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Thread: Just got Scammed; want you to know 'bout it

  1. #16
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
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    Suwanee, Ga
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    372
    Best of luck to ya Bill! Hope you get some REAL orders flowing soon!
    Epilog Fusion M2 40 Watt CO2 Laser

  2. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by Malcolm Schweizer View Post
    The scam is in the shipping. They get you to make the item, then they want you to pay the shipper directly, and add it to their bill. They are using a stolen credit card to pay, and really the shipping company is fake, and they ask you to send the shipping company a money order to pay the shipping. They get the money order, and you get nothing because the card is stolen and eventually Visa takes back the money.
    That's really sneaky and subtle - because you would not suspect the shipping company of drumming up fake business.... And everybody knows the shipping company always gets paid every time because they are just an intermediate service....

    You ship the "buyer" the item and the shipping company gets paid... Then the "buyer" returns the stuff and the shipping company gets paid again.... You end up with your stuff back less 2 rounds of shipping... The credit card company intervenes and takes the money back...

    You are now stuck with a bunch of useless engraved placques... But you would never in a million years consider blaming the shipping company - because that's just part of business.... In the end - you got shafted on shipping costs...
    Last edited by John C Cox; 04-11-2018 at 1:40 PM.

  3. #18
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Stearns View Post
    Hi again -
    The idea that any business, large or small, would pursue this type of obviously fictitious “order” blows me ‘way! - but, apparently, some do.The consensus seems to be that the scammer’s money is made, somehow, from the “shipping charges” ‘n their use of fake checks and/or stolen credit cards.
    When I Googled “Success Shipping Company” - the freight company provided to me - below their site I found the “scam alert” information I mentioned earlier. - might be worth your reading. I'm including the link: https://glassmagazine.com/glassblog/...g-company-scam
    To Malcolm in the Virgin Islands - what’ a small world, uh? - was kinda interesting learning how your roads are named ‘n all. The scammer did e-mail me a “delivery address”, but I don’t feel I should publish it; I don’t want’ a carry this any further. Just hoping there’s a special place in Hades for the people who do this type of thing! All disgustingly sad, ‘cause I could use a (legit) order for 100 plaques ‘bout now! Stay on your toes, everybody!

    Bill
    I agree- not good to post the address publicly in case it is a real address they used at random. Well- next time you get a VI address I am happy to check it out for ya. Glad you were wise. There is a guy here that I only know through another friend- they bought a car on Craigslist and sent him a money order on his promise to ship the car. I think scammers go through hundreds of wise folks before they find that one person who agrees to send the money. Often times these are elderly folks that are taken advantage of. Karma soon come.

    Funny thing- I found this thread by accident. Was thinking about some laser engraving and browsed by curiosity. Small world indeed that it was our tiny islands. I always say- “It’s a small island, and an even smaller world.”

  4. #19
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Rock Hill, SC
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    188
    I’ve got one going right now where the guy wants me to engrave “Happy Birthday Ethan” on 150 beer mugs and 250 plates for his 51 birthday. Wants to pay with CC and wants my address and what bank I’m going to process the card through......yea, ok.

    I told him no CC’s, b/c I know it’s a scam, but he insists on CC. His English and punctuation is terrible. Also, he only responds at night.

    I guess since the plaques weren’t getting the job done, they moved on to plates and cups.

  5. #20
    how many 51 years olds know 250 people who will bother to come to their birthday party?
    ========================================
    ELEVEN - rotary cutter tool machines
    FOUR - CO2 lasers
    THREE- make that FOUR now - fiber lasers
    ONE - vinyl cutter
    CASmate, Corel, Gravostyle


  6. #21
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
    Location
    Washington state
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kev Williams View Post
    how many 51 years olds know 250 people who will bother to come to their birthday party?
    Kinda my thoughts.
    50 is one of the big birthdays with lots of celebrations, 51 is just another nail in the coffin. LOL
    Scott
    Rabbit Laser RL-60-1290, Rotary attachment, Corel Draw x6, Bobcad Ver 27
    Juki-LU 2810-7, Juki 1900 AHS, Juki LU-1508, Juki LH-3188-7, Juki LH 1182
    Sheffield 530 HC webbing cutter

  7. #22
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Location
    Georgia, USA
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    This has been a good thread about paying attention to "red flags". With that said, what do people do to try to protect themselves for large orders that don't put up obvious red flags and are from unknown customers? Tim mentioned, "I verify all large orders, even if prepaid through my website. Even then, if I've had a bad feeling, I'll delay shipping for a week or two to do additional validation." Rich mentioned, "I told him no CC’s, b/c I know it’s a scam". What steps are you doing as additional validation besides looking up addresses and matching to submitted phone numbers or declining rush orders? If you don't take a credit card for an order, what payment gives you more confidence? Surely not a check since those are easy to fake and some banks can claw back funds 30 days or more out from when a check is cashed. Direct bank transfers are expensive in the US and can be clawed back to some degree. PayPal has their seller protection policy which many credit card processors don't offer but PayPal takes a higher chunk in fees. Customers hate the time and hassle of getting a money order.
    700mm x 500mm Ke Hui KH-7050 Laser
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  8. #23
    I would make sure credit card billing and shipping address are the same. If they have provided a CC number, you can verify all pertinent info with the bank the card is issued from.

