

http://www.senegal-annonces.com/DetailsAnnonceAutres.asp?cod_ann=12741 www.sunumail.sn

 ——————————————————————————————

FESTIVAL ARTS SENEGAL 2011

Festival International Arts du Sénégal
Dakar 01 Juillet Au 01 Aout 2011

Sous le haut patronage du ministère de la culture en association avec les galeries d’arts de l’Afrique et plus particulièrement de l’Afrique de l’ouest (CEDEAO). Le Sénégal (Dakar) abritera du “01 Jullet 2011 Au 01 Aout 2011 “pour la première fois le Festival international d’arts contemporain du Sénégal regroupant des artistes de toutes les horizons et tout les continents SONT INVITE: Amateurs d’arts, Galeries d’arts: artistes, Dessins: peintres, Photographes, Sculpteurs, Graphistes, Designers, Digitales, Pastellistes, Aquarellistes, Céramistes. 

PROGRAMME: Exposition Et vernissage) -manège) -discours) -carnaval) 
Pour plus des renseignements pour votre participation. CONTACTACTEZ 
NOUS : BP: 2240 Dakar Arts Festival Dakar – Senegal Mr. Sow TELEPHONE 
+ 221- 77-743-63-51 + 221- 76-743-63-51

http://www.senegal-annonces.com/DetailsAnnonceAutres.asp?cod_ann=12741 www.sunumail.sn

Scam Email: Janet Richardson

Well, "Janet", that was an odd way to end your email. Did your scammer email template confuse you?

From: Janet Richardson [amriamis194@hotmail.co.uk]
SUBJECT: Mail Order

Hello there,
   My name is Janet Richardson and i live in the United Kingdom, I am writing to inquire about some of your products which i am highly interested in buying. I would like to know if you can sell to me and i shall be paying with my credit card, In your response kindly include your website address so that i may look further to see if i can get more interesting things that i can buy.
Richardson
Thanks

Scam Email: Susan Rogers

We've reported previously on Janet Rogers [edwedg12@gmail.com] so this scammer hasn't changed it up much at all. And they made no effort to match the fake name to the disposable email address. The rest of it is pretty straight-forward, and the format we've seen thousands of times before.

From: Susan Rogers [edwedg13@gmail.com]
Subject: Artworks Inquiry...

Hi,

Hope this message finds you well. I saw these creatives works on your web site and i will like you to get back with more details if they are still available for purchase.

[name of painting here] 

I will appreciate an urgent reply.

Best Regards,
Susan Rogers.