Wednesday, December 19, 2012

International shipping scams

This has nothing to do with soap making, but it has everything to do with scammers targeting small businesses like mine.

I regularly receive e-mails from people who want to buy nice quantities of my products, often so that they can sell them in their retail stores.  Sounds great, right?  The most recent one, received 2 days ago, is typical:

Customer #1
From:  synthia shan
Subject line:  I WANT TO ORDER YOUR PRODUCTS
Message: 
Hello,
How're you today? I want to purchase an order from your company to our store in The Netherlands.I want to know if you can ship internationally and also accept credit card as form of payment Await your reply as soon as possible.
Thank you
A similar e-mail received about two weeks earlier:

Customer #2
From:  jordan murray
Subject line:  KOREA ORDER
Message:
Hello,
I will like to order some of your products to be shipped to SOUTH KOREA. I have a shipper that will handle the delivery aspect of the transaction. Kindly get back to me regarding my inquiry and if there is any special pricing i need to know about. i will be sending you my card details for payment. I hope to hear from you as soon as possible.
Shipping Address:
#37340 ,
CHANGCHEON-DONG ,
DAE MUN-KU
City:SEOUL
Postal Code:120180
Country:SOUTH KOREA
Regards.
MURRAY
I must say that including the shipping address was a nice touch.  Gives it an air of legitimacy.

Yet another e-mail received about three weeks before that:

Customer # 3
From:  Mel Mclauren
Subject: 
Inquiry
Message:
Hello Sales Dept,
I want to place an order in your store,and I will like to know if you ship to Kowloon,Japan and my payment will be remitted via Visa/Master Card issued in US bank. So please let me know if you can assist me with the order,and please do not forget to include your website in your reply.Your quick response will be highly appreciated,I will be very glad if you treat this email with good concern.
Regards,
Mel
Note that all involve international shipping.  Note also that all involve payment by credit card. 

Most importantly, however, note that the second customer mentions he has a shipping company that will handle pick-up and delivery.  The other customers did not mention this in their initial e-mails, but after I replied, thanking them for their interest in my products and telling them that unfortunately, I do not ship internationally and only accept credit card payments through my website, here is what they wrote back:

Customer #1
From:  synthia shan
Subject:  Re: I WANT TO ORDER YOUR PRODUCTS
Message:
Davis,
I have a freight forwarder that will come for the pick-up from your exact location after i have placed the order and make the payment. So will take care of the shipping myself.
Thank you
Sincerely
Synthia
Customer #3
From:  Mel Mclauren
Subject:  Re: Inquiry
Message:
Hi,
Thanks for your prompt email,can you make the small quantities of 100 Pieces.I can arrange for shipment in your location who will handle the shipping process to my store in Hong-Kong.
Regards
Mel
(That's odd.  Mel originally wanted to know if I could ship to Kowloon, Japan, and now suddenly it's Hong Kong, China.  But whatever.  Japan, China, South Korea, the Netherlands, Argentina ... all that matters is that it's really far away.)

In a nutshell, here's what happens: the customer cons the business owner into paying the shipping company upfront, often via a Western Union wire transfer, promising that the shipping cost will be included in their payment.  And it is.  But the customer's credit card (or bank check or whatever other form of payment they propose) turns out to be fake or stolen, the shipping company doesn't really exist, and the scammer pockets whatever the business owner paid for overseas shipping.

On the surface, it might seem a no-brainer that there's something fishy* about this. Why would anyone halfway around the world want to order my soaps and pay as much or more for shipping than they're paying for the product itself?  Kind of defies common sense, don't you think?  But if my products were pricier -- let's say I made handcrafted jewelry or clothing with an average price of around $40 or $50 per item -- it might seem more plausible.

So with protecting my fellow crafters and small business owners in mind, here are my rules and observations about international shipping inquiry e-mails:
  • Number one, be immediately skeptical and suspicious about any unsolicited inquiry that involves international shipping.
  • Number two, do not under any circumstances allow the customer to choose or dictate the method of shipping.  
  • Number three, do not ever engage in a business transaction where the buyer proposes to send you credit card information via e-mail.  At best, a buyer who proposes to do this is either naive about the risks or careless about taking them.  As a reputable businessperson, it is your responsibility to counsel the buyer out of such an unwise action, or to simply refuse such a transaction.  At worst, a buyer who proposes to do this is a scammer who doesn't care whether the credit card information is sent securely because the credit card info is stolen. 
  • International shipping scam e-mails are sent from free personal e-mail accounts, not from business or corporate e-mail addresses.  Two of the above came from gmail accounts, the other from a hotmail account.  
  • International shipping scam e-mails almost never mention the name of the store in which they propose to sell your products in the initial contact. And even if they do, they never include a link to it online.  
  • Similarly, they almost never say exactly what they want to buy in the initial e-mail -- just "products," or even more vaguely they'll say they want to make "make a purchase" or "place an order."  The simple reason is that scammers send these e-mails to many different kinds of small businesses, and they can't be bothered with personalizing them all.  Their game is based on quantity, not quality. They will only say what they want to purchase if you respond to their inquiries.
  • Like many other types of scam e-mails, international shipping scam e-mails are typically sprinkled with grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.
In short, rather than being a case of caveat emptor ("let the buyer beware"), international shipping e-mails are a case of caveat venditor: let the seller beware.

You can find a follow up to this entry with more examples of scam e-mails in my blog post International Shipping Scams Part 2.

You can find a real-life example of exactly how one of these shipping scams played out in my blog post International Shipping Scams Part 3.



* One intriguing study (with enough statistical mumbo-jumbo to make your head spin) suggests that online scammers may actually make their e-mails sound fishy on purpose. They're looking for folks who are naive or trusting or gullible, and they don't want to spend days e-mailing back and forth with people who are just going to become suspicious and drop out. So, by making their e-mails just fishy enough that savvier folks recognize them for what they are and simply hit the delete button, scammers effectively get their victims to self-select because the only people likely to respond are the kind of naive or trusting or gullible folks they're after in the first place.

100 comments:

  1. I have just received almost the exact email! At first I thought - How in the world did they find my tiny Website!
    THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR POSTING THIS TOPIC! I thought something was wrong with this order. Can anything be done? Maybe forward all the emails to the US Atty General?

    ReplyDelete
  2. You're welcome, Patti. If this post prevents even one person from thinking that these scam e-mails might be legitimate, I'm happy!

    You can report e-mails like this to the Federal Trade Commission by forwarding them to spam@uce.gov. You can find full instructions on how to do this by clicking on "Report Spam" at the top of this webpage:
    http://www.onguardonline.gov/articles/0038-spam/#report

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much. I'm glad your blog post came up on top when I searched for Emily's store in Belgium.

      Delete
  3. Thanks so much for all this information. I have received similar emails, and this blog confirms my suspicions about these "orders."
    Joanne at Twilight Candle Shop

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ug. This EXACT thing happened to me last winter and I fell for it and lost $6000+ at the end. I've been trying to educate small business owners since.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Very, very sorry to hear you that you got scammed, Margot. But very glad to hear you're doing the same thing I am: trying to educate other small business owners about scammers that target them precisely *because* they are small businesses owners who are eager to make sales but not yet savvy enough to distinguish real potential customers from fake ones. Thanks and keep up the good work!

      Delete
  5. Yes, the newest name is Amelia Faas e-dress evergreenstoreltd@gmail.com
    I have a smart friend who knew to check with her experienced friend.
    Two sentences into the conversation I know.
    google keywords are:
    Amelia Faas evergreenstoreltd@gmail.com

    Keep adding the names and e-dresses here.... any "search" will find these pages.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thank you for posting this information. Being a small business owner, I was very skeptical with multiple e-mails regarding this. I have found that out of the three I have received in the past month, they all come from gmail accounts and constantly use 'enquiry' vs inquiry. Another popular comment is: " I am Lori Cahill,an American ,i own a store in Switzerland, i will like to know if you can ship to Switzerland and accept US issued credit card as payment ? "

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I just received the same email from this email:
      loricahill231@gmail.com
      with the following content, exactly the same message as the one above:

      Hello,
      I am Lori Cahill,an American ,i own a store in Switzerland, i will like to know if you can ship to Switzerland and accept US issued credit card as payment ? , concerning the shipping,i have a shipper that you will contact regarding shipping , they will pick up the items and deliver directly to my store doorstep without hassle and i will also like to know the types of credit card you accept.Let me know if i am welcome to place an order.


