New E-mail Cc Fraud Scam

[Samuian]

Attention!

I am the Reservation and Customer Relations Manger at a Hotel in Thailand/Ko Samui. on October 26 I find the following e-mail in our "contact" mail box from our website...PLEASE read and let me know your opinion if this is a IT fraud attempt!

if so, PLEASE help to forward to as many Hotels, Travel Agents as possible!

(We will forward this e-mail to the CSD Thailand)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------->

From:

(Senders E-mailAddress withheld) [email protected]>

Sent: Fri Oct 19 12:41

To:

(adress withheld!)

Subject:

ACOMMODATION NEEDED...

DEAR SIR/MA,

I WILL LIKE TO KNOW IF YOU CAN ACOMMODATE 5 OF OUR CLIENTS WILLING TO COME TO YOUR COUNTRY FOR RELAXATION AT YOUR HOTEL FROM THE DATES BELOW.

CHECK IN:20th/11/2007

CHECK OUT:31st/11/2007

TYPE OF ROOM: 5 SINGLE ROOMS

GUEST NAMES: MR JOHNSON WILLIAMS

MR SANDRA MARKSON

MR MARK ROBINSON

MR PAUL CARTER

MRS SOLON ANN

KINDLY CONFIRM IF YOU HAVE AVAILABLE ROOMS AND ALSO CAN YOU CONFIRM IF YOU ACCEPT VISA AND MASTER CREDIT CARDS FOR PAYMENTS FOR THE ACCOMODATION AND ALSO WHICH IS THE NEAREST AIRPORT TO YOU.

WARM REGARDS,

GARY BRAY.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------<

Our Answer:

From:

(address withheld)[email protected]>

Sent: Sun Oct 28 13:42

To:

contact@(address withheld).com

Subject:

TOTAL COST NEEDED IN USD...

Dear Sir,

On some reason this mail has only been by today in our mailbox.

I personally have been not in the office since 22nd. Oct. just back

as of today - SORRY for the late reply!

thank you for the request - we can accommodate 5 Persons single rooms.

if there is still interest in the booking, please confirm this request

RESERVATION MANAGER.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<

their response:

Dear Sir (personal Name withheld),

Thanks for your prompt response and the confirmation of the rooms.kindly get back to me with the total cost of the acommodation,airport pickup,breakfast for the five guests and service charges in USD.

As soon as we receive the total cost in USD we will contact Mrs Solon Ann to forward there credit card details along with the authorization letter dully signed by her for the charges of the full payment.

Also,Mrs Solon Ann promised me my own commission too which is 3500usd and she instruct that i should deduct from his credit card that he will be sending to me for the payment of the reservation but i dont have facilities to charge credit cards,so i will send you his credit card details for you to charge the total amount of the Accomodation and also the 3500usd.

Am willing to compensate you with 250usd from my own commission for your effort and western union transfer charges to forward my commission to me,so kindly get back to me with the total cost of the accomodation including the taxes plus my own commission,so that we can proceed with the payment ASAP..

Waiting to read from you soon.

Regards,

Gray Bray

Reservation Manager.

NB:ALSO KINDLY GET BACK TO ME WITH YOUR DIRECT CONTACT MOBILE OR LAND PHONE NUMBER FOR MORE DETAILS

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------<

what do you think, if you read this mail? The first mail reads like any ordinary booking request, but when the 2nd mail came in I immediately thought....

..and noticed the spelling and grammar mistakes?

[ThaidleHands]

This is a well-known form of spam. Not new at all.

[mrtoad]

Looks like the Magoo's have got a new angle.

[bat69]

I personally would not go near this booking. I have been working in the hotel industry for the last 12 years and as you stated the first request seems genuine but the second the alarm bells are definately ringing. Initially reading the first enquiry I did not think it was a travel agent trying to book this. Was there a company name on the email enquiry? Who is Mrs Solon Ann? He refers to her as a him in the next sentence. If this guy is a reservations manager for this travel agent they should have systems in place for him to receive commision through the company itself. He also mis spelt his name at the end on the second email.

Defiantely a hoax.

Also you haven't even quoted any rates or if he is entitled to a commission so how does he know that he is entitled to USD$3500

[GungaDin]

I WILL LIKE TO KNOW IF YOU CAN ACOMMODATE 5 OF OUR CLIENTS WILLING TO COME TO YOUR COUNTRY FOR RELAXATION AT YOUR HOTEL

African English?

