INTERNET SCAM WARNING from Steve Bridger

Steve Bridger
GENUINE SCAM WARNING - PLEASE READ AND BEWARE OF THIS SCAM

SCAM Alert for Networking in Surrey Members and your networks

A fictitous 'Sharon Holmes' contacts people by email and makes an export
order for your products. Victims are lured into a false sense of
security and asked to pay shipping charges from their business account.
These funds received by the internet scammers. The 'clever' twist is
that credit card payment details are given to provide false reassurance
that the whole transaction is genuine, when in fact the 'sting' is for
unsuspecting businesses to prepare and pay for the shipping element.

Below,you will see the email messages below from a fictitious 'Sharon
Holmes' - perhaps this was meant as a bit of dry humour linked to
Sherlock Holmes!- and an imaginary Paula Giselle of Effective Express
Cargo - who does not exist. Nor does the consignment address exist.

At first I was taken in and enthusiastic about receiving a fresh 'out
of the blue' order from a new export client - but something told me that
all was not right. No contact phone numbers or web addresses on the
email.

When I checked I could not find any record of these people, the emails
on closer examination were written by someone without English as a first
language - and if Sharon Holmes was real and a Aussie, she would have a
better command of the language. Furthermore I checked on Google Earth
Maps and could not find the so-called 'store'.

A big thank-you to Sandy Whyte of the Cairns Chamber of Commerce - please see his email below.

Please be on your guard and spread the word to your members, colleagues
and any other official body who may also spread this SCAM alert.

Many thanks

Steve Bridger
www.spanishrings.com

SCAM Email examples below

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Sharon Homes [mailto:shopqldmerchant@hotmail.com]
> Sent: 04 August 2010 10:07
> To: info@spanishrings.com
> Subject: Order Inquiry
>
> Hello,
> 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.
>
> Sharon Holmes,
> Owner.
>

Courier & Cargo Services

Hello Steve,
Thanks for choosing Effective Express Cargo (U.S.A) . The profile of the account number #QB57450584J, owner is as follow :
Name: Sharon Holmes
Age : 41
Address : 234 Cairns Central, 1st Floor,

Corner McLeod St and Spence St,
Cairns, 4870
Queensland
Australia

Email: shopqldmerchant@hotmail.com
Yes we provide the services below:
- Delivery within 72 working hours
- Secure, Safe & Reliable service
- Above 220 countries covered globally
- Collaboration with leading air express
companies

Our head office is based in USA and we have local teams that comes for
the pick up once consideration has been furnished. We assure you safest
delivery. The total cost for the shipping(28kgs) plus documentation and
VAT will be £521.50 while insurance and taxes will be £161.00 making a
total of £682.5 for to 2 to 3 days delivery.The shipment will be door
to door and payment can only be made via Western Union or Money gram,We
require shipping charges handled by the merchant of the subject since
it is a commercial based. Once the payment has been transferred to the
head office we inform our local team to come for the pick up. So i need
to know when exactly the packages will be ready for pick up and payment
will be received earlier before the pick up date,this is to ensure
shipping arrangement well scheduled.
Once again thank you for choosing Effective Express cargo. We assure you safest delivery.

Regards
Mrs. Paula Giselle
Effective Express Cargo

-----Original Message-----
From: Mr Sandy Whyte : Cairns Chamber of Commerce [mailto:sandy@cairnschamber.com.au]
Sent: 11 August 2010 02:14
To: Info@spanishrings.com
Cc: Judy Lloyd : Cairns Chamber of Commerce; Moira Liggins : Cairns Chamber of Commerce

Subject: RE: Business Member Enquiry - UK Request

Steve,

The company are not members of ours and are unknown to us. I have
contacted Cairns Central, which is a large shopping centre and the
address shown below. They don't have 234 stores and are not aware of
the company at all. They have also had some direct enquiries along the
same lines as you own.

Hope this helps.

Mr Sandy Whyte
Executive Officer


I hope this helps everyone

Steve Bridger
Spanish Rings/The Write Copy