      Thanks
      Lori

      Delete
    2. I received an inquiry with this reference too. It seems serious but I am wondering if anyone truly discovered this as a scam?

      Delete
  7. Thanks so much for your comment. If you still have the e-mail addresses that were used, please consider posting them in a follow-uo blog comment. One of the ways many people have found this blog and all of the great information provided by commenters is by searching the Internet on the name(s) and e-mail address(es) used by this scamming outfit. Both change constantly, and having current information is key in keeping this info up-to-date for the benefit of other small-business scam targets!

    ReplyDelete
  8. FYI - Amelia Faas e-dress evergreenstoreltd@gmail.com - Just hit me up through email today also. I'm from Australia and own an online store. Upon enquiry to her and stating we do not ship overseas, she insisted that she had a freight forwarder. After googling and coming across your site, I then emailed her and said until you provide me with proof of business, trading details and details of payment so they could be checked, I won't be sending anything.
    I don't think she will reply lol

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hello,
    I totally feel like an idiot because I just sent off an item yesterday to Ghana, assuming that this person was actually legitimate. In fact, he/she wasn't. Now I'm trying to intercept my item, but cannot because it is on it's way to the other country. Is there a way I can possibly stop it from reaching the clutches of my scammer? This seriously is not cool.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm very sorry to hear that you were targeted by one of these scammers. I don't know whether there's anything you can do at this point...

      Delete
  10. Hi,

    I have just been "negotiating" with a similar scammer. His name may be Martin Andres, Company Name: Andres Store Ltd
    435 Panayiotis Tsggaris Street,
    Yermasogeia, Limassol 4047 Cyprus
    Phone :+0035725331809

    Needles to say all this information is false based on on internet checks.

    I always engage with scammers like this and keep them talking for as long as possible. If while they are talking to me they have less time to suck in more gullible people then good oh! You should do so too as it must p**s them off wasting a lot of time! :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for your contribution. And was the e-mail address something like andresstoreltd@gmail.com ... ? I have done the same thing for the same reason -- the more time they waste on me, the less time they have to spend targeting others who might not realize who they're actually dealing with. But I haven't been getting as many of these as I used to, for whatever reason.

      Delete
  11. Also goes by: Mandy Harrison
    email: mandystore1982@hotmail.com which seems to be a forward from evergreenstoreltd@gmail.com

    Also: was prefixed with a dodgy user registration on our online store. The product list they wanted to purchase was an alphabetically list from the product search.

    The store address details didn't match the phone prefix in the Netherlands. i.e. Found store supposedly adjacent to address, It's phone number prefixed matched the numbering prefix plan in the Netherlands, whilst the prefix supplied was elsewhere in the country... opps.

    I believe we received from the same person using evergreenstoreltd@gmail.com, except with a new persona.

    Happy ignoring scammers!

    Other email info below: for the search engines to index :D

    Thanks for your message. Find below the information below :
    First Name: MANDY
    Last Name: HARRISON
    Title: OWNER
    Company: MANDYH STORE LTD.
    Tax ID: NL386566723B27
    Phone: +31 20 001 3029
    Street: NIEUWESTA 123D
    City: LEEUWARDEN
    Country: NL
    Postal Code: 8911 CP
    E-mail: mandystore1982@hotmail.com
    Website: Our website is under construction.
    Type of store : Brick and Mortar
    How long has the business been operational? : 8 Months Marketing plan for distribution of the product range : Planning to distribute nationwide.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Great detective work! Thanks sharing all that you discovered. Search engines index blog comments as readily as they do blog posts, so all of this will now be out there for anyone to find. Good job and great contribution.

      Delete
  12. Thanks! I was "negotiating" with that Mandy Harrison too. Today I received so many emails that the transaction must be done today. Thanks God the credit card app that I was going to use, do the research before approve the transaction of the false credit card they give it to me.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Thank you so much for your blog. I have a small business and received a very large order from Mandy Harrison in the Netherlands. After I researched her name and her Netherland's address, I came to your site. Once I read your commentary and all the comments, I responded back with "it will cost $260,000.00 and once the cash is safe in my bank, then we will ship out. I do not accept credit cards". They ordered about $4,000 in product. I will be forwarding Mandy Harrison's email info to the gov address you supplied above. People helping people. I love it!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I found this site by Googling the Tax ID #- here's the email I received:

    Hello Katrina,
    Thanks for your message. Find below my the details requested.

    First Name: ANDREA
    Last Name: HENDERSON
    Title: OWNER
    Company: SHOPPE FOR YOU STORE.
    Tax ID: NL386566723B27
    Phone: +31 20 001 3029
    Street: STOKSTRAAT 13D
    City: MAASTRICHT
    Country: NL
    Postal Code: 6211 GB
    E-mail: shoppe4yu@gmail.com
    Website: We're new and just springing up, we don't have a website yet. But we're in the process of expand to other parts of the world in the near future where we can have our website up and running.
    Type of store : Brick and Mortar
    How long has the business been operational? : 8 Months

    Hope to read back from you with the total cost my order and we can proceed and finalized my order.

    God bless you,

    ReplyDelete
  15. I've been receiving these for a while - knew it was a scam, just didn't know the nature of it. Who would this kind of phishing be reported to?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. One option for reporting is the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), which can be accessed here:
      http://www.ic3.gov/complaint/default.aspx
      (If this doesn't show up as a link, just copy and paste the URL into your browser's address bar.)
      You can also report scam e-mails by forwarding them to the Federal Trade Commission at spam@uce.gov.

      Delete
  16. Andrea Henderson - Holland - BIG SCAM!!! - STAY AWAY!!!

    GOT AN EMAIL ABOUT AN ORDER FROM THIS PERSON.

    Hello,
    Thanks for your reply back. Its a pleasure receiving your reply back. I want to order for the below items for my customer's here, I want you to reply back with the total cost plus shipping quote. We're ready and can't wait to receive these wonderful products if yours here.
    Your utmost reply back with the total quote will be highly appreciated.


    THE ITEMS I'M IN INTERESTED IN ORDERING FOR IS LISTED BELOW AND ALSO MY ADDRESS FOR THE SHIPPING QUOTE::::

    Jazzy Oatmeal and honey exfoliator
    QTY..................... 48

    Jazzy 70/30 Coconut oil and Olive
    QTY..................... 48

    Jazzy Cinnamint soap
    QTY..................... 48

    Rain tree soap (Gliricidia)
    QTY..................... 48

    Jazzy pumpkin puree with Shea
    QTY..................... 48

    Jazzy natural Papaya toning soap
    QTY..................... 48

    Real Aloe Vera Soap
    QTY..................... 48

    SVG Volcanic Rock (pumice) Soap
    QTY..................... 48


    ...ADDRESS FOR THE SHIPPING QUOTE........

    Stokstraat 13d,
    6211 GB
    Maastricht,
    The Netherlands.

    Find below more information about my store.

    Company: SHOPPE FOR YOU STORE.
    Tax ID: NL386566723B27
    Phone: +31 20 001 3029
    Street: STOKSTRAAT 13D
    City: MAASTRICHT
    Country: NL
    Postal Code: 6211 GB
    Website: We're new and just springing up, we don't have a website yet. But we're in the process of expand to other parts of the world in the near future where we can have our website up and running.
    Type of store : Brick and Mortar
    How long has the business been operational? : 8 Months

    Hope to read back from you with the total cost and we can proceed and finalized my order.

    God bless you,

    Andrea.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I received the exact same email a couple days ago! (November 2015) She wanted me to ship to Spain. The customer was very insisting and pushy and her behavior did not make sense. She was ready to spend $800 for an order worth $750....
      WATCH OUT FOR MELISSA HARROP AND HER EMAIL ADRESS: shinningbuttllc01@gmail.com
      !!! She is a scammer!


      On Nov 2, 2015, at 7:06 AM, MELISSA HARROP wrote:

      Hello,
      Thanks for your reply back. Its a pleasure receiving your reply back. I will like to order for the below items for my customer's here, I want you to reply back with the total cost plus shipping quote. We're ready and can't wait to receive these wonderful products if yours here.
      Your utmost reply back with the total quote will be highly appreciated.

