Scam targeting gyms - Stolen Credit Cards

I'm a computer training company and just got this email over the past few days...What a waste of time!

Email 1 - sender: [email protected]

Hello This is Cole Janet how are you doing,i will like to know if you are available for computer training can i know if you are the owner or manager and do you accept credit card for payment kindly get back to me as soon as possible.

Cole.

Email 2

Thanks for the prompt respond, I would like them trained specifically to improve and understand their computer, network, and programs i want to make an appointment for computer training for my family (private group training for four).I want you to get back to me with the total estimate for 1 month private training for 4 people 2(Female) aged (20, and 18)and 2(Male) aged (19 and 22) for 3 weeks 1hr daily 3 times a week, they will be coming with a private transportation driver for the service.I will be expecting your reply with the total cost and your full name,address and direction for the private transport to locate your place when they are coming for the service.

Cole

Email 3:

want you to understand that my credit card don't work with Paypal so would like you to set up with another merchant like cpay merchant or first data merchant or flint so you can be able to charge my credit card with no problem??

http://paysimple.com/getting_started_ps.html

Email 4:

I am at the hospital undergoing surgery in 4 days time i was suppose to bring my children to the location myself but due to my illness i am not capable to so. So will can only talk through text.

Email 5:

I want my children to learn Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook.

Email 6:


I will want the classes to happen now because after the surgery we are leaving the city. They will be coming with a private transportation driver for the classes so i will like you to get back to me with the total cost of 1 month training for 4 people for 1hr daily 3 times a week.

Email 7:


Can you get back to me with the total cost of the training session. and i need a little favor from you

Email 8:

Am okay with that but i need a little favor from you.

Email 9:

the favor is that i have not pay for the private transportation driver that will be bringing the 4 kids for the whole training and i can't do that myself,am at the hospital will undergo surgery in 4 days and also the driver's does not have credit card facilities to charge a card , so while charging my card i will like you to include extra $1890 for the driver's bill and you will have the $1890 send via western union to the driver and add extra $100 tip for your self as an inconvenience fee, so go ahead and add everything up. i will send it together to you with the first invoice.

I'm a fitness trainer, and I get at least one of these scam messages per week (via text message, or occasionally email). They are always very generic.

The latest (via text):

"Hello, How are you doing today? I got your details while surfing the internet. I would like to make personal fitness and exercise schedule for my children. They are three females and one male with ages of 22, 25, and 27. I would like them to be coming two times in a week for 12 weeks. Let me know when they can start as well. Kindly let me know the cost for each person and the total cost for that and also the types of payment that you accept. Regards, (no signature)"

It's always a "too good to be true" situation, and one of the first questions is always "Do you take credit cards?"

As a business person, I know that REAL clients are far more interested in whether I can help them or not, and the initial contacts are more about "here's my problem, can you help?". Methods of payment are discussed much later, so this is a BIG red flag.

There must be a gazillion people doing these scams now, because I constantly get them from different numbers, and I don't even respond.

I report the phone # as a spammer back to my cell provider, and block the number from my phone. Should I be doing anything else? Reporting the phone numbers to the FBI? Do they even track this stuff down?

Can you post the number here? Just in case someone searches for information on it.

The phone number for this past occurrence is (202) 717-9966

Some previous numbers used for similar scamming via text message:

(941) 725-6699
(401) 594-8023
(347) 797-0716
(347) 913-9429
(847) 497-0831
(323) 790-4893
(773) 765-5094
(312) 480-4727
(717) 489-9017
(702) 663-2194
(619) 720-5182

There are more where those came from. Before I knew I could report them for spam, I kept a list of "Scammer" contact numbers on my cell phone. Would you like the rest?

Hi -

I have had 2 scams that appear the same as reported above...

SCAM 1 - October 2014

Joseph Thomas <[email protected]>

Hello, This is Thomas,i will like to know if you are available for
personal training,fitness and exercise services and then do
you accept credit card for payment...Thanks i will be
expecting your reply back asap.

I thought this was weird as normally people ask if we have sessions available at a particular time, also terrible language... but in case it was valid I did reply...

Hi Thomas, Thanks for your email. We do offer personal training, private fitness
sessions, and various group fitness classes and payment can
be made via credit card. Are you looking to get started on
any particular days or at a specific time?
Please let me know if I can assist
you further with your enquiry.

And then received back...

Hi,
Am hearing impaired that is why am using via e-mail to contact you now...I want to make an appointment for personal training,fitness and exercise service for my family.

