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08-19-2007, 07:50 PM
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Honorificabilitudinitatibus
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Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 12,930
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 2LeftFeet
He is going to pay for the 4 couples trip with HIS Visa card? Is this what I am reading???
Yeah-- OK. If there is a CC it's stolen.
Why aren't the couples paying for their own trip? What a nice travel agent. jajaja
Wanna buy a bridge?
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DominicanBoy's link explains the scam.
Scam Warning for B&B Owners :: View topic - This is how the scam works
Quote:
The end goal is to get the B&B owner to send money to the scammer. Typically, the scammer will make a booking and overpay for it with either a credit card or forged check. The scammer will request the balance sent somewhere, usually by Western Union. Remember, these scammers are creative and there are many variations on the scam.
The scam works like this:
The scammer will book a room(s) and claim to have no credit card to hold the room or will have a credit card. They will ask to send a bank draft/certified check/money order to pay for the room in advance or pay for it with a credit card. When the check arrives it will be for an amount greater than the value of the stay or they will ask you to charge the credit card for an amount greater than the value of the stay. The scammer will then request the balance sent to a third party (i.e. a car rental agency) or returned to the scammer.
Since the bank draft/certified check/money order is drawn on a foreign bank it may take up to 3 months to learn it is fraudulent. The B&B owner is now short the amount of the check/wire they sent the scammer and probably lost bookings since they held a room for the scammer. If the scammer paid by a credit card it is surely to be disputed by the actual card owner.
The Tells:
* Overseas/International: Typically the guest/agent/scammer will be overseas or out of country (UK, France...). The reason is authorities rarely pursue this kind of international crime.
* Urgent: The scammer will be acting in an urgent manner. And will be making bookings for dates near in the future.
* Long stays or lots of rooms: They will also want long stays and a lot of rooms. The scammer will also be very vague about the actual number of guest.
* No rate resistance: They will show little or no rate resistance.
* Flexible on dates: They will be flexible on dates of arrival/ departure and the number of nights booked.
* No interest in location: They don’t care about your location, they will express little or no interest in area attractions.
* Will not address your B&B by name in the first e-mail: The first e-mail you receive will not address your B&B specifically. It will be a general e-mail and may not even mention your town or state.
* Grammar, Spelling, and choice of words: The scammer's grammar, spelling and use of punctuation will be off. When you see the sample e-mails below you'll notice the spacing is off. "Agency,London" instead of "Agency, London" We copy them verbatim.
* Doctor's acting as travel agents: Often the scammer making the booking will present themselves as a doctor. There are two red flags associated with this. 1) Doctor's generally don't act as travel agents. 2) Doctor's, especially from England, should have a better command of the English language.
* Free e-mail account: The e-mail will come from a free e-mail service like Yahoo! or Hotmail. Legitimate travel agents rarely use free e-mail accounts. Note: One scammer has created a front called Varsatile Vincent Travel Agency and sends e-mails from hotel@varsatilevincent.info or reservations@varsatilevincent.info see Elvis Borrow.
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08-19-2007, 07:54 PM
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On Vacation!
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 749
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Quote:
Originally Posted by apostropheman
are they both cell numbers?
Tel: +447045716258
Mobile+447045706474
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yes both mobile probably stolen cant work out the funny ringing tone, sound.s like when you phone out of the country when you are on holiday
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08-19-2007, 07:57 PM
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Gold
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Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 958
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Remember this?
Fun with Scammers
I have this link bookmarked and I think someone posted it on DR1 a few years ago. |
08-19-2007, 08:01 PM
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Gold
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Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,024
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No no I understand Rocky. I just think it's odd that he is offering to pay for 4 couples trips with HIS credit card. Wouldn't that raise suspicion alone. How many travel agents do that. I wish mine would.
If someone does not realize it -- the credit card is going to be stolen if he provides one. By the time you are notified that it's stolen it's way to late-- not that it's way already because he's somewhere out there.
He could be in Africa. Cell phones travel.
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08-19-2007, 08:11 PM
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On Vacation!
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 749
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 2LeftFeet
No no I understand Rocky. I just think it's odd that he is offering to pay for 4 couples trips with HIS credit card. Wouldn't that raise suspicion alone. How many travel agents do that. I wish mine would.
If someone does not realize it -- the credit card is going to be stolen if he provides one. By the time you are notified that it's stolen it's way to late-- not that it's way already because he's somewhere out there.
He could be in Africa. Cell phones travel.
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Scam Warning - Advance Payment Fraud Just googled Varsatile Vincent Travel Agency
And there,s more  Glad my name is not VINCE LOL
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08-19-2007, 08:18 PM
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Honorificabilitudinitatibus
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Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 12,930
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 2LeftFeet
No no I understand Rocky. I just think it's odd that he is offering to pay for 4 couples trips with HIS credit card. Wouldn't that raise suspicion alone. How many travel agents do that. I wish mine would.
If someone does not realize it -- the credit card is going to be stolen if he provides one. By the time you are notified that it's stolen it's way to late-- not that it's way already because he's somewhere out there.
He could be in Africa. Cell phones travel.
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Yup.
He could be anywhere in the world, in fact, he might be a she... Heck, might even be a transvestite, lol.
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08-19-2007, 08:29 PM
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Gold
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Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,024
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He could be right outside your door!!!
I've heard that they will use a stolen CC. Over pay the person or cancel at the last minute and want a refund. They then want their money sent by Western Union . When the person sends it to them they go and collect it. The person who sends it thinks that they are in the US and they are actually in ,,,,,,,. After the $$ is sent.. you discovered that the CC is stolen. You are out EVERYTHING. They are long gone.
A friend of mine who works at a gym as a personal trainer had this happen to her co-worker.
He lost $1,800 .
Just another twist.
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08-19-2007, 08:40 PM
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Silver
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Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 112
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Money Laundering 101
This scenario is a common way too for money laundering.
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08-19-2007, 08:44 PM
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Honorificabilitudinitatibus
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Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 12,930
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Abuela
This scenario is a common way too for money laundering.
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Not quite.
This is a scam to extract money and has nothing to do with money laundering.
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08-19-2007, 08:46 PM
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Gold
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Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 767
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"Yup.
He could be anywhere in the world, in fact, he might be a she... Heck, might even be a transvestite, lol."
How about the same scam from LINDA WILTON of Bluegate Travel Services In Washington, D.C.? We got about the same thing except there was going to be a convention held in Las Galeras and they needed 4 rooms (in LG???LOL!!). They wanted me to send a little over $2,800 overpayment via Western Union to the transportation guy who they didn't trust (I guess there's still no honor among thieves). We recieved the same exact mail that was posted earlier in this thread.
Also, it's interesting that it's suspected that this person is thought to be in Great Britain. Late last year we recieved a reservation request for a group of evangilists also from Great Britain with the same outcome after several emails back and forth: overpay with a credit card and we refund the difference via Western Union. Scams. Scams. Scams. Just how stupid do these people think we are?
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