      THE ITEMS I'M IN INTERESTED IN ORDERING FOR IS LISTED BELOW AND ALSO MY ADDRESS FOR THE SHIPPING QUOTE::::

      Organic Soap Bali - Lavender
      QTY::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::12

      Organic Soap Bali - Vanilla Clove
      QTY::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::12

      Organic Soap Bali -Chempaka Flower
      QTY::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::12

      Organic Soap Bali - Jasmine
      QTY::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::12

      Happy Feet Pumice, Brush & Organic Soap
      QTY::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::12

      Flower pumice, brush & soap
      QTY::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::12

      I love you Pumice, Brush & Organic Soap
      QTY::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::12

      Seaside Pumice Gift Set - Fair Trade Certified
      QTY::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::12

      Vetiver Tassel Cream
      QTY::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::12

      Vetiver Tassel Olive
      QTY::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::12

      ADDRESS FOR THE SHIPPING QUOTE::::
      Address: 200, 9 Calle San Mateo,
      ZIP: 28004
      CITY: Madrid,
      COUNTRY: Spain.

      Hope to read back from you with the total cost and we can proceed and finalized my order.
      God bless you,
      Melissa.

      Delete
  17. Yep, they got me too--thank heaven's for your post! I started thinking it was a bit fishy (phishy?) earlier, when they were so adamant about getting a total, and the order would be over $2k. As much as I'd like that to have been true, I agree with posters above, that I was surprised someone found my site. Here's the email, which I did report to spam@uce.gov:
    "Hello Alicia ,

    Thanks for your reply back. Its a pleasure receiving your reply back. I
    want to order for the below items for my customer's here, I want you to
    reply back with the total cost plus shipping quote. We're ready and can't
    wait to receive these wonderful products if yours here.
    Your utmost reply back with the total quote will be highly appreciated.
    1st chakra (Muladhara) - Grounding
    Size:2 Oz.
    QTY.....................22

    2nd chakra (Swadhistana) – Calming
    Size:2 Oz.
    QTY.....................22

    3rd chakra (Manipura) – Strength
    Size:2 Oz.
    QTY.....................22

    4th chakra (Anahata ) – Tranquility
    Size:Dram
    QTY.....................25

    5th chakra (Vissudha) - Clear Voice
    Size:Dram
    QTY.....................25

    6th chakra (Ajna) – Clarity
    Size: 2 Oz.
    QTY.....................22

    7th chakra (Sahasrara) – Uplifting
    Size:Dram
    QTY.....................25

    Aura Roll-on *Intuition*
    QTY.....................22

    Aura Roll-on *Cleansing*
    QTY.....................22

    Aura Roll-on *Balance*
    QTY.....................22


    ADDRESS FOR THE SHIPPING QUOTE........
    Rue des Moissonneurs 22 1040 Etterbeek, Belgium

    Hope to read back from you with the total cost and we can proceed and
    finalized my order.

    God bless you,
    Mandy Harrison"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was just contacted too. Same address, different name.
      Name is Cindy Megane. Thank you so much for posting!

      Delete
    2. We just got a Cindy Megane, as well! Same ship-to address as the email above. SMH.

      Delete
    3. We did as well just now. They only wanted 12 products per line item from us though lol.

      Delete
    4. Hello everyone, we got the same email and also it was from Cindy Megane as well, shipping address was the same as above:
      Rue des Moissonneurs 22 1040 Etterbeek, Belgium

      "she" said that they would use the following shipper:
      zimsintegratedshippingserviceltd@outlook.com

      Pretty clever since Zim is an actual real company that does international shipping (of containers not packages).

      This is an obvious scam when the Zim email is a free outlook email account but I am glad you posted this blog just to confirm...

      I was wondering how they were going to get money out of me - as I am a seller. Now I see that they ask you to pay shipping fees via Western union which no one should ever use for any purpose!!!!

      I may string them along a little just for fun.

      Delete
    5. Yep Cindy Megane sent me one to. Cindy really is busy.

      On the upside I like the idea of Alicia's soaps each one for a chakra.

      Delete
  18. Thanks a lot mate!!!
    You saved me from this F+#!ing Andrea Henderson....
    Thanks God I was curious about looking for information of their "store" in Netherlands...
    Have a great day!!!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Be careful of George Henry Of The G & H Co.
    Product to be shipped to :
    Jane Smith
    15 AVE Lamartiniere
    Port-au-Prince,HT6110
    Haiti.
    Now why would they want my tiny shop to build huge crane mats to send to Haiti?
    Thank you for your blog. I hope no one falls for the George Henry scam, either.
    If the profit is too good to be true......

    ReplyDelete
  20. Thank you for this post. Something didn't feel right when I received this message:

    Hello,
    I want to place an order from you to our store in The Netherlands. I want to know if you can ship here and accept MASTER OR VISA CREDIT CARD as a form of payment. Reply back asap.
    Thanks

    Andrea Henderson
    shoppe4yu@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I got this EXACT email today as well. Must be doing the rounds.

      Delete
  21. Another email from ANDREA HENDERSON

    I received this email yesterday and should have checked here before I spent hours into the late night and a call during the day to Australia Post ajusting my postage rules to accomodate my so called 'big' order. I had forgotten the emails I used to receive over a year ago that were similar and even received a telephone call. I wonder if it's got anything to do with the new website I started. I hate to think.

    I always insist they go through Paypal and they tend to crawl back under their rock after that. A cruel scam.

    Hello,
    I want to place an order from you to our store in The Netherlands. I want to know if you can ship here and accept MASTER OR VISA CREDIT CARD as a form of payment. Reply back asap.
    Thanks

    Andrea Henderson
    shoppe4yu@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  22. I JUST received the same email as Heavenly Soaps did! Ooohh my! My husband was especially leery about such an order (He's got good gut feelings. Lol!)

    Thank you so very, very much for saving me from this scam. I will share this post with everyone I know. All the best to you and your wonderful soaps.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Andrea must be very busy. I got the same email from her too.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Same here! from that ANDREA HENDERSON today. Thank you for this post!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Just got an Andrea Henderson email today. Thank god for this blog and doing my homework...

    ReplyDelete
  26. I also received an e-mail from Andrea Henderson from the same address in The Netherlands. She wanted 10 of 8 items. I hand make every item from scratch, so this saved me a lot of wasted time and energy and expense. Thanks for posting these scammers. I absolutely detest these false business people.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As do I, Maureen. Very glad that my blog and all the wonderful contributors to it helped to save you time, money, regret, heartache, and all the other unpleasant things you'd have experienced if you'd fallen for the scam.

      Delete
  27. Thanks so much for this blog, I also received an email from Andrea Handerson!! I'm so glad I searched google for any information regarding this 'person' and 'email' name before proceeding and spending time on this order.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Thank you everyone for sharing their experiences above. As I am also a small business owner/operator, eager to receive international orders, a Google search led me to this page. I have recently received a suspicious order from 'Mandy Harrison' with the exact verbage many of you have already posted...




    Thanks for your reply back. Its a pleasure receiving your reply back. I want to order for the below items for my customer's here, I want you to reply back with the total cost plus shipping quote. We're ready and can't wait to receive these wonderful products if yours here.
    Your utmost reply back with the total quote will be highly appreciated.


    3XLarge, Black
    QTY.....................10

    Black, XLarge
    QTY.....................10

    3XLarge, Black
    QTY.....................10

    Tote Bag
    QTY.....................10

    Black, XLarge
    QTY.....................10

    Black, XLarge
    QTY.....................10

    Hat,
    QTY.....................10

    - Black, XLarge
    QTY.....................10

    - Black, XLarge
    QTY.....................10

    - Black, 2XLarge
    QTY.....................10

    - White, XLarge
    QTY.....................10


    ADDRESS FOR THE SHIPPING QUOTE........
    Rue des Moissonneurs 22 1040 Etterbeek, Belgium

    Hope to read back from you with the total cost and we can proceed and finalized my order.

    God bless you,
    Mandy Harrison

    ReplyDelete
  29. I've just received the following email to my online Australian store.

