Beware! Scam artists using my business name

[barbell100]

Someone has been using my massage business identity to try and scam therapists.

The email appears to be from me, they use my name, business name and address and the email address they send it from is similar to mine, but not exactly mine.

Some of the recipients of this scam email googled my business name and realised the email address was slightly different to the one on my website and emailed me.

Here's the type of email that people have been receiving...

"Good Evening, I write to make inquiries, as regards to 3 persons that will be in need of your services while on vacation in your region. Their names are- * Bernard Ransom - 36yrs old - obstinate head-aches and stress relief * Charlton Hopkins - 37yrs old - stress relief * Bryan Adeltiga - 37yrs old - stress relief I have been contacted by the three to help get a suitable therapist for them. The major purpose for needing therapy is to be able to overcome stress, and also some complaints of obstinate head-aches. Date of arrival - 19th November, 2011 Date of departure - 3rd of December,2011. Reply me as soon as possible with answers to questions below- * Will it be okay for you to take them on double sessions per week in between the 2-weeks of their stay? * what is the duration for a session in your practice? * What is the total charge for the entire sessions in euro currency. Kindly, I shall be looking forward to your immediate response. Best regards' Henry Johnson, Pure Hands Massage Services, 18 Devonshire Row, London, EC2M 4RH"

Now let me explain the scam...

The recipient replies saying the booking will cost (for example) $2000. The scam artist says he wants to pay in advance and that he will send a cheque for (for example) $9000 but that the $7000 balance needs to go to a "logistics company" who is helping the group get everything ready for their vacation; flight tickets, accommodation, car rental etc. They ask the recipient to bank the cheque, wait for it to clear and then transfer the $7000 to the logistics company bank account.

Basically the scam relies on the fact that most people don't understand the banking clearing system. Most people think that a cheque takes 3 days to clear. Actually it takes longer (I've heard 7 days for a cheque that originated in the same country, even longer for a foreign, overseas cheque). There's a loophole in the banking system which means that even though the cheque hasn't actually cleared (i.e. the cheque hasn't bounced yet), the bank will allow access to the funds after 3 days. Essentially the bank lends the account holder the money until the cheque clears.

So the recipient banks the $9000 cheque. After 3 days they have access to the money and transfer the $7000 happily thinking everything is ok, that they are transferring funds that are actually in their account and therefore it's safe. The cheque bounces after (let's say) 7 days (or even longer), the scam artist has received the money already and the recipient legally owes the bank the $7000 that they "lent" them.

Pretty bloody creepy huh? Please warn fellow therapists. It could happen to any of us!

Henry
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http://www.purehands.co.uk