  9. #24
    Paypal can be your friend here --

    Speaking of scammers and Paypal, I'll be putting this theory to work shortly... to wit:

    About 10 days ago a guy calls me, states his name, says I've done work for him- I remember him, and we have a common friend of over 30 years... The prior work I did was a few name tags, probably less than $25.00...
    He's all excited, as his patent has just come in, he has a bunch of product near finished, and he needs serial numbered stainless ID tags, logo,model, etc, 1x3, he's sent logo and text layout, he needs a dozen prototypes followed by 500 plates to start, and go from there.

    Hey, I love Cermark and stainless, and I love jobs of an ongoing nature, and with semi-retirement looming, this is good news! What could possibly go wrong!?

    -- Common Friend calls, and after asking if 'he' has called me yet; yes-- "Do yourself a favor. Get Paid First". The remaining conversation was to WHY...

    Aggh... sad when your 'friends' may be out to take advantage... SO, I'll be using the 'once we establish a working relationship' talk, and see if he's willing to COD via Paypal for the first few orders...
    ========================================
    ELEVEN - rotary cutter tool machines
    FOUR - CO2 lasers
    THREE- make that FOUR now - fiber lasers
    ONE - vinyl cutter
    CASmate, Corel, Gravostyle


  10. #25
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Suwanee, GA
    Posts
    3,686
    For a first time customer, even a friend of a friend, I'll always ask for payment up front on anything that I need to order materials/supplies to do the job. At a minimum, I'll ask for 50% if it's over $500, 100% if below that. If that puts them off? Then I'll take that as the answer to "am I going to get screwed on this job" and move on to the next one.

    Quote Originally Posted by Kev Williams View Post
    Paypal can be your friend here --

    Speaking of scammers and Paypal, I'll be putting this theory to work shortly... to wit:

    About 10 days ago a guy calls me, states his name, says I've done work for him- I remember him, and we have a common friend of over 30 years... The prior work I did was a few name tags, probably less than $25.00...
    He's all excited, as his patent has just come in, he has a bunch of product near finished, and he needs serial numbered stainless ID tags, logo,model, etc, 1x3, he's sent logo and text layout, he needs a dozen prototypes followed by 500 plates to start, and go from there.

    Hey, I love Cermark and stainless, and I love jobs of an ongoing nature, and with semi-retirement looming, this is good news! What could possibly go wrong!?

    -- Common Friend calls, and after asking if 'he' has called me yet; yes-- "Do yourself a favor. Get Paid First". The remaining conversation was to WHY...

    Aggh... sad when your 'friends' may be out to take advantage... SO, I'll be using the 'once we establish a working relationship' talk, and see if he's willing to COD via Paypal for the first few orders...

  11. #26
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Cape Town, South Africa
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    3,922
    We just insist on a 100% eft payment up front... for any customer... except our largest ones we have been dealing with for years who have account facilities.
    Prior to that we ended up with thousands of $'s in uncollected and unpaid for goods every year
    Rodney Gold, Toker Bros trophies, Cape Town , South Africa :
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    2x Gravo manual engravers , Roland 540 large format printer/cutter. CLTT setup
    1600mm hot and cold laminator , 3x Dopag resin dispensers , sandblasting setup, acid etcher

  12. #27
    It's a shame this is the world we live in - but it has been for a long long time. Your ability to get paid for a job is only as good as your ability to collect from your customer...

    Which is why the vast majority of business is assumed to be conducted as arm's length transactions. And as such - Cash on the Barrel Head or some variation of that was the assumed payment... And for good reason...

    It's critical to put "skin in the game" of the buyer... Invest them in the decision... And having to pay money up front invests them in the rest of their decision making process.....

    So for example - the equipment ID tags... Prototype development costs some $$$ as it often takes a lot of time... And once he gets the tags sorted out by you - he will likely shop them out with other vendors.. Or he may never bring future sales - he may sell the patent once he gets a few working models to shop around..... So charge him a fair price to do the work - then you don't have to worry about "Rolling it into" future business which may never materialize...

  13. #28
    My business has nothing to do with woodworking or making things. We provide phone service for small-medium businesses. To sign up with us, customers pay for the phones, we program them, and they arrive ready to go. We used to do net 30 on the phones, but after a couple of very slow pays and then one no-pay, we get payment first. There are a few partner businesses who send us customers they know well, and in those cases we don't worry about it. But everyone else pays up front. With credit cards easily handled online, there's no excuse. If a business can't even float a few thousand on a card, they are not a good customer.

  14. #29
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Grand Rapids, Minnesota
    Posts
    305
    Hi Gang - I'm the one who started this thread. Just thought I'd let you know, I just got 'hit-up' again this afternoon! This time with an e-mail attachment that I DID NOT OPEN!
    - another one of those "Thanks be to God" plaque requests. - no contact information other than the guy's e-mail to me. I've pasted his e-mail directly following ... 'n have trashed the inquiry ... STAY VIGILANT! - Bill

    Attention,
    My name is Jacob Turkson.I will like to order some plaque,below is the specification of my inquiry:

    Product name :Aluminum or bronze plaques
    Size: 8" x 10" x 3/8
    Quantity:400 pis
    Text Engraving:Thanks be to God

    I want you to quote me the total pick up prices plus tax and also advise me the method of payment you do accept.If you don't have this size or type available,email me with the sizes you have available.Feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.Hope you have a pleasant day.
    (Using Epilog 35W Mini 24)

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