Email Scams
Industry Tips
Email Scams
Below is some information regarding people scamming Wedding Planners via email.
As you are probably already aware, the emails are starting to come in again from these professional scammers. Some of them are getting good and there hard to identify. I have heard from a few of you the past week so I decided to post this article on how to identify a scam email and what to do about it. Please read the articles so you are well informed.
How to protect yourself
Almost everyone will be approached by a scammer at some stage. Some scams are very easy to spot while other scams may appear to be genuine offers or bargains. Scams can even take place without you doing anything at all.
Most scams need you to do something before they can work. You may send money to someone based on a promise that turns out to be false. You may give your personal details to people who turn out to be scammers. Some scams rely on you agreeing to deals without getting advice first or buying a product without checking it out properly.
The simple tips below will help you protect yourself and your family from scams. Scams can cost people a lot of money and cause a great deal of distress. By following these simple tips, you can protect yourself against scams.
* Golden rules
* Digging a little deeper
* Protect your identity
* Sending or transferring money
* Dealing with a face-to-face approach
* Telephone traps
* Dealing with suspicious or unsolicited offers sent by email or SMS
* Internet tips
* Digging a little deeper
* Protecting your business
* Keeping children safe online: Cybersmart
* Find out more about scams
Golden rules
* If it looks too good to be true--it probably is.
* Use your common sense: the offer may be a scam.
* ALWAYS get independent advice if an offer involves significant money, time or commitment.
* Remember there are no get-rich-quick schemes: the only poeple who make money are the scammers
* Do not agree to offers or deals straight away: tell the person that you are not interested or that you want to get some independent advice before making a decision.
* You can contact your local office of fair trading, ASIC or the ACCC for assistance.
* NEVER send money or give credit card or online account details to anyone you do not know and trust.
* Check your bank account and credit card statements when you get them. If you see a transaction you cannot explain, report it to your credit union or bank.
* Keep your credit and ATM cards safe. Do not share your personal identity number with anyone. Do not keep any written copy of your PIN with the card.
Digging a little deeper
*Do not let anyone pressure you into making decisions about money or investments: always get independent financial advice.
*Read all the terms and conditions of any offer very carefully: claims of free or very cheap offers often have hidden costs.
* Make sure you know how to stop any subscription service you want to sign up to.
* Be very careful about offers for medicines, supplements or other treatments: always seek the advice of your health care professional.
*Remember there are no magic pills or safe options for rapid weight loss.
*Beware of products or schemes that claim to guarantee income or winnings.
*If someone offers you an investment or other financial service, ask for their Australian Financial Services Licence number: check this with ASIC.
*Be wary of investments promising a high return with little or no risk.
*Beware of job offers that require you to pay an upfront fee.
Protect your identity
* Only give out your personal details and information where it is absolutely necessary and where you have initiated the contact and trust the other party.
* Destroy personal information, don't just throw it out. You should cut up, burn or shred old bills, statements or cards so scammers can not get your personal details from them later.
* Treat your personal details as you would treat money: don't leave them lying around for others to take.
Sending or transferring money
*Never send money to anyone you are not totally sure about.
*Do not send any money or pay any fee to claim a prize or lottery winnings.
*Money laundering is a criminal offence: do not agree to transfer money for someone else.
*Make sure that cheques have been cleared by your bank before transferring or wiring any refunds or overpayments back to the sender.
*Do not pass on chain letters or take part in pyramid schemes: you will lose your money and could lose your friends.
Dealing with a face-to-face approach
* If someone comes to your door, ask to see their identification. You do not have to let them in and they MUST leave if you ask them to.
* Contact your local fair trading agency if you are unsure about an offer or trader.
* Remember that family members and friends may try to involve you in a scam without realising that it is a scam: you should seek independent advice (from a lawyer or financial adviser).
Telephone traps
* If you receive a phone call out of the blue, always ask for the name of the person you are speaking to and who they represent.
* Do not give your personal, credit card or online account details over the phone unless you made the call and the phone number came from a trusted source.
* It is best not to respond to text messages or missed calls that come from numbers you don't recognise.
* Be careful of phone numbers beginning with 190. These are charged at a premium rate and can be very expensive
* Look out for SMS and MMS numbers that start with 19. These are charged at a premium rate (sometimes even for receiving a message) and can be very expensive.
Dealing with suspicious or unsolicited offers sent by email or SMS
* Do not open suspicious or unsolicited emails (spam): delete them.
* Do not click on any links in a spam email, or open any files attached to them.
* Never call a telephone number that you see in a spam email or SMS.
* NEVER reply to a spam email or SMS (even to unsubscribe).
Internet tips
* Talk to your internet service provider about spam filtering or, alternatively, purchase spam-filtering software.
* If you want to access an internet account website, use a bookmarked link or type the address in yourself: NEVER follow a link in an email.
* Install software that protects your computer from viruses and unwanted programs and make sure it is kept up-to-date.
* Beware of free websites and downloads (such as music, adult sites, games and movies). They may install harmful programs without you knowing.
* Check the website address carefully. Scammers often set up fake websites with very similar addresses.
* Never enter your personal, credit card or online account information on a website that you are not certain is genuine.
* Never send your personal, credit card or online account details by email.
*Try to avoid using public computers (at libraries or internet cafes) to do your internet banking.
* Do not use software on your computer that auto-completes online forms. This can give internet scammers easy access to your personal and credit card details.
* Choose passwords that would be difficult for anyone else to guess.
Protecting your business
* Never give out or clarify any information about your business unless you know what the information will be used for.
* Never agree to any business proposal on the phone: always ask for an offer in writing.
* Try to avoid having a large number of people authorised to make orders or pay invoices.
* Always check that goods or services were both ordered and delivered before paying an invoice.