[technocracy]

The real give away is "western union transfer" . . . anyone who requests a Western Union transfer is on a scam.

[sbk]

Scam--they always want 10 nights and they always use a free host for their email address. Purported to be from a travel agency, why would a major travel agency in the west use a Yahoo mail account?

From what I gather, the hotel operator charges it to their card, then the "guest" cancels and asks for money sent western union instead of charging back to the card. Or, the fake commission as above.

[jstumbo]

Any time they want you to send any money to them it is a scam.

[Shrubbery]

Obviously a scam. But no doubt, there will be someone somewhere that falls for it.

[Rooo]

Some hotels in Samui fell for it a couple of years ago.SCAM,beware.

[simon43]

Why do scammers' keyboards never have lower case letters??

Simon

[Payboy]

Why do scammers' keyboards never have lower case letters??

Simon

same reason that those scammed dont have a delete button on their keyboards

[TopDogger]

Did you ask them where they wanted the western union sending?

[naka]

It's a scam and your hotel will be left holding the can.

Naka.

[Samuian]

Another one in the mailbox....

From:

John Dabbs <[email protected]>

Sent: Wed Oct 31 17:24

To:

[email protected]

Priority: Normal

Subject:

payment arrangement

Type: Embeded HTML/Text

Hello xxxxxxx,

Thank you very much for the content of your email and your assistance so far as well. I have just concluded payment arrangement with my clients and i will be making a deposit of USD 2500 in order to secure this booking.Their names are as follows,

Name:-------------------- Mr $ Mrs Mike Campbell

Address:--------------- 3 Victoria Street,. Armagh, BT61 9DS, Republic of Ireland

Name:--------------------Dr & Mrs Stephen Clark

Address:--------------- 678 Main Street , Castlederg, Tyrone , BT81 7AS , Republic of Ireland

I am going to send you my Visa Credit Card Information which will cover the cost of their accommodation,and other necessary arrangement.

Moreover an arrangement has also been made with a pre-paid logistics agent who will arrange for their flight ticket and the other transit documents that they will use.

You are required to charge the total amount of USD9050 from my credit card. When the funds gets to your account, deduct the cost of your services USD2500 and send USD6550 to the per-paid logistic agent for onward arrangement.

Therefore, confirm your committement in this message and get back to me with a confirmatory message that you will or will not take the above steps so as to avert delays that might be detrimental to these couples. Also send your following personal details for our office record (1) Full Name (2) Full Address (3) Mobile Phone. This is very important for our office record and also before any payment will be made to you.

I await your quick response.

Regards

John Dabbs

General Manager

J.K.Travel Agency.

27 Hertford Street , Coventry, CV1 1LF

Coventry,

United Kingdom

Phone +44 703 590 1781

Fax +44 871 263 9706

... this one has even an address and phonenumber...sound all very nice, but why sending this money all over the globe...?

[Captain Chaos]

Name:-------------------- Mr $ Mrs Mike Campbell

Address:--------------- 3 Victoria Street,. Armagh, BT61 9DS, Republic of Ireland

Name:--------------------Dr & Mrs Stephen Clark

Address:--------------- 678 Main Street , Castlederg, Tyrone , BT81 7AS , Republic of Ireland

Regards

John Dabbs

General Manager

J.K.Travel Agency.

27 Hertford Street , Coventry, CV1 1LF

Coventry,

United Kingdom

Phone +44 703 590 1781

Fax +44 871 263 9706

I could be wrong but I am fairly sure that locations with a Belfast "BT" postcode will likely be in Northern Ireland rather than the Republic of Ireland!!! And most travel agents from Coventry will likely know that!!!

Delete, delete, delete ...

[Samuian]

My DELETE Button is getting red hot these days...!

The first mail had already some spelling mistakes in it - this one "confirm your committement" is good too!

Wonder how many DO respond?

[peter991]

As a hotel manager, I get emails like this on a regular basis. The format is similar - the booking may start normally - requesting a block of rooms (up to 10 rooms) for around 2 weeks. So far, so good.

Then we are informed the account is to be pre-paid by credit card - but the card holder will not be attending. We are also asked to either remit funds back to the sender - or pay for flights or (nowadays, mobile phones) using the credit card.

One person (allegedly an English university profesor) even supplied me with a valid credit card number.

I have a standard response to these emails, which is suggest accommodation providers use:

Politely thank the person for their booking. Inform them that due to the incidence of email and credit card fraud, you are forwarding a copy of their email and your reply to your local Police Department's Fraud Sqaud.

