Laptop repair scam

Just got this last night

"I really appreciate the prompt respond to my Email.I have been
contracted to fix up some HP laptops but at the moment am in
Hopkinsville KY attending to some other jobs. In view of this we
are looking to offer you this job and we want you to handle the
fixing of the laptops on agreed terms.

These are what need to be done on the laptops.

1. Format Hard Drive,
2. Instal Win 7,
3. Microsoft Office Package,
4. AVG Virus Software (Free Lifetime Updates)
5. Adobe Acrobat,
6. Diagnostics of the entire system after to check hard drive, cdrom,
floppy, etc.

So if you are capable of handling this get back to me with the
total cost for handling each unit based on a total cost of 7 Units.

And i have all the necessary software and license needed for the service
installations, Please kindly get back to me with your full name,address and
cell phone number immediately so that my secretary can prepare a check to you.

Note: I have a reliable shipper who will be responsible for the
delivery of the laptops to you and also the pick up after you have
completed the job. A check with excess amount on it will be sent to
you, all you need to do when you receive the check is to deduct your
service charge and send the rest fund via Money Gram to the Shipper
who will be shipping the Laptops to you as i will instruct you
later on.

I will be looking forward to hear from you...Thanks."

The name is Lillian Thomas and email is [email protected]


I Responded, but only gave a price not any persona information.


So, is the check itself fake? Has anyone successfully cashed one of these at a check cashing place, or a gas station that cashes checks? What was the result?

I got this today too ... I was first contacted by phone through text. I hinted that I would prefer to communicate through a phone call but got no response to that. "She" responded without acknowledging my preference to communicate through phone just explaining that "she" wanted me to email "her" at [email protected]. This was on the 20th. I Just received an exact copy of what you posted from "her" and the first thing I questioned was the way the process was explained. "She" wants me to run all 7 of these computers, send them back THEN get the check and take out what I want? What? Who does that? Who sends a stranger a ton of hardware and EXTRA money to cover costs of repair? I emailed "her" back explaining I would not accept a check for more then the cost of my labor and that the equipment will not be returned until payment is received in full.

It is all a scam.

The scammer does not want you to repair his pretend computers. Nor will he send you the pretend computers or parts.

He wants to steal your money. He will send you a fraudulent check and ask you to cash it. The fake over payment he sends you is the money he wants to steal. He wants you to send cash via Moneygram/Western Union to his fake shipper. The fake shipper is the scammer himself or an accomplice.

Please read here about over payment scams. viewtopic.php?f=9&t=3237

I just received this same scam. I'm not sure how they got my Gmail address, I mostly use it for important things (employment, friends, family, etc.). I have a Hotmail account that I use for everything else - it has always been my 'junk drawer' account.

The email was supposedly from Christopher Kreece, email address [email protected]. The name is an actual person - Christopher "Kreece" Fuchs, who founded Better World Books - he does great things by donating a percentage of all book sales to literacy programs around the world. The email address is not valid. No Good Deed Goes Unpunished.

I think I should send an email to Christopher "Kreece" Fuchs, to warn him about the scam using his good name. What do you think?

Here is the scam mail:

Hello Connie
I have (10) of my company's laptops (HP dv2500)for upgrading/reformatting, advice if this is part of your service line, Below is a list of work needed to be done on each Laptop.

1 Format Hard Drive
2 Install Win 7
3 Install Microsoft Office Package
4 AVG Virus Software
5 upgrade all computers from window vista Business to windows 7 professional.

I have back up files for all computers and Kindly get back to me with total cost for the service charges for all the (10) laptops, I mean how much is your charges if you to fixed all the laptop for me.

i will be the one to ship the laptop to your location.after u done with the laptop our shipping agent will come pick them up.

All computers are the same model,and I will be providing windows 7 Professional Cd and License keys.

Looking forward to read from you.
Regards.

CEO

^^^Welcome to Scamwarners

Please do not do this. He is a victim of the scammer. He does not want everyone the scammer massed mail to mail him. Please allow him to live his life normally.

I think I should send an email to Christopher "Kreece" Fuchs, to warn him about the scam using his good name. What do you think?

The scammers email address is not valid? How do you know?