I want you to get back to me with the total estimate for 2 times in week training 5(Female) people for 6 weeks,also want you to know that they will be coming with a private transportation driver to for the service.I will be expecting your reply back with the total cost then your full name,address with directly phone number for the private transportation to locate your place when they are coming for the service.....Thanks i will be expecting your response back asap.

Never wrote back...



SCAM 2 - in April 2015

Hello,

My name is Allen Tomas, I'm Lufthansa airline pilot from here in Victoria. I read about your Personal Training Service on directory and I want to make an inquiry about your group personal fitness trainers.

I would like to surprise my children with the training program, they are five in group my three children Wilson 18, Aaron 20, Julie 22 and their niece and nephew Katherine 24 and Jason 19. None of them has injury they just want to gain strength, mobility, flexibility.

I want a private group trainer for the five of them for 10 weeks session 1 hour daily and 3 times a week. I would prefer Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday Afternoon 2:30pm to 3:30pm if that suits. Kindly check your availability days and times, also calculate the total cost and get back to me at your earliest convenient.

Regards.
Allen Tomas.

I thought it sounded dodgy, but replied briefly just in case.. I basically quoted the price, $2850 for 30 sessions and said we accept payment via direct debit or credit/debit card only. I asked them to confirm what suburb you are located in and how soon they would like to get started?

They replied

Thanks for your email. That price sound good to me and I want them to start first week on May. I will be glad to make the full payment upfront and please I want you to do one favor for me regarding the private bus driver that I organize to bring the them for the sessions, I have not payed him yet because he don't have credit card Eftpos facility to accommodate payment.

Kindly put through $3,800 on my credit card stated below and when the funds clears into your account you will keep $2,850 for the program for 3 months and help me transfer $950 to the bus driver bank account.

Process the payment through for $3,800.

Name: Allen Tomas
Card: they actually provided the number
Expire: and expiry date
Type: Visa

I will look forward to hear from you with the payment confirmation.

Kind Regard
Allen

I never replied or charged the card as it seemed even more suspicious then!

I reported it to the ACCC Scamwatch in Australia.

I just received some emails from the same email address [email protected]. It sounded skeptical once he said he is hearing impaired and that he will be in a surgery soon. That's why I was searching online to see if it's a scam. Good thing I find this post!

"Thanks for your swift response. I am hearing impaired and am scheduled for surgery soon, i would like us to communicate via email. I want to order for the Funeral Casket spray Flower- Bright Mixed (A colorful funeral casket flower combination of bright blooms in tones of orange, purple, pink and yellow, including Asiatic lilies, roses, gerbera daisies and iris. Offset with lush greenery Large 1.8m size) for my uncle funeral on 27th October by 2pm, Can you give me the total cost plus tax and it will be pickup by Event planner.

I will be expecting your reply back with the total cost then your full name, address with mobile phone number for the Event Planner to locate your place
"

Not just targeting gyms... I got one of these yesterday....


Here is the job details

Good to hear back from you, i have small scale business which i want to turn into large scale business now it located in NY and the company is based on importing and exporting of Agriculture products such as Kola Nut, Gacillia Nut and Cocoa so i need a best of the best layout design for it. Can you handle that for me ?. so i need you to check out this site but i need something more perfect than this if its possible .http://www.agroamerica.com.... the site would only be informational, so i need you to give me an estimate based on the site i gave you to check out, the estimate should include hosting and i want the same page as the site i gave you to check out and i have a private project consultant, he has the text content and the logos for the site.

Note:

1. I want the same number of pages with the example site i gave you to check excluding videos and blogs.

2. I want only English language

3. I don't have a domain yet but i want the domain name as bestfarmproduce.com

4. you will be updating the site for me.

5. i will be proving the images, logos and content for the site.

6. i want the site up and running before ending of next month.

7. My budget is $4000 to 8000


Kindly get back to me with:

(1) Budget estimate

(2) Your cell phone number

(3) And will like to know if you are the owner ??


Best Regards,

Robert Wright.

Yup, just got this guy today. But his real name Ben Robert!

Since we caught on before he had asked for his favor, I used what you guys shared here to ask him for one:

Hi Ben,

One thing I wanted to mention, since we do not have the facility to charge credit cards and our consultant is presently in the hospital for surgery I would give your card info to the FBI to charge $6000 so $3500 would be a deposit payment for your website design and the remaining $2500 you would help them send you and your project consultant that has the text content and the logo for your website where you belong – #. And also $100 tip for your stress.