    Hello,
    I want to place an order from you to our store in The Netherlands.I want to know if you can ship here and accept credit card as a form of payment.
    Reply back asap
    Thanks
    Olivia Hanesson

    This email is been sent by Olivia Hanesson (email. cloudysunolive@outlook.com).

    ReplyDelete
  30. I just received similar emails from Mandy Harrison and *almost* fell for it. Thank God I did a google search and found this blog!

    ReplyDelete
  31. I just received an email through my contact us form on my business website:

    Email: cloudysunolive@outlook.com

    Name: Olivia Hanesson

    Address: 5ghghghhg, vbbv, dfdfddf, california 90001 usa

    Message: Hello,
    I want to place an order from you to our store in The Netherlands.I want to know if you can ship here and accept credit card as a form of payment.
    Reply back asap
    Thanks
    Olivia Hanesson

    ReplyDelete
  32. I knew this email was too good to be true. Here's a similar message with the same shipping address....

    Thanks for your reply back . Its a pleasure receiving your reply back. I want to order for the below items for my customer's here, I want you to reply back with the total cost plus shipping quote. We're ready and can't wait to receive these wonderful products of yours here.
    Your utmost reply back with the total quote will be highly appreciated.

    INTERESTED ITEMS LISTED BELOW AND ADDRESS FOR SHIPPING QUOTE:

    D-RING FRINGE NECKLACE
    QTY...........................2

    JADE DRAGON & PHEONIX TOTEM
    QTY...........................2

    WINGED JASPER NECKLACE
    QTY...........................1

    TURQUOISE JASPER NECKLACE
    QTY...........................1

    LG TURQUOISE DEER TOTEM
    QTY...........................1

    JADE DREAM CATCHER
    QTY...........................1

    MONDO NECKLACES - COBALT
    QTY...........................1

    ACCORDION NECKLACE - ZEBRA
    QTY...........................1

    CLAVICLE NECKLACE
    QTY...........................1

    LG TURQUOISE DREAM CATCHER
    QTY...........................1

    MANILLA DREAM CATCHER
    QTY...........................2

    DEER JAWBONE TOTEM
    QTY...........................2

    ADDRESS FOR THE SHIPPING QUOTE........
    Rue des Moissonneurs 22 1040 Etterbeek, Belgium
    Hope to read back from you with the total cost and we can proceed and finalized my order.
    God bless you,
    Cindy Megane

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I got almost this exact email. I sent the invoice and she asked me to contact her shipper I told her we only ship through US postal service because I was very skeptical, thank God! Thank you all for sharing your stories, I googled and found this right away.

      Delete
  33. I received the exact same first email and the response as many of the above. I knew the first one was fishy, but wanted to hear more. I haven't yet decided whether or not to continue the conversation. My 21 year old son is begging me to allow him to follow up with this guy. LOL.

    Mine came from:
    Jacob Egbert
    Hoofdstraat 90A,
    8162 AD,
    Epe,
    The Netherlands.
    eva4realstore@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm with your son 100%! Lead these jerks on as long as possible just for the fun of it, and because the more time they spend trying to scam you, the less time they have to scam other folks. Absolutely let him do it! :-)

      Delete
  34. I've been getting these kinds of emails for years, and although I could tell that they weren't legitimate, I could not work out until recently, just how the scam actually worked - I didn't know about the paying shipping up front part. :)

    I run a small hobby shop (model railways) in rural Australia. I do ship internationally, but legitimate customers at least tell me which products they want. I find it amusing that these scammers will almost always ask for my website so that they may place an order. Ummm! I wonder how they got my email address from whatever country they claim to be from if they didn't already have my website? :)

    ReplyDelete
  35. I just received this gem:

    Name: William Jane

    Email: wjstore16@gmail.com

    "Hello,

    I want to place an order from you to our store in The Netherlands. I want to know if you can ship here and accept credit card as a form of payment. Reply back asap. Thanks."

    Too bad they're not in the Netherlands. This is the info that I pulled up:

    IP Address: 41.190.2.163
    Provider: Emts-nigeria-as
    Country: Nigeria
    Continent: Africa
    City: Lagos
    State Lagos (05)

    I'm not going to bother to respond to this person. I have received a similar email from someone else and I didn't reply to them either.




    ReplyDelete
  36. Here is my scam email for you to see!

    Hello,

    Thanks for your reply back . Its a pleasure receiving your reply back. I want to order for the below items for my customer's here, I want you to reply back with the total cost plus shipping quote. We're ready and can't wait to receive these wonderful products of yours here.
    Your utmost reply back with the total quote will be highly appreciated.

    INTERESTED ITEMS LISTED BELOW AND ADDRESS FOR SHIPPING QUOTE:

    Meekness Soap
    QTY...........................30

    Meekness Soap
    QTY...........................30

    Sisal Pouch
    QTY...........................30

    Ramie Pouf
    QTY...........................30

    Dry Brush
    QTY...........................30

    Chai Tea Soap
    QTY...........................30

    Go Get Em’ Soap
    QTY...........................30

    Temperance Soap
    QTY...........................30


    ADDRESS FOR THE SHIPPING QUOTE........
    Rue des Moissonneurs 22 1040 Etterbeek, Belgium
    Hope to read back from you with the total cost and we can proceed and finalized my order.
    God bless you,
    Cindy Megane

    ReplyDelete
  37. Form Response Notification
    The following form has been submitted from your website http://burncandlesformen.webs.com/:

    Name : Hannes Arne
    Email Address : sweetbodystore@hotmail.com
    Message : Hello
    I want to place an order from you to our store in The Netherlands. I want to know if you can ship here and accept MASTER OR VISA CREDIT CARD as a form of payment. Reply back asap.
    Thanks
    Hannes Arne


    ReplyDelete
  38. I was contacted by these people yesterday. Supposedly shipping to Madrid. Her name is Melissa and her email is shinningbuttllc01@gmail.com The emails were word for word the same as others I have found through googling. So thankful you all have posted to help prevent others like me from falling for this scam!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I received the exact same email here from Melissa Harrop in Madrid. Her email address is shinningbuttllc01@gmail.com. Thank you for your post!

      Delete
    2. Same here! Melissa Harrop from Madrid contacted me for a big order. on November 2nd...So thankful for all your post and nit falling for this scammer!
      Hello,
      Thanks for your reply back. Its a pleasure receiving your reply back. I will like to order for the below items for my customer's here, I want you to reply back with the total cost plus shipping quote. We're ready and can't wait to receive these wonderful products if yours here.
      Your utmost reply back with the total quote will be highly appreciated.

      THE ITEMS I'M IN INTERESTED IN ORDERING FOR IS LISTED BELOW AND ALSO MY ADDRESS FOR THE SHIPPING QUOTE::::

      Organic Soap Bali - Lavender
      QTY::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::12

      Organic Soap Bali - Vanilla Clove
      QTY::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::12

      Organic Soap Bali -Chempaka Flower
      QTY::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::12

      Organic Soap Bali - Jasmine
      QTY::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::12

      Happy Feet Pumice, Brush & Organic Soap
      QTY::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::12

      Flower pumice, brush & soap
      QTY::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::12

      I love you Pumice, Brush & Organic Soap
      QTY::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::12

      Seaside Pumice Gift Set - Fair Trade Certified
      QTY::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::12

      Vetiver Tassel Cream
      QTY::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::12

      Vetiver Tassel Olive
      QTY::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::12

      ADDRESS FOR THE SHIPPING QUOTE::::
      Address: 200, 9 Calle San Mateo,
      ZIP: 28004
      CITY: Madrid,
      COUNTRY: Spain.

      Delete
    3. Thank you! We were contacted by this person too! Except it just said Melissa, and asked if we ship to their store in "The Spain". But the same email address was used. I mean shinning butt really?

      Delete
  39. Thanks for this article. I received a similar email this week, and it is nearly identical to Cynthia above. At first I was suspicious but thought possibly it could be valid. After 3 email exchanges, and google searches for the company name, signer's name, and shipping company name came up empty, I started googling "fraud in Belgium", etc. I came upon your blog post and am very grateful to confirm my suspicions before I wasted anymore time on this.

    The signer's name is Emily Albert. Email address is emmystoresllc@outlook.com. Address for shipping is Frankrijklei 114,
    Antwerp,
    Antwerpen,
    BELGIUM.
    2000.

