Felix Bartell - persistent chap !

[bornintheuk]

This started off as an enquiry via Abritel part of Homeaway for 3 weeks in Jan 2016.
The latest email is a gem, how complicated can you make a scam ???
See below:-
"Dear Mrs. xxxxxx, We would'nt want to miss this ! Thank you to keep these booking dates, April 16 to May 7, 2016 (3 weeks) reserved for our vacation to stay in your lovely house with splendid view if the fields & woods from the balcony. I'm a shipbuilder/shipwright. Right now, I'm supervising an engineering job on a cargo ship on the Pacific Ocean, we're repairing JJ SKY CARGO SHIP owned by SHANGHAI JIN JIANG SHIPPING IMO 9347968. I'm currently very busy at the moment due to nature of my job. I want my booking confirmed and the 2484 EUROS ( £1800 ) paid before we arrive. I paid another French landlord whose villa got damaged some days ago: flooding in the villa from an exploded water boiler in the kitchen. The villa will no longer be available to rent for a couple of months to do the repairs/renovations. This is the main reason why we're booking your property now, I hope you understand? They are ready to refund back my total rent with a French cheque from their bank account today. I decided you handle the French cheque as you also live in France. I'm a US Citizen and currently working on the ship in the Pacific; it's advisable I use same money to pay your own rent now. I'm going to instruct the landlord to send the 100% refund to your postal address. Use my full name and family residential address to prepare the rental contract: *NAME: Felix & Patricia BARTELLADDRESS: 28, Muirfield Place, New Orleans, Louisiana 70131, USAPHONE NUMBER: +1 (601) 617-4186NUMBER OF ADULTS: 2 ; CHILDREN: 0E-MAIL: felix.bartell59 @ gmail . com* SEND THE NAME TO BE WRITTEN ON THE FRENCH CHEQUE, YOUR POSTAL ADDRESS AND TELEPHONE NUMBER. Waiting for your response. Best regards, Felix Bartell P.S : I'll send scanned copy of my driver's license when I return to New Orleans. 2015-12-11 9:24 GMT+01:00"

[greenbarn]

Aw - he's put a lot of effort into dreaming that one up. Bless.

[Ecosse]

Aw - he's put a lot of effort into dreaming that one up. Bless.

Indeed - wow! He should be looking for a book deal, not a booking.

[Essar]

I've just registered the film rights - looking for Bruce Willis to star as the investigator and Scarlet Johansson as the Villa owner.

[greenbarn]

I've just registered the film rights - looking for Bruce Willis to star as the investigator and Scarlet Johansson as the Villa owner.

Nah - too many teeth (SJ), and a bit yesterday (BW and SJ).
See if you can get Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence.

[Ecosse]

I've just registered the film rights - looking for Bruce Willis to star as the investigator and Scarlet Johansson as the Villa owner.

Nah - too many teeth (SJ), and a bit yesterday (BW and SJ).
See if you can get Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence.

Nah, can't see Jennifer Lawrence in the starring role... she'd probably shoot the enquirer and then stealthily slip into the ornamental bushes. Then again, could be an interesting twist...

[greenbarn]

I've just registered the film rights - looking for Bruce Willis to star as the investigator and Scarlet Johansson as the Villa owner.

Nah - too many teeth (SJ), and a bit yesterday (BW and SJ).
See if you can get Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence.

Nah, can't see Jennifer Lawrence in the starring role... she'd probably shoot the enquirer and then stealthily slip into the ornamental bushes. Then again, could be an interesting twist...

Okay, compromise - Helen Mirren: "I'm the f***ing Queen you know!"

[kg1]

Boy - gotta give him full marks for effort!

[missmollie]

It seems this chap is still at it. We have exactly the same email arrive this morning but he has changed his name to Greg Warren. We thought it was a rather strange & too good to be true request so we did some detective work and voila. We found this thread. Out of interest did you hear any more from him?

[Sam V]

I've read the same or very similar before in recent months, was it posted here or did I receive a copy, I can't recall, but the convoluted story is very familiar.

[bornintheuk]

It seems this chap is still at it. We have exactly the same email arrive this morning but he has changed his name to Greg Warren. We thought it was a rather strange & too good to be true request so we did some detective work and voila. We found this thread. Out of interest did you hear any more from him?

Not a word, and after all that effort too !

[missmollie]

I have had another email today from him, very chatty and is desperate to send me payment in full by cheque. Not sure how this scam works as he's not asking for any bank details but he does want name & address of where to send said 'cheque'. How do they actually scam you out of your money?
By the way I'm not returning any emails back so he hasn't any information.

[greenbarn]

I have had another email today from him, very chatty and is desperate to send me payment in full by cheque. Not sure how this scam works as he's not asking for any bank details but he does want name & address of where to send said 'cheque'. How do they actually scam you out of your money?
By the way I'm not returning any emails back so he hasn't any information.

For a hot off the press example of how this scam works, have a look at this current thread: viewtopic.php?t=25552

[Essar]

I have had another email today from him, very chatty and is desperate to send me payment in full by cheque. Not sure how this scam works as he's not asking for any bank details but he does want name & address of where to send said 'cheque'. How do they actually scam you out of your money?
By the way I'm not returning any emails back so he hasn't any information.

The cheque will probably be a EuroCheck that will clear in your account; it maybe for a greater amount than you asked for and he will ask you to send the difference to his "accountant" or friend who will be buying car rental. In several months the bank will tell you that the cheque was either fake, stolen or bounced. You lose all the money and he walks away with the over payment. Alternatively, they pay the correct amount and come and stay; the cheques bounces several months later and they get a free holiday. Known as the overpayment scam - search on Google for the term.