I received an email a few days ago from an individual interested in purchasing a large quantity of videotape. I quickly scanned the email. It was odd, but I just assumed he made an honest mistake. After all, we are a video production company, not a supplier. I responded and recommended a reputable supplier that I have used several times before.
After sending the email, I looked at his original message and read it more carefully. The more I read, the more suspicious it sounded. First, he introduces the email by giving his name, but does not tell me who he works for and what position he holds. Second, he doesn’t seem to know whether I am a video production company or an equipment supplier. If he obtained my email address from my website, then he would easily see that Parc Entertainment is a video production company. Third, if he is a professional in the production industry (as he indicates both from the content of his email and his email address) then surely he would be aware of the production supply businesses that are out there. And finally, there’s something about the way the message reads that throws up a red flag. The grammar isn’t quite right and some words are misspelled. Here’s the original message I received:
GOOD DAY,
I Am …,I Want to Order The Product Bellow.SONY DVCAM TAPE PDV184N …………………….
165UNITSI Will Like You To Get Back To Me Now With The Total Cost Plus Sales Tax.I Will Forward My (Visa Card) or (Master Card) Details For Payment As Soon As You Email Me Quote..
If you don’t have the tapes or you are a video production store,Videographers or photgraphers and you have a supplier that you can help us place a special order overnight and we can offer $3 on each unit for service render fee and make payment upfront before you place the order.We want your store to help us order from any supplier you know because we are busy in our production film field.
Get Back To Me Soonest on email.
Hi Clint,Thanks for your email.I want to know if you can help us place a special order for 165units of sony tapes and we will make payment upfront plus tax and give you extra $3 on each unit for service render fee.Pls render us the favour because we are kinda busy on a film location field.
Clint,I know it will save me money but i will appreciate if you can get us the units through your company and we will keep you in our record for future business on video production contract.
So, what is your verdict? Do you believe this to be a scam?
That’s a total scam, no doubt. If you agreed to do it, then they would probably ask you for your bank account, so they could send the $3 render fee for each unit, and then if someone was stupid enough to give them his/her bank account number, they would promptly drain it. That’s the only way I figure they hope to make money off of this. They try to make it sound like you’re doing them a service at first.
Of course, now I’m wondering how they plan to pay you for the units because if they give you a valid credit card, then you could drain their account, assuming they have a legit account, which they probably don’t.
I would tell them I’m not doing business with them until they learn proper grammar.
I would have been suspicious as well. Some times improper grammar is due to translation issues from foreign languages.
I would have never wanted to put my company on the line with a charge card where I couldn’t verify the owner. Fraud, scam, all the same.
A manufacturing company client of mine got a similar request. An order out of the blue for an unbelieveable quantity of product, paid for by credit card upon ordering. The credit card will process for the entire amount with no problems.
They later found out that it undoubtedly was a scam. What happens is, after the product is shipped – typically to an overseas location – the credit card transaction is rejected after the “buyer” receives the product. You’re out the product, and the money.