    The shipping company she told me to contact is SPEEDANDFASTFREIGHTINC@GMAIL.COM

    Thanks again for your post and I hope the details I've provided help others as well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much for providing all the details! That really helps to make information about all this easier for other people who are targeted by these scammers to find -- the names of the "customers" change, the email addresses change, the name of the shipping company changes, the shipping address changes, etc., etc., etc. Having the most recent fake information is a huge help -- thank you!

      Delete
    2. Thanks for all your posts. We received this scam. We came upon your blog post and are very grateful to confirm our suspicions before we wasted anymore time. Thank you again.

      Hello,

      Thanks for your reply back. Its a pleasure receiving your reply back. I will like to order for the below items for my customer's here, I want you to reply back with the total cost plus shipping quote. We're ready and can't wait to receive these wonderful products of yours here.
      Your utmost reply back with the total quote will be highly appreciated.

      INTERESTED ITEMS IN ORDERING FOR AND MY ADDRESS FOR SHIPPING QUOTE...


      Various Guest Soaps - 200g packs wrapped in a band of beautiful handmade paper
      QTY...........................15 packs

      Face Cream, Eye Cream & Serum - 15ml -
      QTY...........................15 packs

      Body Moisturiser - 100ml
      QTY...........................15 packs

      Natural Washing Powder -
      QTY...........................15

      For Him or Her - A Peppermint & Spearmint Shaving and Footscrub with Pumice Combo,
      QTY...........................15

      What about a Christmas Soap Train ..... each carriage a different essential oil /clay mix
      QTY...........................15

      Christmas Stars and Gingerbread men on ropes
      QTY...........................15

      Presenting a choice of 2 Christmas Soap Boxes
      QTY...........................15 packs


      ....ADDRESS FOR THE SHIPPING QUOTE....

      Rue de la Bienvenue,
      Brussels.
      1070.

      Hope to read back from you with the total cost and we can proceed and finalized my order.
      Thanks and God bless you.
      Emily Albert.

      Delete
    3. Thank you for your posts - great not to have to waste any more time on these scammers. Appreciate your help thank.

      Hello
      Thanks for your reply back. Its a pleasure receiving your reply back. I will like to order for the below items for my customer's here, I want you to reply back with the total cost plus shipping quote. We're ready and can't wait to receive these wonderful products of yours here.
      Your utmost reply back with the total quote will be highly appreciated.

      INTERESTED ITEMS IN ORDERING FOR AND MY ADDRESS FOR SHIPPING QUOTE...


      Various Guest Soaps - 200g packs wrapped in a band of beautiful handmade paper
      QTY...........................15 packs

      Face Cream, Eye Cream & Serum - 15ml -
      QTY...........................15 packs

      Body Moisturiser - 100ml
      QTY...........................15 packs

      Natural Washing Powder -
      QTY...........................15

      For Him or Her - A Peppermint & Spearmint Shaving and Footscrub with Pumice Combo,
      QTY...........................15

      What about a Christmas Soap Train ..... each carriage a different essential oil /clay mix
      QTY...........................15

      Christmas Stars and Gingerbread men on ropes
      QTY...........................15

      Presenting a choice of 2 Christmas Soap Boxes
      QTY...........................15 packs


      ....ADDRESS FOR THE SHIPPING QUOTE....

      Rue de la Bienvenue,
      Brussels.
      1070.

      Hope to read back from you with the total cost and we can proceed and finalized my order.
      Thanks and God bless you.
      Emily Albert.

      emmystoresllc@outlook.com

      Delete
    4. I got one from this person today!! so they are still at it.
      I'm reporting the email.
      I am so glad I googled her name

      Delete
    5. Thank you so very much for posting this! I received the same email as above.

      Delete
    6. I received one from this Emily person today as well and found this thread just by googling the email address. Thank you for sharing this blog post and for everyone's comments!

      Delete
    7. We were contacted by Emily Albert today.
      Hello,
      Thanks for your reply back regarding my order,I really appreciate you getting back to me.
      We have experienced lots of difficulties when it comes to receiving shipment to our address here in The Belgium, We're located in a very remote area of the city, which cause us a lot of hindrance in receiving shipment in the past. I want you to contact my shipper which i use every time i purchase order worldwide via the below e-mail address about my order SPEEDANDFASTFREIGHTINC@GMAIL.COM with the weight and dimension inclusive the value for insurance quoting,my customer ID #YZ24742955QPR. They will deliver the shipment to me door to door,their cost will include the custom clearance and handling cost with my order. They will come pick my order up at your location when the shipment is ready. I will need you to obtain a quote and tell them that i want to Insure the package and I will like you to get back to me with overall cost of the items with the details from my shipper.
      Imeediately i have these details, I will get back to you with my credit card details immediately for payment.
      Thanks and God Bless,

      Warm Regards,
      Emily Albert.

      Delete
    8. Hello,

      Thanks for your reply back. Its a pleasure receiving your reply back. I will like to order for the below items for my customer's here, I want you to reply back with the total cost plus shipping quote. We're ready and can't wait to receive these wonderful products of yours here.
      Your utmost reply back with the total quote will be highly appreciated.

      INTERESTED ITEMS IN ORDERING FOR AND MY ADDRESS FOR SHIPPING QUOTE...

      Clone Club Mug Made To Order Orphan Black Fan Mug Symmetrical Pottery
      QTY...............................................................5

      Shaving Bowl Made To Order Rust Brown Sheet Metal Shaving Bowl by Symmetrical Pottery
      QTY...............................................................5

      Dog Treat Jar Made To Order Curls Treat Jar By Symmetrical Pottery
      QTY...............................................................5

      Personalized Spiky Dog Bowl Single
      Non Personalized 5" Bowls
      QTY...............................................................5

      Shaving Bowl Made To Order Orange Dottie Shaving Bowl by Symmetrical Pottery
      QTY...............................................................5

      Dog Treat Jar Patina Brown Spiky Collared "Baxter"
      QTY...............................................................5

      Shaving Bowl Made To Order Starry Night Dottie Shaving Bowl by Symmetrical Pottery
      QTY...............................................................5

      Spiky Mug White and Orange
      White/Orange
      QTY...............................................................5

      Spiky Mug Gun Metal Black and Orange
      Gun Metal/Caribbean Blue
      QTY...............................................................5

      Spiky Mug Tall Gun Metal Black and Orange
      Gun Metal/Orange
      QTY...............................................................5

      Curvy Dottie Mug White With Orange Interior
      QTY...............................................................5


      ....ADDRESS FOR THE SHIPPING QUOTE....

      Frankrijklei 114,
      Antwerp,
      Antwerpen,
      BELGIUM.
      2000.

      Hope to read back from you with the total cost and we can proceed and finalized my order.
      Thanks and God bless you.
      Emily Albert.

      Delete
    9. We also received this the other day, except from Beatrice, not Emily.
      Googling the email address of the "shipping company" was probably the best thing I ever could have done.
      Thanks for the post and all of the comments!

      Delete
  40. Thank you so much for this post - just received this email

    Name: Cindy Megane
    Email: Cindystorellc_Megane@europe.com
    Body:
    Hello,
    I'm interested in place an order from you to our store
    let me know if you can ship here in Belgium and do you accept
    credit card as a form of payment.

    Cindystorellc_Megane@europe.com
    Cindy Megane

    International Order Inquire!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I just received this exact one as well! Name: Cindy Megane

      Email Address: Cindystorellc_Megane@europe.com

      Message: Hello,

      How are you doing?Am Cindy Megane.

      I'm interested in place an order from you to our store
      let me know if you can ship here in Belgium and do you accept
      credit card as a form of payment.

      Cindystorellc_Megane@europe.com


      Cindy Megane

      Delete
  41. Also got this one -

    > From: maryemmanue@hotmail.com
    > Subject: Re: Mary Emmanuel
    Hello,
    Thanks for your response. I want to order for the following items
    listed below for my customer's here, I want you to reply back with the
    total cost plus shipping quote. We're ready and can't wait to receive
    these wonderful products if yours here.
    Your utmost reply back with the total quote will be highly appreciated.


