Symbolic Wedding - Legit?

Post scam emails to warn other rental owners, or if you are not sure if an enquiry is genuine, put it up here and see what others think.
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Casscat
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Joined: Sat Jul 05, 2014 10:43 pm

Symbolic Wedding - Legit?

Post by Casscat »

This email went straight to spam on Yahoo:

"Hello,
I saw your ad on www.spain-holiday.com and I tried unsuccessfully to contact you trought site.
Me and my fiancee are from UK and would like to have a small symbolic wedding ceremony in a villa/garden.
Would this be possible? The villa is beautiful.
Looking forward hearing from you.
Best regards,
Linda"

Now the 'unable to contact you' might be true as my ad has just expired on Spain-Holiday but I am a little suspicious. If my ad has expired presumably my email address would not show? I know that Spain-Holiday pulled advertiser phone numbers off the site because of an SMS scam, but if my email was shown then surely the online enquiry form could still be used? Anyone else had this same message?
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Cassis
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Location: Normandy/Pays de Loire border
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Post by Cassis »

Depends - is your ad still available and could they have then found your email? If so I would proceed with caution.
Real name Phil
Moved to France in 2004
Likes ducks, nature, gardening, furniture restoration, DIY, rugby, blah, blah.
Marks
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Joined: Mon Nov 06, 2006 10:16 am
Location: Costa Blanca

Post by Marks »

Had exactly the same this morning. Marked it as junk and blocked the email address.
Some guests just need a sympathetic pat. On the head. With a hammer.
Ele
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Joined: Mon Nov 10, 2014 9:26 am
Location: Moraira, Costa Blanca, Spain

Post by Ele »

Had this exact same 'enquiry' too - reported to support at Spain-Holiday as I'm suspicious it's phishing.
Essar
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Post by Essar »

The english grammar is bad; it could be from the latest generation of SMSessers or it could be a non-native speaking scammer - either way do you want them?

Hun, mi 'an mi 'usbandcee are 'avin a weddin' 'an wunder weather u got owt in J-who-lye fer us t'buck? 'Ow mush wil' it cos dus? Ta

More shambolic than symbolic in two ways!
"Write something, even if it's just a suicide note"
"There is no human problem which could not be solved if people would simply do as I advise"
"As for my amnesia, I've had it as long as I can remember"
Real name: Steve
Gender: Male
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Casscat
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Post by Casscat »

I replied, politely, that I had no availability at all for 2016. I have just received this reply:

"Hi again,


I am happy to advise that we successfully decided to book your property.
Please see in the attached reservation request the name of the property, dates, names and phone numbers of our family members so you can edit the booking confirmation properly.
If the dates are booked already please let me know so we can work something out. If something else is needed please advise.
Sincerly

Sent from my iPhone"

The sender is linda.tabor@hotmail.com and the attachments are two Word files (passport.doc and booking.doc) plus a passport PDF which from the preview is Spanish. Suffice to say I have not opened any of these and have no intention of doing so. What version of scam is this? Release a virus via the attachments? Continue the conversation so we get to the classic overpayment story?
Boomhulay
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Post by Boomhulay »

Googling the email addy threw up this.
http://spam-report.email/linda.tabor/hotmail.com

Same cut and paste content, so I'm going to guess scammer.
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Casscat
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Post by Casscat »

Boomhulay, I'd already replied to 'Linda' thus:

"If you think I am going to open your attachments then you must take me for a fool. Your email has been widely published on the internet as a scam (Phishing? Overpayment? Virus infection? Not sure and not intending to find out). Please perpetuate your vile trade elsewhere."

Well it made me feel better even if it won't make 'Linda' think "Do you know what? I now realise how empty and futile my life is so I am going to give up scamming and devote myself to doing good works in the community instead." :P
Boomhulay
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Post by Boomhulay »

A lovely thought, casscat, but, unfortunately, we all know that 'Linda' has many names, is probably a man and is raking in a lot of money from gullible people. :(

I'm on TA and it always amazes me how many people send off money to rent holiday homes from scammers. Just a quick google would tell them the prices are stupidly low and yet they seem to find the scammers websites more frequently than legitimate ones!

I have a constant battle with one scammer who has lifted some pictures and text from my website and keeps putting the same ad on Craigslist. He puts it up, I report it...at least once a month. :roll:

I live in fear that one day someone will turn up thinking they've booked my place, blame me, but have paid Mr Scamface! :shock:
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