by Diana Prince
Fri Dec 04, 2009 11:06 am
I am posting on behalf of a friend.
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My entrepreneurial friend runs a small-business floral shop in our area,
which employs several individuals including himself as owner/manager.
Two days ago one of his employees received a phone call via a telephone relay service,
allegedly on behalf of a DEAF customer -- a new customer, not a repeat nor a local customer.
In the conversation the operator relayed a request for 20 dozen roses in vases --
a pretty large order, but not necessarily out of line (e.g., for weddings, banquets, etc.).
The alleged customer asked for terms and prices to be quoted
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A real-life floral shop employee REPLIED to the telephone relay request as follows:
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Thirteen minutes later, the following e-mail was received from the potential scammer:
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AFTERMATH:
Everybody involved in the shop realizes that this is a scam and that correspondence must cease; however, if a credit card number--real or bogus--should be presented by the scammer in any followup effort to contact the shop, they will ask for SWarners help in sorting out the matter.
Also, their computer guy will try to download headers, which will be added here if we get them.
On a personal basis, it not only ticks me off that this attempt was made to deceive an honest businessman
, but also that telephone relay services for the deaf were fraudulently used to make the first contact.
Mods, if this thread belongs elsewhere on the site, feel free to move it.
==========================================================
My entrepreneurial friend runs a small-business floral shop in our area,
which employs several individuals including himself as owner/manager.
Two days ago one of his employees received a phone call via a telephone relay service,
allegedly on behalf of a DEAF customer -- a new customer, not a repeat nor a local customer.
In the conversation the operator relayed a request for 20 dozen roses in vases --
a pretty large order, but not necessarily out of line (e.g., for weddings, banquets, etc.).
The alleged customer asked for terms and prices to be quoted
==========================================================
A real-life floral shop employee REPLIED to the telephone relay request as follows:
--- On Wed, 12/2/09, <NAME OF SHOP removed> Floral <[email protected]> wrote:
From: <NAME OF SHOP removed> Floral <[email protected]>
Subject: Flower Prices...
To: [email protected]
Date: Wednesday, December 2, 2009, 10:11 AM
The price of a dozen roses is $49.99 vased; this consists of 12 individual roses, greens, and filler flowers – i.e. baby's breath **** THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE DELIVERY OR SALES TAX. ****
Therefore twenty ( 20 ) dozen roses vased in individual vases would total $999.80 NOT INCLUDING THE TAX OR DELIVERY FEES....
If we misunderstood what you wanted due to the relay operator please send us an email detailing exactly what you are looking for and for when.... Also please include the color or colors that you are looking for.
Thank You,
< NAME OF EMPLOYEE removed >
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Thirteen minutes later, the following e-mail was received from the potential scammer:
--- On Wed, 12/2/09, jack brown <[email protected]> wrote:
From: jack brown <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Flower Prices...
To: <NAME OF SHOP removed> Floral <[email protected]>
Date: Wednesday, December 2, 2009, 10:24 AM
ok fine the price for the 20 dozen of roses in Vases sounds good which is around 1000$ and i will like you to include the tax and also i will like the colors to be mixed and i will want the colors to be white, pink and red and i will like you to do me a favour and the favour is that i will like to give you my credit card to put thru for the payment of the flower and an addtional $850 and that will act as the shipping charges for the shipper that is coming in for the pick up of flowers cos i have not yet paid him and he does not accept credit cards and he will also be delivering some other items along with that for me which i have not paid him for so i will like you to charge my card for the total plus the 850$ for the shipper and when the funds clear in your account you can have that sent to him via western union so that he can come for the pick up of the order and i will be waiting for your e-mail so that i can get back to you with my card details to put thru for the payment..
Thanks
Jack
=============================================================
AFTERMATH:
Everybody involved in the shop realizes that this is a scam and that correspondence must cease; however, if a credit card number--real or bogus--should be presented by the scammer in any followup effort to contact the shop, they will ask for SWarners help in sorting out the matter.
Also, their computer guy will try to download headers, which will be added here if we get them.
On a personal basis, it not only ticks me off that this attempt was made to deceive an honest businessman
, but also that telephone relay services for the deaf were fraudulently used to make the first contact. Mods, if this thread belongs elsewhere on the site, feel free to move it.