    ITEMS, WE'RE INTERESTED IN ORDERING IS LISTED BELOW, GET BACK WITH
    TOTAL QUOTE PLUS SHIPPING


    CLARIFYING SERUM
    QTY:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::10


    ROSE QUENCH SERUM
    QTY:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::10

    FIRMING SERUM
    QTY:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::10

    FIRMING EYE GEL
    QTY:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::10

    SILK CREAM
    QTY:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::10

    ...ADDRESS FOR THE QUOTE........

    Rue de la
    Terrassière 24
    1207 Genève,
    Switzerland

    Hope to read back from you with the total cost and we can proceed and
    finalized my order.
    Have a blissful day,

    mary



    ReplyDelete
  42. I got a message today from a Melissa Harrop whose email address is shinningbuttllc01@gmail.com. The Shining butt part is a nice touch. Thank you for this post - it was very helpful!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I also got the exact same email from Melissa Harrop with the same email address.

      ADDRESS FOR THE SHIPPING QUOTE::::
      Address: 200, 9 Calle San Mateo,
      ZIP: 28004
      CITY: Madrid,
      COUNTRY: Spain.

      I thought it was strange about the order and thank goodness I found this post! Thank you very much!!

      Delete
    2. I also got an email from Melissa Harrop- just got a funny feeling when 'she' sent me no details re the shop so thought I'd do a Google Search. If we are not sending goods before they are paid for anyway- what is the point of them doing it? Thanks, but confused!

      Delete
  43. I just received an email from Cindy Megane. These people are UNREAL for attacking small business. Wow....



    Skip to content
    Using Hippie Go Lucky Bath and Body Mail with screen readers
    melissa@hippiegoluckybathandbody.com
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    Expand all Print all In new window
    INTERESTED ITEMS LISTED BELOW AND ADDRESS FOR SHIPPING QUOTE:
    Inbox
    x

    Cindy Megane
    4:44 AM (3 hours ago)

    to me
    Hello Melissa,

    Thanks for your reply back . Its a pleasure receiving your reply back. I want to order for the below items for my customer's here, I want you to reply back with the total cost plus shipping quote. We're ready and can't wait to receive these wonderful products of yours here.
    Your utmost reply back with the total quote will be highly appreciated.

    INTERESTED ITEMS LISTED BELOW AND ADDRESS FOR SHIPPING QUOTE:

    SPF 50-Moisturizing Sun Screen
    QTY.........................20


    Moisturizing Body Spray
    Amber Romance
    QTY.........................20


    Bronzing Lotion
    Amber Romance
    QTY.........................20


    Coconut Oil Hair Mask
    QTY.........................20



    Cooling After Sun Lotion
    QTY.........................20



    Facial Moisturizer
    QTY.........................20


    Facial Beauty Oils
    No Oil
    QTY.........................20


    Body Butter
    Amber Romance
    QTY.........................20


    Birthday Cake Bath Bomb
    QTY.........................20


    Basic Bubble Bar
    Amber Romance
    QTY.........................20

    ADDRESS FOR THE SHIPPING QUOTE........
    Rue des Moissonneurs 22 1040 Etterbeek, Belgium
    Hope to read back from you with the total cost and we can proceed and finalized my order.
    God bless you,
    Cindy Megane

    ReplyDelete
  44. So here is the one I received and below is my response:

    --------------------------------------
    Subject: International Order Inquire!!!
    From: Cindy Megane
    Date: Fri, Oct 30, 2015 4:57 am
    To: info@antidoteco.com
    --

    Hello,

    I'm interested in place an order from you to our store
    let me know if you can ship here in Belgium and do you accept
    credit card as a form of payment.

    cindymeganestorellc1212@gmail.com

    Cindy Megane

    International Order Inquire!!!
    --------------------------------------

    And now my response:

    --------------------------------------
    Subject: RE: International Order Inquire!!!
    From: info@antidoteco.com
    Date: Fri, Oct 30, 2015 5:22 am
    To: "Cindy Megane"
    Hi,
    Yes we do ship worldwide.
    Unfortunately the only form of payment we accept is gold bullion.
    Please take some time to look over my store and pick the products you want, then take the calculator and based on the current price of gold compared to price of Canadian Dollar, calculate the exact weight of gold you will have to send to me via expedited courier. I will have to have the gold in hand and only after weighing it myself and having the gold checked for purity (must be 24 carat pure .9999) by my good friend that works for Canadian Mint; only then will I ship the order to your legitimate business address using my legitimate shipping company (Canada Post).
    Should this be a satisfactory arrangement to you, please respond only from a legitimate business email with confirmation.

    Your truly,

    Diligently Legitimate Business Owner

    --------------------------------------

    I thoroughly enjoy having fun with the scammers. As some other folks pointed out, If I preoccupy them with responses that will make their heads spin then they will spend less time bugging others.

    ReplyDelete
  45. I had a similar experience playing along with Melissa Harrop. I wasn't at all suspicious when she said "double the initial order" :)

    She received a lovely email from me explaining some facts of life and suggesting she (or he) googles 'hard work'.

    Sadly, I'm unable to follow most of the advice near the end of the post, as most of our business comes from unsolicited enquiries from abroad :)

    Also, there are genuine customers that dictate the shipping method.

    Ultimately, it's about being cautious, especially if an order amount is much larger than you are used to - and you are unable to recognise the warning signs due to the possibility of the money being offered.

    Stay safe folks
    Ken
    Natural French Soap

    ReplyDelete
  46. Thank you for this article and everyone's contribution! I also just received an email from a Cindy Megane as mentioned by many above and also to ship to Belgium. My gut feeling told me something ain't right so i googled the name and found your article!

    I remained as professional as I can when I rejected 'her' request and 'she' had the cheek to reply this statement: ' I have learned a very important principle in dealing with people as you are getting to know them, that is "Trust Be rest asure once the payment is clear with you ship out will be done okay.'

    *palm on face*

    ReplyDelete
  47. Just received this from Cindy Megane on Dec. 1, 2015. Thank you to this post!

    Hello,

    Thanks for your reply back . Its a pleasure receiving your reply back. I want to order for the below items for my customer's here, I want you to reply back with the total cost plus shipping quote. We're ready and can't wait to receive these wonderful products of yours here,Your utmost reply back with the total quote will be highly appreciated.


    INTERESTED ITEMS LISTED BELOW AND ADDRESS FOR SHIPPING QUOTE:

    Waspie
    18" XXS
    QTY.............................2

    Short Under Bust - 11" Length
    XXS 18"
    QTY.............................2

    Satin Under Bust
    XXS 18"
    QTY.............................2

    Satin Lace
    Extra Curvy / 11
    QTY.............................2

    Payment Plan (4 x $32.25)
    1st Payment
    QTY.............................2

    Leopard Print Under Bust
    18" XXS
    QTY.............................2

    Extra Curvy
    QTY.............................2

    Cotton Waist Trainer
    XS 20" / Regular
    QTY.............................3


    ADDRESS FOR THE SHIPPING QUOTE........
    Rue des Moissonneurs 22 1040 Etterbeek, Belgium

    Hope to read back from you with the total cost and we can proceed and finalized my order.
    God bless you,
    Cindy Megane.

    ReplyDelete
  48. Almost fell for this scam!!!!
    Here is the original email.

    ---------------------------------------------
    Hello,

    I'm interested in place an order from you to our store
    let me know if you can ship here in Belgium and do you accept
    credit card as a form of payment.

    cindymeganestorellc1212@gmail.com

    Cindy Megane

    International Order Inquire!!!
    --------------------------------------------------------

    Hello,

    Thanks for your reply back . Its a pleasure receiving your reply back. I want to order for the below items for my customer's here, I want you to reply back with the total cost plus shipping quote. We're ready and can't wait to receive these wonderful products of yours here.
    Your utmost reply back with the total quote will be highly appreciated.



    INTERESTED ITEMS LISTED BELOW AND ADDRESS FOR SHIPPING QUOTE:


    Product 1
    QTY.............................26


    Product 2- 4.25 oz
    QTY.............................26


    Product 3- 8 oz
    QTY.............................26


    Product 4 - 3.4oz
    QTY.............................26


    Product 5
    QTY.............................26


    ADDRESS FOR THE SHIPPING QUOTE........
    Rue des Moissonneurs 22 1040 Etterbeek, Belgium

    Hope to read back from you with the total cost and we can proceed and finalized my order.
    God bless you,
    Cindy Megane.
    -----------------------------------------------------

    The products 1-5 are substitutions of our products names. The scammer actually uses your actual products in the email.