* Make sure the business billing you is the one you normally deal with.
* If you are unsure about any part of a business offer, ask for more information or seek independent advice.
Here are a few of the scenarios: This email was from "Forever together weddings" just the past week!
Greetings,
Pls i am still waiting to hear from you with regards to my last email for your assistance in planning our wedding.
Kindly find the previous email attached again;
Greetings,My Name is Robert Oakden,We wish to seek your assistance and professional touch in planning our wedding.The wedding is to hold on the 6th of February 2010.
We will want you among other things to:
a) Plan everything about the wedding
b) Select the choice of the venue and type of ceremony
c) complete organization of relevant documents;
d) consultancy and assistance regarding the cocktail and reception;
e) Guidance on Etiquette & Logistics
f) photography.
g) Budget Planning & Management
h) Videography
Expected guests for the wedding will be 50 Guests.
We want to have the estimated cost for the services above,as you will be handling everything from the beginning to the end.Also confirm credit cards accepted,ok.
Please get back to me if you can do this for us, any Other arrangements will be discussed along the line.
Thank you,
Engr. Robert Oakden/Laurie Alexander.
I'll wait to hear from you.
Regards
Engr Robert.
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How an international money transfer scam targeted Lynne's small business
Lynne runs a bed and breakfast in South Australia. Shortly after opening in 2005, Lynne was pleased to receive a booking request from Indonesia. The request came via Lynne's website and claimed to be from a travel agency in Kuta, Bali. They wanted to book a two-week stay for two couples, their 'Japanese clients'.
Emails were sent back and forth over some weeks to organise details and costs. The travel agent didn't seem to mind what dates were available and they didn't hesitate to agree to the first price offered by Lynne. The travel agent from Bali even agreed to pay the full amount in advance with their Japanese client's credit card. They asked what there was to see in the area, but didn't appear very interested in any details.
Lynne suggested that the Japanese couples pay via PayPal, but the travel agent claimed they couldn't use it, and instead sent the Japanese couples' credit card details via email. When Lynne tried to process the booking, the credit card transaction was declined by the bank.
Lynne said 'in hindsight, the most suspicious factor was that the supposed travel agent wanted the Japanese clients to pay us the total amount, and then wanted us to pass on the commission to the agent'.
The scammers had used credit card details stolen from Japanese tourists who had been travelling in Bali. They were hoping that Lynne would send the 'commission' to them following their fake booking.
'It was interesting how elaborate the whole scheme was. Some of the emails from the scammers pretending to be from the Japanese couple were lengthy and spoke more about themselves and their relationship with the travel agent, trying to justify their connection' said Lynne.
Ultimately, Lynne didn't lose money to the scam, but there are plenty of small businesses around that may have.
Find out more about small business scams and money transfer scams.
Hello, My name is dalton white,i work with Construction Company and i am a from of united kingdom,the company that i work we have a big contract in FINLAND to build a petroleum refinary for the country,there i meet my finance named Susan george and we are planning to have our monumental or chestration wedding on the 28st april 2007,so we are looking for the best wedding planner that will plan the great day and i think i have get the right one,and i want to let you know that we want a mini-wedding of about 40-50 invities in your location,so you will help to get a beffiting wedding in you area ,a photographer,wedding cake,videographer,mekaup and hair bride,DJ and Reception Dinner that is all,the total budget for the wedding is £10,000 including your chargers to make up £12,000 for the whole wedding and i want to let you that my company will be responsible for the payment of the wedding as thay have promise to send the payment to you by instalment to make things easy for us,the details of the wedding is not much as am finland to discuss in details and the have agree to send the first payment of £4,000 to start the plannig and we are coming to the state 27th of FEBRUARY 2007 by then the contract will have ben finished.So i want you to give me the information where you want my company to send the cheque to.The name that will be on the cheque and full contact address.....,state.....,postcode.....,cell phone.....,home phone.So i will be very greatful to read to your response very soon. Regards
I have seen and heard of several others that were attempted by companies in and out of Lagos Nigeria. Here is the warning:
I received an e-mail from a man in "Germany" who wanted to set up a wedding for his son here in Colorado. He gave me sketchy details of what he wanted. It sounded real. After a couple of e-mails, he said that he'd hired his vendors from the UK (being the photographer and videographer) and when I received the check I was to deposit it and send each of them $3000. (red flags going up!)
The cashier's check was sent by a client here in the US. After about 4 weeks, many e-mails and several phone conversations with his "son", I received the check. I had the bank check it and they said they agreed with me that it was bogus. The next day I phoned the "issuing" bank and they confirmed it to be counterfit. I e-mailed this man that I had received the check but it would take at least 15 days to clear. They actually called me and asked that I write these two checks on my account so they could get the vendors here for the "wedding". I informed them this wasn't going to happen. Long story short- Be VERY CAREFUL if you receive anything from out of the country. This is originating in Nigeria. Don't get caught because if the check is deposited and you write any checks against it, you are responsible for them.
Sincerely,
Tanya W. Porter
Tanya is with WEDDINGS, ETC.
A wedding Professional sent me this additional information
I was involved in the scam you described as a wedding photographer in Rhode Island. Everything on there end was done very quickly and professionally. My bank was told that there was doubt on my part that the check might be fradulent--yet they did not put a hold on the check. Everyone needs to be aware that the banks--which should be flagging these checks, are often completely negligent in their responsibilities. Because the bank told me the check was good, I forwarded the money to a third party. It was only a couple days later that the check came back as bogus.
BEWARE--the banks are not taking much inititive to check on these bogus checks so you have to be extra vigilant. After initiating a law suit, I received my money back from the bank--but they fought it for months.
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To check if you are been scammed visit: www.accc.gov.au
Phone Scam watch on Phone 1300302502