We recently received an enquiry for a reservation later this year for five rooms for three weeks from a place stating that they represented a christian organisation.
A couple of e-mails later and they said that we had been selected as the accommodation. For this, we would of course be looking for a deposit, around 1.000€ and replied saying that this could be paid by credit/debit card or French issued cheque.
Just received a further e-mail saying that they'd be sending us a cheque for 10.000€ from which we should deduct our total charges and forward the balance (around 5.000€) to a car hire firm.
It sounded a bit off at the start but now seems to be screaming SCAM.
Arnold
christian organisation scam
Yep, absolutely -- I'd wager that if you were to respond that you don't accept checks for more than the required balance, the booking would disappear. 
Car hire for 3 weeks for €5000? I think not. Sheesh, these people.
Of course, you could always channel Paul and play around with them for a bit!
Car hire for 3 weeks for €5000? I think not. Sheesh, these people.
Of course, you could always channel Paul and play around with them for a bit!
Brooke
I will let you all know when I have reached that point.I don't get that many, and I count myself lucky! Though it was amusing to receive one in french a month or so ago.
I just worry that the scammers will start getting more clever and it will be harder to sort them out from the real clients. Of course I guess for this type of scam they always have to get you to cash a check for too much money, so as long as you always refuse you're pretty safe.
Though it was amusing to receive one in french a month or so ago. I just worry that the scammers will start getting more clever and it will be harder to sort them out from the real clients. Of course I guess for this type of scam they always have to get you to cash a check for too much money, so as long as you always refuse you're pretty safe.
Brooke
-
Alan Knighting
- Posts: 4120
- Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 7:26 am
- Location: Monflanquin, Lot-et-Garonne, France
-
Alan Knighting
- Posts: 4120
- Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 7:26 am
- Location: Monflanquin, Lot-et-Garonne, France
-
Mimmsy
- Posts: 21
- Joined: Thu Jun 30, 2005 3:21 am
- Location: Kalavasos village, Larnaca District, Cyprus
- Contact:
Time wasters indeed and time is precious. I have been running my site for 11 years now and all this started very recently so I've had to do a lot of learning fast!
They are usually very easy to spot but are becoming more and more of a problem. I must have received dozens since December! If you look at the scam email forum I have posted a very long email about my experiences.
I had a look at your property by the way. It looks very nice
They are usually very easy to spot but are becoming more and more of a problem. I must have received dozens since December! If you look at the scam email forum I have posted a very long email about my experiences.
I had a look at your property by the way. It looks very nice
-
Alan Knighting
- Posts: 4120
- Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 7:26 am
- Location: Monflanquin, Lot-et-Garonne, France
Mimmsy,
This scamming and spamming thing is something relatively new and is something I really don't understand. My view is, it is so obvious that only a moron would fall for it. Is there anything to it other than the possibility of defrauding an imbecile?
Regards
Alan
I am not sure it is my property you are referring to but, if it is, thank you. It is not a property which is easy to portray properly with pictures.I had a look at your property by the way. It looks very nice
This scamming and spamming thing is something relatively new and is something I really don't understand. My view is, it is so obvious that only a moron would fall for it. Is there anything to it other than the possibility of defrauding an imbecile?
Regards
Alan
They're not as easy to spot from the first e-mail these days; the only thing that you can use to clearly distinguish the real from the scam nowadays is that the scam will want to pay in an "unusual" way - generally requiring you to refund an overpayment.
In the past it was a doddle to pick out the frauds as they would be a) using a yahoo/similar return address and b) be for a unusually large party and c) have terrible grammar. But these days a) domain registration is very cheap so they might use a genuine looking e-mail b) they don't always try to rip you off for thousands and thousands and c) the grammar is much better.
On the other side of the coin we have recently received a run of quite genuine bookings that fit the normal scam profile in that they've used a yahoo.com address, been very large bookings and have had awful grammar.
The other worrying thing is that one scam that I received recently appeared to be just wanting to collect IBAN details and didn't involve the duff cheque + "refund" method that's been used up until now.
Arnold
In the past it was a doddle to pick out the frauds as they would be a) using a yahoo/similar return address and b) be for a unusually large party and c) have terrible grammar. But these days a) domain registration is very cheap so they might use a genuine looking e-mail b) they don't always try to rip you off for thousands and thousands and c) the grammar is much better.
On the other side of the coin we have recently received a run of quite genuine bookings that fit the normal scam profile in that they've used a yahoo.com address, been very large bookings and have had awful grammar.
The other worrying thing is that one scam that I received recently appeared to be just wanting to collect IBAN details and didn't involve the duff cheque + "refund" method that's been used up until now.
Arnold