Alternatively, one local hotel here also thanks them for their booking and states that the owner's son just happens to be in their country at the time and will personally meet with them to handle their booking.

Touch wood - to date we haven't had any problems.

Be aware - the latest scammers have even set up very legitimate looking websites - with email addresses, addresses and phone numbers. I encountered an Indonesian travel agency last week - very authentic looking - until a friend in Bali tried to visit the place and found it was a vacant block of land!

Peter

[sonnyJ]

Ask them to send you the passport copies first.

What about W.U. transfer? There will be name passport number and a personal password I believe.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

They keep trying so many must fall for it.

[Samuian]

Here another one this morning in our mail box, haven't seen that yet:

From:

Robert Maxwell <[email protected]>

Sent: Thu Dec 6 22:42

To:

Priority: Normal

Subject:

DINNER BOOKING.

Type: Embeded HTML/Text

Hello,

I am DR. Robert Maxwell from Leiths School of Food and Wine, UK. I want to book Dinnerfor 20 guests from my Department arriving from United Kingdom to your country. We will all come for Dinner on January 23rd, 24th and 25th, 2008 by 8.00pm each day. Get back me with your Menu if there is availability so that I can send our Visa Card details to make a deposit payment.

Dr. Robert Maxwell,

Leiths School of Food and Wine,

21 St Alban's Grove,

London W8 5BP

Email: [email protected]

Christmas Dinner?

[Thaising]

Here another one this morning in our mail box, haven't seen that yet:

From:

Robert Maxwell <[email protected]>

Sent: Thu Dec 6 22:42

To:

Priority: Normal

Subject:

DINNER BOOKING.

Type: Embeded HTML/Text

Hello,

I am DR. Robert Maxwell from Leiths School of Food and Wine, UK. I want to book Dinnerfor 20 guests from my Department arriving from United Kingdom to your country. We will all come for Dinner on January 23rd, 24th and 25th, 2008 by 8.00pm each day. Get back me with your Menu if there is availability so that I can send our Visa Card details to make a deposit payment.

Dr. Robert Maxwell,

Leiths School of Food and Wine,

21 St Alban's Grove,

London W8 5BP

Email: [email protected]

Christmas Dinner?

All these scambag always have new tricks up their sleeve, if we can nail this sucker those innocent victims will be save. It’s good that you share and warn those who are in the hospitality industry.

[mikethevigoman]

Attention!

I am the Reservation and Customer Relations Manger at a Hotel in Thailand/Ko Samui. on October 26 I find the following e-mail in our "contact" mail box from our website...PLEASE read and let me know your opinion if this is a IT fraud attempt!

if so, PLEASE help to forward to as many Hotels, Travel Agents as possible!

(We will forward this e-mail to the CSD Thailand)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------->

From:

(Senders E-mailAddress withheld) [email protected]>

Sent: Fri Oct 19 12:41

To:

(adress withheld!)

Subject:

ACOMMODATION NEEDED...

DEAR SIR/MA,

I WILL LIKE TO KNOW IF YOU CAN ACOMMODATE 5 OF OUR CLIENTS WILLING TO COME TO YOUR COUNTRY FOR RELAXATION AT YOUR HOTEL FROM THE DATES BELOW.

CHECK IN:20th/11/2007

CHECK OUT:31st/11/2007

TYPE OF ROOM: 5 SINGLE ROOMS

GUEST NAMES: MR JOHNSON WILLIAMS

MR SANDRA MARKSON

MR MARK ROBINSON

MR PAUL CARTER

MRS SOLON ANN

KINDLY CONFIRM IF YOU HAVE AVAILABLE ROOMS AND ALSO CAN YOU CONFIRM IF YOU ACCEPT VISA AND MASTER CREDIT CARDS FOR PAYMENTS FOR THE ACCOMODATION AND ALSO WHICH IS THE NEAREST AIRPORT TO YOU.

WARM REGARDS,

GARY BRAY.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------<

Our Answer:

From:

(address withheld)[email protected]>

Sent: Sun Oct 28 13:42

To:

contact@(address withheld).com

Subject:

TOTAL COST NEEDED IN USD...

Dear Sir,

On some reason this mail has only been by today in our mailbox.