I have been getting these emails since I replied to a Craigslist ad in January. I quickly figured this was a scam, due to the poor English. They use various names of CEOs from large companies: these people are also victims of the scam, so I am not posting their names.

I quoted $500 for the work and they sent me a check for $$3,250.45 and asked me to send the difference through Western Union. An obvious overpayment scam.

The check was drawn on a legitimate company, so I contacted their fraud division and am working with them. I am not going to go into details, as the scammers might read this. But given their actions, I think they are working from a rather fixed script. Anyone who desires to pursue this should do the same.

The check will be used in my next online safety class for my Boy Scout troop.

I got this scam from applying to a job, can't be safe anywhere! I found a job for a laptop repair technician on http://www.indeed.com which forwarded me to http://ajobinmanhattan.jobthread.com.

Here are the emails I received:

Dear Applicant,

For nearly 30 years, companies around the world have relied on HTFN's network of highly-regarded, reliable, independent forwarding agents to provide essential freight transportation and logistics services. It's a unique global alliance that combines the capabilities of multinational forwarders with the personal service of locally owned companies. The best of both worlds, worldwide.

In addition to traditional freight services, HTFN members provide a wide range of value-added logistics options, quality processes and industry expertise. Our pooled resources and buying power ensure shippers crucial air and shipping line capacity and dramatic cost savings door to door.

The Company's policy is to hire and promote individuals who best meet the requirements of available positions and who have the best potential for advancement. It is our policy to provide Equal Employment Opportunity in full compliance with all applicable laws including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Equal Pay Act, and the state fair employment practices laws.

In keeping with this policy, decisions regarding applicants for employment, recruitment, hiring, training, transfer, promotion, pay, benefits, lay-off, demotion or discharge will be made without respect to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or veteran status.

I have (10) of the company's laptops (HP dv2500)for upgrading/reformatting, advice if this is part of your service line, Below
is a list of work needed to be done on each Laptop.

1 Format Hard Drive

2 Install Win 7

3 Install Microsoft Office Package

4 AVG Virus Software

I have back up files for all computers and Kindly get back to me with total cost for the service charges for all the (10)

laptops, I mean how much is your charges if you're to fixed all the laptops.

I will have a logistics firm ship the laptops to your location. After you're done with the laptops our shipping agent will come pick them up.

All computers are the same model,and I will be providing windows 7 Professional Cd and License keys.

Looking forward to read from you.

Regards.
Brian Sellner.

Thank you for the reply, to recap all i want a good Installation of software on each laptops, AVG, Office, instal Windows 7, e.t.c. I want to believe that your resume stands for you and speak more of your abilities and professionalism to say you are a sound Pc Technician. Thank you for the price total of $900

Firstly, your output on assignment will make us retain you as our permanent Technician so that you can always discharge your duty. The payment of your service charge will be in excess form of a certified cashier's check and the payment will be in amount of your charges for repairing the system and shipment fee to dispatch the devices straight down to your location. The shipping agent is going around to pick up all the faulty laptops from different locations, also the laptops will be mailed to you as soon as the agent gets all of the faulty units together from our various offices. If you are satisfied with this offer please get back to me with your name, email address, cell phone number and mailing address (as it should appear on a check) So that i can have our payroll officer issue your payment.

Your anticipation is urgently required.

Regards.
Brian.

This appears to be the exact same scam, just wanted to make people aware. Be careful applying for jobs!

Also this person's email is: Brian Sellner ([email protected])

This Repair Laptop scam is still alive. It was recently posted as a job on Craigslist (Northwest Ohio). I won't repeat the whole text of the ad, but it was the same as has been reported on scamwarners forum with a few details changed - 4 HP laptops needing hard drive wiped clean and new OS and MS Office and antivirus installed. I answered the ad and replied with a $450 quote for the work. When the scammer then emailed and asked for my address and phone number fortunately I suspected that it might be a scam and I gave a mailing address of a business associate in another town instead of my personal address and for a phone number I used an extra one that we currently do not answer. A few days later I received a check from the scammer and below is the email he sent me. Below the email are more details.