    I was already measuring the weight of package and the rate on Fedex International. Good thing was that I looked up this address and saw this page!!!!

    Thank you very much for all of your sharing...

    ReplyDelete
  49. Hi All,

    As someone who only recently started selling handcrafted soap, I was so glad to be made aware of this! I suspect the first time a newer business owner receives an inquiry such as this, they may want it so badly to be true that the excitement over such a large order may momentarily overcome their suspicion and common sense.

    Thanks so much to all who've provided such detailed information! I wonder why so many seem to originate, or say they do, from Belgium or The Netherlands? Is there something about those countries that allow them to scam from there more easily, or harder to trace for those who actually fall for it? What truly despicable excuses for human beings!

    Ami
    lilybleu Soapworks

    ReplyDelete
  50. I am from Australia and I also received an email from Cindy Megane. Haven't replied thanks to this post!!!
    Interestingly, her email is @europe, not Gmail,hotmail etc

    cindystorellc_megane@europe.com

    Hello,

    How are you doing?Am Cindy Megane.

    I'm interested in place an order from you to our store
    let me know if you can ship here in Belgium and do you accept
    credit card as a form of payment.

    Cindystorellc_Megane@europe.com


    Cindy Megane


    INTERNATIONAL Order Inquire!!!

    ReplyDelete
  51. THANK YOU for posting! I thought this was very odd and too good to be true.

    Hello


    Thanks for your reply back . Its a pleasure receiving your reply back. I want to order for the below items for my customer's here, I want you to reply back with the total cost plus shipping quote. We're ready and can't wait to receive these wonderful products of yours here.,Your utmost reply back with the total quote will be highly appreciated.


    INTERESTED ITEMS LISTED BELOW AND ADDRESS FOR SHIPPING QUOTE:



    Lemongrass Whipped Body Glow
    QTY..........................................15



    Lavender Whipped Body Glow
    QTY..........................................15



    Black Beauty Dog Grooming Spray - Calming
    QTY..........................................15



    Midsummer
    QTY..........................................15



    Blanc Lavender Bath Salts
    QTY..........................................15



    Pink Himalayan Bath Salts
    QTY..........................................15



    Pink Geranium Bath & Body Oil
    QTY..........................................15




    Lost Woods Bath & Body Oil
    QTY..........................................15



    Lavender Bath & Body Oil
    QTY..........................................15





    ADDRESS FOR THE SHIPPING QUOTE........
    Rue des Moissonneurs 22 1040 Etterbeek, Belgium


    Hope to read back from you with the total cost and we can proceed and finalized my order.
    God bless you,
    Cindy Megane.

    ReplyDelete
  52. Received the same message from "Cindy Megane"! Thank you for sharing this information.

    ReplyDelete
  53. Same scammer, we got it too with a different name and same shipping address.

    Thank you so much for this post, it saved us some frustration and inventory loss


    ADDRESS FOR THE SHIPPING QUOTE........
    Rue des Moissonneurs 22 1040 Etterbeek, Belgium

    Hope to read back from you with the total cost and we can proceed and finalized my order.
    God bless you,
    Corina Janis.

    ReplyDelete
  54. We received this as well. Via our website:

    From: Emily Albert.
    Email: emmystoresllc@outlook.com

    ------------------------------------------------------

    Hello,
    I want to place an order from you to our store here in Belgium.I will like
    to know if you can ship here and will like to know if you will accept credit
    card as form of payment.
    Reply back asap
    Thanks.
    Emily Albert.
    emmystoresllc@outlook.com

    ------------------------------------------------------

    Office Use Only:
    From: Emily Albert.
    Email: emmystoresllc@outlook.com
    Login Name: Not logged in
    Login Email: Not logged in
    IP Address: 105.112.22.214 - 105.112.22.214
    Host Address: 105.112.22.214
    Date and Time: Mon Mar 7 2016 8:32:22 MST

    ****Notice the IP Address? That's the computer that the person accessed our website from. I did a whatis lookup and viola, it resolved to an Internet provider address in Nigeria, the capital of financial fraud!

    So here is another check to do...look up the ip address regardless of where they say they are from use this command~ either in Windows or Unix:

    ~ $ whois 105.112.22.214

    % This is the AfriNIC Whois server.

    % Note: this output has been filtered.
    % To receive output for a database update, use the "-B" flag.

    % Information related to '105.112.0.0 - 105.127.255.255'

    % No abuse contact registered for 105.112.0.0 - 105.127.255.255

    inetnum: 105.112.0.0 - 105.127.255.255
    netname: Airtel-Nigeria
    descr: Airtel Networks Limited
    country: NG
    org: ORG-VNL1-AFRINIC
    admin-c: DS19-AFRINIC
    admin-c: EE29-AFRINIC
    admin-c: OA38-AFRINIC
    tech-c: DS19-AFRINIC
    tech-c: EE29-AFRINIC
    status: ALLOCATED PA
    mnt-by: AFRINIC-HM-MNT
    mnt-lower: AIRTEL-NIGERIA-MNT
    mnt-domains: AIRTEL-NIGERIA-MNT
    source: AFRINIC # Filtered
    parent: 105.0.0.0 - 105.255.255.255

    organisation: ORG-VNL1-AFRINIC
    org-name: Airtel Networks Limited
    org-type: LIR
    country: NG
    address: Airtel HQ Building
    address: A-Banana, 5th Floor, Wing B
    address: Plot L2, Foreshore Estate, Banana Island
    address: Ikoyi-Lagos.
    address: Lagos, Nigeria 234-1
    phone: +234-802-222-6961
    phone: +234802-222-5665
    phone: +234802-192-6961
    phone: +234802-222-2396
    admin-c: AO79-AFRINIC
    admin-c: DS19-AFRINIC
    admin-c: OA38-AFRINIC
    tech-c: AO79-AFRINIC
    tech-c: DS19-AFRINIC
    mnt-ref: AFRINIC-HM-MNT
    mnt-ref: AIRTEL-NIGERIA-MNT
    mnt-by: AFRINIC-HM-MNT
    source: AFRINIC # Filtered

    person: Deji Somefun
    nic-hdl: DS19-AFRINIC
    address: Airtel Head Office, L2 Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria
    address: Lagos
    address: Nigeria
    phone: +234802 192 5665
    source: AFRINIC # Filtered

    person: Eno-Mfon Ekpe
    nic-hdl: EE29-AFRINIC
    address: Airtel Head Office, L2 Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria
    address: lagos
    address: Nigeria
    phone: +234802 192 1269
    source: AFRINIC # Filtered

    person: Olalekan Akala
    nic-hdl: OA38-AFRINIC
    address: Plot L2, Foreshore Estate
    address: Banana island, Ikoyi-Lagos
    address: NG
    phone: +2348022222396
    source: AFRINIC # Filtered

    ReplyDelete
  55. Thank you all for posting here, I really thought it was legitimate until I google the email address and found this thread.

    I actually received 2 emails from 2 different people, one in Switzerland and one in Belgium.
    emmystoresllc@outlook.com
    corinamejanis.storesllc@hotmail.com

    I just questioned Corina about how strange it is to receive the same inquiry form 2 different people in 2 different countries, she replied and said they are associated and she will get back to me with an explanation lol.

    I hope people will google the email addresses before they fall victim to these scammers.

    Thank you again to whoever started this thread and to everyone who took part in exposing these scammers.

    ReplyDelete
  56. Emily Albert @ emmystoresllc@outlook.com is still around. With similar messages as above. Kudos for this post!

    ReplyDelete
  57. I just got one of these from "Emily Albert". We do sell to people overseas, but the thing that stood out to me is that no one orders a pile of stuff site-unseen from across the ocean. If it was legitimate, they would order one thing to see your product first-hand. Signing the email "god bless" is always a tip off too...

