Be on the watch for this kind of scam.....
A mid-Michigan member of the Michigan Lumber & Building Materials Association (MLBMA) regarding a $2800 check they'd received, along with a request to confirm the transaction. MLBMA researched the matter and determined it definitely is a scam.
The check was allegedly sent to the member from Bailey/Laurerman/Marketing/Communications in Lincoln, Nebraska. The check was drawn on a Tier One Bank account from Lincoln, Nebraska. It contained an official looking UPS Next Day Air tracking number. It was sent from the Kennedy Space Center making I look like the Space Center is a client of Bailey/Laurerman.
A message at the bottom of the correspondence informed the member:
"We would like you to email our secure payment department on payverifier2009@live.com. For your confirmation and more information before you continue the transaction, please don't ignore this email. Make sure you email us to the provided email and don't agree with any correspondent abuse about this email. This Payment Verification is to confirm you receive the payment successfully."
MLBMA determined this was a scam by determining the following:
1. There is a real P.R. firm in Lincoln, Nebraska by that name but it has one less letter in its name;
2. Tier One Bank is located in Lincoln but the address on the check is 20 digits off the real address;
3. The overall spelling and general approach is unprofessional and bogus. Canadian and Australian scammers have apparently been using this tactic with increasing frequency.
If you receive something like this do not respond to verify its receipt. The culprits have a way of using your response in the scam. Do not respond to the email. Delete it.
Showing posts with label Scam Alert. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Scam Alert. Show all posts
Friday, November 13, 2009
Thursday, November 5, 2009
SCAM ALERT: PHONY TRUSS ORDERS
SCAM ALERT
Scammers are targeting the truss portion of the industry. More than 40 companies have been contacted by the scammers, and one company may have lost money because of it. We urge you to be extremely vigilant in screening potential customers!
Be on the watch for these warning signs:
• Emails from an individual asking for pricing on a large quantity of trusses (e.g., 200). He may attach a picture of a truss. Often, the requestor claims to be a Reverend representing the Presbyterian Church of God. However, in the most recent wave, the scammers have had normal names (e.g., Dave Weliam).
• The requestor says he is making arrangements with a freight company to pick up the order.
• At some point the requestor will ask if you accept credit cards and may even send you a credit card number. He will likely instruct you to pre-pay the freight company, and add the freight charges to his final invoice.
Please forward this email to anyone in your company that receives email and has contact with customers. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission, Better Business Bureau and the FBI have many resources on how to avoid falling victim to email fraud. You can also file a fraud complaint on any of these websites.
Scammers are targeting the truss portion of the industry. More than 40 companies have been contacted by the scammers, and one company may have lost money because of it. We urge you to be extremely vigilant in screening potential customers!
Be on the watch for these warning signs:
• Emails from an individual asking for pricing on a large quantity of trusses (e.g., 200). He may attach a picture of a truss. Often, the requestor claims to be a Reverend representing the Presbyterian Church of God. However, in the most recent wave, the scammers have had normal names (e.g., Dave Weliam).
• The requestor says he is making arrangements with a freight company to pick up the order.
• At some point the requestor will ask if you accept credit cards and may even send you a credit card number. He will likely instruct you to pre-pay the freight company, and add the freight charges to his final invoice.
Please forward this email to anyone in your company that receives email and has contact with customers. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission, Better Business Bureau and the FBI have many resources on how to avoid falling victim to email fraud. You can also file a fraud complaint on any of these websites.
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