--------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Steven Hullander <[email protected]>
Date: Mon, Nov 23, 2015
Subject: PAYMENT UPDATE DETAILS(PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGED AND ACT FAST TO SPEED UP THE PROJECT)
To: [my name/email deleted]

Hello [my name]
How are you doing today??Thanks for your usual cooperation and sorry for the late response Due to some project we have at hand at the moment,i will like to inform you that the package containing your payment for repairing and shipping the laptop to your location has been sent to you via regular mail and the package would be deliver to you any time from now and kindly check your mail box from time to time to confirm the delivery.

Now that you have receive the check which is a certified cashier check and the check is for ($2,860),Kindly visit your bank to have it deposited into your bank account and the funds will be available for withdrawal within the 24hrs after it has been deposited and i will be waiting for the confirmation message of the deposit slip after it has been deposited.As soon as you have the funds you are to deduct your charges for all the faulty laptops and have the balance of the funds split into two and proceed to any Walmart close to you and send the first half of the funds to the shipping agent VIA WESTERN UNION and send the other half Via Walmart to Walmart transfer also,The first funds will be used to have them delivered to you and while the second will be used to have them picked up immediately you are done working on them,Also deduct the transfer charges from the funds to be available in minutes from the rest of the funds you are sending to the shipping agent,Immediately he received his payment he will shipped the laptop to you and have them picked up at your location when you are done working on them.

Here is the break down on how to send the shipping Agent Payment:
YOUR CHARGES...........................$450
WALMART TO WALMART TRANSFER...........$900
WESTERN UNION..........................$1,400
BOTH TRANSFER CHARGES IN MINUTE.......$110

Here is the shipping agents Information you will send the rest of the money to:

NAME.........EATHAN CORY GLEINER
ADDRESS: 240 SHERATON DR
CITY.........SALEM
STATE........VA
ZIP CODE.....24153

kindly get back to me with the transfer details as soon as it is completed and they will immediately ship the laptop to you as soon as the shipping payment is made and they will also come over to pick up the laptop from your location once you have completed working on them.

Once the money is sent kindly get back to with the TRANSFER Information like:

MONEY GRAM & WESTERN UNION REFERENCE NUMBER:
TEST QUESTION AND ANSWER:
Amount sent after WESTERN UNION Charges:
Amount sent after WALMART TO WALMART TRANSFER Charges:
Sender Full Name And Address:

Looking forward to read from you.
Regards.
Steven Hullander

[A check for $2860 arrived made out to me in a few days. It was drawn on CI Bank, 14799 North Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa, Florida 33618. The check was from Whitworth Title Group, Inc., 14502 N Dale Mabry Highway, Suite 100, Tampa, Florida 33618
I took the check to my bank and asked if they could tell me if it was any good. They faxed it to my bank's fraud department. The fraud department replied that there is a CI Bank at this address but no such account - it was indeed a bad check. There was no return address on the envelope but it was postmarked Greensboro NC. My bank said I could go to the local police and file a police report but I have no damages (other than my time spent on the quote and corresponding back and forth with the scammer). The scammer is using Florida, Virginia, and North Carolina. Maybe putting the info here on scamwarner will help others to recognize and avoid the scam.
I emailed the scammer back and told him that my bank's fraud department checkout out his check and called the CI Bank. They informed me that the check he sent was no good. Thus I was not going to deposit the check and thus I will not be sending any of my money to him or anyone else.]

Over the course of a week, I received text messages from (914) 502-6262.
The very first one was asking if I could fix computers in bulk. Which I have no problems with I offer a discount for multiple devices. Anyways this was at 3:30 in the morning. So I am already wanting to red flag this but decided to indulge it a little and asked him how many computers.
His response somewhere around 6:00 AM the next day was:
7 HP AMD Quad-Core Laptops located in NJ and this is what all I want to be done with them:
windows 10
AVG etc.. pretty much looks like the emails you all were mentioning.
Now he mentions his company is C/O Obadiah Buell.
I told him I am located in a completely different state on the other side of the country.
He said no problem we have reliable movers that will deliver the laptops to you and pick up.
Ok, who talks like that, "movers"? Any normal English speaker would say shipper and probably mention UPS or Fedex etc..
Maybe I was too tired to even think about it, but I basically gave him a run down on cost plus 15% discount, I'm basically charging him $500 + Return shipping.
He replies back with how reasonable my prices are etc. and that he will contact his bank manager to issue a check and after it clears I can start work. all he needs is my name and address. Well my bank which isn't a bank, will place a hold on funds for a minimum of two business days, so he would be waiting a while to begin with.
I countered with if he could give me his email I can just invoice him and be done with it. to which he replied that they can only do check. My mind is turning on whether or not to just blacklist the number and be done with it but at the same time. Kinda need the money. So I ask him what his Companies name is again, he said
C/O Obediah Buell.
I promptly do a search and the only Obediah Buell I can find is a stone sculptor in Maine. but his phone number is in NY and comes back with Level 3 Systems.