I personally have been not in the office since 22nd. Oct. just back

as of today - SORRY for the late reply!

thank you for the request - we can accommodate 5 Persons single rooms.

if there is still interest in the booking, please confirm this request

RESERVATION MANAGER.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<

their response:

Dear Sir (personal Name withheld),

Thanks for your prompt response and the confirmation of the rooms.kindly get back to me with the total cost of the acommodation,airport pickup,breakfast for the five guests and service charges in USD.

As soon as we receive the total cost in USD we will contact Mrs Solon Ann to forward there credit card details along with the authorization letter dully signed by her for the charges of the full payment.

Also,Mrs Solon Ann promised me my own commission too which is 3500usd and she instruct that i should deduct from his credit card that he will be sending to me for the payment of the reservation but i dont have facilities to charge credit cards,so i will send you his credit card details for you to charge the total amount of the Accomodation and also the 3500usd.

Am willing to compensate you with 250usd from my own commission for your effort and western union transfer charges to forward my commission to me,so kindly get back to me with the total cost of the accomodation including the taxes plus my own commission,so that we can proceed with the payment ASAP..

Waiting to read from you soon.

Regards,

Gray Bray

Reservation Manager.

NB:ALSO KINDLY GET BACK TO ME WITH YOUR DIRECT CONTACT MOBILE OR LAND PHONE NUMBER FOR MORE DETAILS

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------<

what do you think, if you read this mail? The first mail reads like any ordinary booking request, but when the 2nd mail came in I immediately thought....

..and noticed the spelling and grammar mistakes?

[/quoteHERES THE BIT I LIKE !,........]Also,Mrs Solon Ann promised me my own commission too which is 3500usd and she instruct that i should deduct from his credit card that he will be sending to me for the payment of the reservation but i dont have facilities to charge credit cards,so i will send you his credit card details for you to charge the total amount of the Accomodation and also the 3500usd.Send me their details , i love winding these people up, ill play their game all the way

[Gravelrash]

I have a real estate agency and have ben getting these as well which I thought were even stranger than some of the mail I get. Thanks for the heads up, to date I have just deleted them as mistakes, didn't know there was a latter angle to it. That explains what that is all about.

[Samuian]

Hi all,

found this one today in our mail box:

Hello Dear,

I will like to make a reservation in your facility for accomodation for my family.we are coming to your country for our Family vacation.Lewis Cole,Mrs Cole(Mark16yrs),

(magie13yrs).

Arrival date:5th of May 2008.

Departure date :14th of May 2008.

Number of nights: 10 nights.

Number of Room: 2DBL.

Type of Room: Double

Number of Guest: 4

confirm availability and get back to me with your rates and total cost so that i can issue you my credit card details for a deposit payment.

Kind Regards, Lewis Cole .

reply:[email protected]

Scam, YES or NO?

My guess is: It is!

[simon43]

If it uses the phrase 'get back to me', then it is almost certainly a scam! This phrase pops up time and time again in scam emails.

Simon

[Samuian]

If it uses the phrase 'get back to me', then it is almost certainly a scam! This phrase pops up time and time again in scam emails.

Simon

As well as other little spelling and orthographic mistakes which are typical for a non native English speaker.... and the @yahoo.gr - its a Greek yahoo address.

[IMA_FARANG]

This is a well-known form of spam. Not new at all.

Just another Phishing scam....trying to get your money.

Not that what follows has anything to do with Thailand in particular.......but could be of value to U.S. retireees living in Thailand I supose. Anyhow, there is a new scam appearing on personal email in the U.S. It is a email from what claims to be the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) claiming you are eligible for the new "economic stimulus" tax refund recently passed by the U.S. senate and signed by president George Bush. It does a phoney calculation based upon an assumed income tax and states that therefore you are eligible for between $500 to $1000 of "tax refund" that will be reurned to you. It gives a pnoney IRS address that you are requested to send your bank data to, so they can send your money to your account by direct deposit. As you probaly guessed, it's just another scam to get your account details. They are targeting retirees, because they know that those on a pension would be most likely to respond to the lure of a little extra money. Of course, this scam has nothing to do with the real IRS or the U.S. government (the government has other, more legal methods, to take your money).

Anyhow, Don't be fooled by this scam.

[0Mix1up]

Pass them on to the scam baiting sites

What some of those guys get the scammers to do is hilarious

"Take photo of you holding a card saying "this is me""

[gunnyd]

Just the fact that someone is offering credit card information up-front before arriving would be setting off atomic powered alarms for me. I don't know about the rest of you but I protect my information going over the net like I protect my privates.

But someone must be falling for this B.S. from these scumbags, otherwise they wouldn't keep trying.

GD