    One thing that added credibility initially was the detailed list of products they wanted. But looking through the examples here, I find it interesting that they're all formatted exactly the same way. How many are using Shopify? They are obviously extracting the option lists from there to assemble the "order." Shopify can't really prevent this as that information needs to exist on the pages to operate, but they might warn people that this is happening, and they could probably do some things to mess with the automated nature of this... the scammer's scripts depend on the output from the sites being consistent.

    ReplyDelete
  58. Thank you. I got version #1 and thought it fishy. Thank god I didn't order all the containers.

    ReplyDelete
  59. Hi
    I was approached by the same cindy megan and something felt fishy, so i googled and came accross this site. thanks alot for this information. i decided to tag her along and see how far she would go..
    here is the conversation

    ReplyDelete
  60. I got one of these thru my artist website. At first I thought things were lost in translation when after I stated I did not ship large items overseas and directed them to make purchases thru my Etsy shop they stated they wanted to buy 3 of my Ooak artworks in multiples of 50. I have a pretty good "lie-dar" so immediately started google searching. I've alerted fellow Etsy shop owners in my groups and have directed them to your excellent blog post.

    ReplyDelete
  61. I got a new version of this scam. See the following. Interesting that the fellow claims to be in the same town as myself and offers a phone number. Wish I knew who to contact in law enforcement. This is such a waste of time.
    He first contacted me with this...Good Morning Owner,
    My name is Travis I found some products on your website and I will like to buy for my sister who live in Virgin Islands, Since am local i will be collecting them from your store can you email me back with the invoice with the grand total cost plus tax on it and i will gladly call your store to pay for it up front and collect them below is the items i want i am buying them in large quantities but at retail cost.
    #B Quenched Facial Oil............qty: 10
    #Eco Body Lotion Lavender........qty: 10
    #Antioxidant Skin Boost...........qty: 10
    #B Green Mud Mask B Green Mud Mask............qty: 10
    #B Cheeky Powder Blush Cool Pink..........qty: 10

    Many thanks feel free to call me on 508-936-3002 if you have any questions.
    Regards.
    Mr. Travis Murphy.
    5501 Glenridge Dr Ne, Apt 611
    Atlanta, GA 30342

    Then I responded with an invoice for pick up thinking suspiciously but if he was going to pick up, then maybe it was legit. This was his response.
    Good Evening ,
    Sorry for the late response.These past week had been crazy for me, flat tire on rainy day on the freeway which led to a terrible accident. I have been in the hospital for the past weeks now with a broken leg, That's why you couldn't hear from me sooner.

    Anyway, I still want these order like I said my sister wants these products,I wanted to come and collect them from you as soon as they were ready but I can't in these conditions so i called a cargo company based in New York that normally collect all shipment to Belgium without having her to pass through all the routine custom checks and extra charges which is a lot and they said they will be able to collect those shipment from you and deliver it to my sister in time , Which includes custom duties door to door deliver to her,But they are cargo company and they will charge $779.98 to do all that.Please i want you to revised the invoice and add the cost of the shipping $779.98 to it and email me back the final cost with freight shown on invoice to prevent customs problems in Belgium. As soon as i receive the revised invoice i will call you to make the payment in full for you to start production Asap. I also want my sister address below on the invoice as well.
    Mrs. Cindy Murphy
    Mutsaardlaan
    38, 1020 Laeken (Brussels) Belgium
    Also if you don't allow pick ups at your facilities the cargo company said you are welcome to send shipment to them to their warehouse dock where they make all their final arrangements for international shipment. Below is their warehouse address.
    DoungChay Cargo Logistics.
    49 Sterling Street Rochester.
    E: doungchaylog12@accountant.com
    F: 1716-299-4159
    T: 1716-262-2059.
    Thank you very much for your understanding and I will be waiting for you to email me back with the revised invoice for payment.Also feel free to call me 508 936-3002

    Thank you.
    Travis Murphy

    ReplyDelete
  62. I've been emailing for about 3 weeks. After doing my research, I saw that it was a scam.

    I was contacted May 3, 2016 by Timothy Henry to order 2000 bars of soap. To be shipped, they requested that I use ADS Couriers to ship my product. Even after I got a quote from UPS, they still requested I get a quote. I got the quote, but I did not follow through with the order, since they only wanted their money through wire transfer. Please see the below contact to where the soaps were to be shipped. "Tunisia Association for a Better Future, I represent the sponsors here in the United States that wish to make this order and it will be delivered to 14-16 Rue Mohamed Badra, Montplaisir Tunis, 1073, Tunisia."

    ReplyDelete
  63. I just received one of these emails from Ellen Worrell

    Hello,

    I'm interested in place an order from you to our store

    let me know if you can ship here in Belgium and do you accept

    credit card as a form of payment.

    ellennbeautyandcarestore@hotmail.com

    Order Inquiry!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  64. I got the email below from orochicho@gmail.com and figured I would respond to it to see where it went. I knew that it could be a scam, but have heard of Japan's love of American things so I thought I would see how they responded about how they would ship my product. >> You have received a new message from the user CHO orochi.
    >> Here is the message:
    >>
    >> my name is cho i will like to purchase some of your product to one my
    >> new
    >> store in japan i will like to inform you that the method of my payment
    >> is credit card if this is accepted by you please kindly get back to
    >> me with your website address so as for me to choose the item needed by
    >> me

    After I asked him how he would ship it. Here is the response I got in the next email:
    MY DELIVERY ADDRESS
    4th Floor, East-Yard, TOKYO SKYTREE TOWN SOLAMACHI
    1-1-2 Oshiage, Sumida-ku,Tokyo

    Also, I experience difficulties when it comes to getting orders to my
    address here in japan it would be best if you contact the shipper
    which i used in
    the past (whitegloveshippingdelivery@hotmail.com
    you can also notify them with my customer id# TW36HFJ76T.
    I will need you to obtain a quote and get back to me
    with:COST OF THE ORDER
    COST OF THE SHIPPING VIA whitegloveshipping
    TOTAL COST (ORDER + SHIPPING)
    Once i have these details, i will get back to you with my credit card
    details immediately. so you can charge and make the necessary shipping
    arrangements.
    Kind Regards

    Email a shipping company...ha ha ha. Well Just wanted to share the email address in case it helps anyone. After reading this blog and a few others it seems the story is often the same. Email my shipping company to set it up??? As suggested you should decide the shipping method so you can ensure the payment. They were even so nice as to give me a fake account #. Oh well I guess my delicious drink that sells well in the US won't be making it to Japan just yet. Maybe next year! Be careful on the wild web!

    ReplyDelete
  65. I got this email which seemed suspect but I answered it with the hopes that my product could be sold in Japan. > On Tue, Nov 1, 2016 at 7:54 AM, wrote:
    >
    >> You have received a new message from the user CHO orochi.
    >> Here is the message:
    >>
    >> my name is cho i will like to purchase some of your product to one my
    >> new
    >> store in japan i will like to inform you that the method of my payment
    >> is credit card if this is accepted by you please kindly get back to
    >> me with your website address so as for me to choose the item needed by
    >> me

    I answered back asking how they planned to ship a refrigerated item. He sent back this with an order for our drinks:
    MY DELIVERY ADDRESS
    4th Floor, East-Yard, TOKYO SKYTREE TOWN SOLAMACHI
    1-1-2 Oshiage, Sumida-ku,Tokyo
    Also, I experience difficulties when it comes to getting orders to my
    address here in japan it would be best if you contact the shipper
    which i used in
    the past (whitegloveshippingdelivery@hotmail.com
    you can also notify them with my customer id# TW36HFJ76T.
    I will need you to obtain a quote and get back to me
    with:COST OF THE ORDER
    COST OF THE SHIPPING VIA whitegloveshipping
    TOTAL COST (ORDER + SHIPPING)
    Once i have these details, i will get back to you with my credit card
    details immediately. so you can charge and make the necessary shipping
    arrangements.
    Kind Regards

    Email the shipping company....ha ha ha!!! Sounds really legit. As suggested you should pick the shipping company to ensure a payment. I should have know better but after the last email I googled for scams on shipping to Japan and found lots of email scams similar on blogs. The common theme, email my shipping company, here is my account number. Hope this helps someone out there. Be safe on the wild web!

    ReplyDelete
  66. Making sure that Ellen Worrell (ellennbeautyandcarestore@gmail.com) is on the list from Netherlands.

    ReplyDelete