Tripadvisor - possible scam enquiry - Anna Parks

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.
Sunbeam
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Location: Spain

Tripadvisor - possible scam enquiry - Anna Parks

Post by Sunbeam »

I don't post very often on this but read the forum avidly and appreciate all the great insight and advice, thank you. Wonder if someone might have some thoughts as to whether this might be a scam enquiry or not.

We received an email via the Tripadvisor messaging system asking us to contact the person directly with their email typed with spaces. We emailed them and they came back a day later with the below message plus two attachments - a PDF and what looks like a photo of an identity card (of a man, though the enquiry name is female) - we haven't clicked on either. Their response seems a bit generic, considering we wrote a personal and considered email to them.

"Hi again,

My apologies for delay in reply.
I am happy to advise that we successfully decided to book your property.
Please see in the attached reservation request the 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"

The email address is "their name"2016 @ outlook.com - so seems like it was created in the last month or so.

Any thoughts much appreciated.
Last edited by Sunbeam on Wed Feb 10, 2016 1:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Marks
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Location: Costa Blanca

Post by Marks »

Phishing attempt.
Some guests just need a sympathetic pat. On the head. With a hammer.
Sunbeam
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Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2015 5:24 pm
Location: Spain

Tripadvisor - annaparks2016@outlook.com

Post by Sunbeam »

Thank you Marks for your reply - we have deleted and will ignore.

The email address is annaparks2016@outlook.com.

We had initially thought they were trying to avoid the £300 plus fee that TA would have charged them if they had booked via the TA booking system.
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Casscat
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Post by Casscat »

The grammar and syntax do not shout 'my name is Anna Parks' frankly. I would have binned the email, attachments and all.
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greenbarn
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Location: The Westmorland Dales, Cumbria

Post by greenbarn »

Casscat wrote:The grammar and syntax do not shout 'my name is Anna Parks' frankly. I would have binned the email, attachments and all.
What Casscat said. Good to hear you didn't fall for it and click on the attachments.
Essar
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Re: Tripadvisor - possible scam enquiry - Anna Parks

Post by Essar »

Sunbeam wrote:I am happy to advise that we successfully decided to book your property.
They have "successfully decided to book"; 8l00d7 marvellous I say, what if they hadn't successfully decided? what if they had JUST decided, would they have been as happy?

Have yet to see a scam where they are just ordinary people (not astronauts or cabbage whisperers) without any issues or crap colleagues who always cock up the issueing of cheques, funny how they are always issued for too much. Have they learnt yet not to use Google translate or their cousin from Borisrovia who works in a pub in Skegness to provide them with a plausible story to tell.

They obviously don't get that most UK travellers just ask "Gor out fer a week in Septemberer I've only got 100 quid like mate"
"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
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greenbarn
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Location: The Westmorland Dales, Cumbria

Re: Tripadvisor - possible scam enquiry - Anna Parks

Post by greenbarn »

Essar wrote:
Sunbeam wrote:I am happy to advise that we successfully decided to book your property.
They have "successfully decided to book"; 8l00d7 marvellous I say, what if they hadn't successfully decided? what if they had JUST decided, would they have been as happy?
You are married aren't you? You do realise the email comes from a person of the female gender? "We successfully decided to book" means that "my husband agreed with me just as I was approaching his dangly bits with a blunt knife". So a success, then.
Although it's still a scam. Even without the cabbage whisperers.
Sunbeam
Posts: 198
Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2015 5:24 pm
Location: Spain

Post by Sunbeam »

Thanks for the feedback - it's our first scam enquiry and our instinct was to bin it, but helpful to confirm. Best wishes
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