What kind of products or services do you provide?

Electronics..

I then apologized for the questions and tell him I get lots of fraudulent inquiries and then gave him my address and abbreviated name. the whole time, I'm kicking myself debating whether or not I am an idiot for going against my better judgment.

it's alright, I understand, I will get in touch with you once the check is shipped out.

The next day at 3 in the frickin morning, he texts me that the check is on the way and that I would help them handle the shipping costs of the laptops to me they included the shipping cost along with payment and look forward to hearing from me soon.
Apparently my non-reply due to sleeping caused him to send that whole blurb again.
at 4:30 in the morning he texts again with did you get my last text message?

somewhere near 6 AM, I wake up, see my phone flashing and tell him that he texted me at 3 in the morning. I then ask him:

"Where is your company located?"
He responds with
"we have breaches around the state. I am located in NY. and sorry about that, please let me know when you receive payment thanks."
I did not reply to him.
two days later, being today, I get a text with a tracking number and that he wants me to deposit the check via atm or mobile deposit for fast clearance, one the fund clears I'm to deduct my payment and contact him back for further instructions concerning the rest of the funds. well, at least, he texted me at a sort of reasonable hour. 7:40 am on a Saturday.
at 10:45 he texts me with "hello I hope you got my text message" an hour later "hello??"
At 1:45 PM he attempts to call me from (914) 512-8158.
I answer and I cannot understand a word the person is saying, after telling him I cannot understand him about 3 times I just hang up.
He attempted to call twice more and I promptly blacklisted the phone number to avoid wasting my minutes.
I then get a text message about he just called and that the payment would get to me in a bit.
Well, it did get to me in a manilla envelope via the US Postal Service this afternoon. From:
Simon Alexander
200 Maritime Academy Dr
Vallejo CA 94590

To the abbreviated name, I gave him.
I opened the envelope and pull out a few scraps of paper with a check between them. the Check was from:
Farella Braun+Martel LLP
Operating account
235 Montgomery Street 17th floor
San Francisco CA 94104

Bank:
First Republic Bank
111 Pine Street
San Francisco CA 94111
11-8166/3210
Check # 2620
Routing# 321081669
Account# 99500834645
for the amount of $1,750.00
Digitally Signed by Frank Farella via whatever printer they used.
We obviously know this is a fraud and the amount is way more than would be needed to ship 7 laptops. Plus why on earth do the addresses and even the company name not even match up. Just for giggles and to shut my ex-wife up about the whole thing, I looked up the routing number, it does, in fact, match the bank and the banks address you can verify those numbers at this site http://routingnumber.aba.com/
I then call the bank, just to be sure, perhaps I am being a cynical ahole and it's legit. Amber at First Republic bank was very helpful and after giving her info from the check, she told me it was indeed a fraudulent check and not to cash it.

There are only two places where they could get my number, My website, and Craigslist. I go an extra step on craigslist and cloak my phone number in the body of the ad using letters to replace a few numbers. This prevents automated bots from getting a hold of my number and email address. Greatly reducing the inflow of scammers. An interesting point to make, they all seem to ignore my no check rule. I rarely accept checks and it's usually in person from an established business, such as my insurance agent. Checks are a royal PITA and subject to massive fraud attempts. anything less than $1000 is considered a complete waste of time by the authorities. If you run a business stick with established pay processes that will quickly thwart any attempt to defraud you IE Credit/Debit card through your normal pay portal.

I just wanted to reply to this. I was hit by the exact same thing. An out of area number texted me asking of my service was still up and running (why wouldn't it be?). They then said they have some HP laptops that need Windows 7 installed, and office and some other stuff. Apparently this person is going to Atlanta and can't do it himself. And the guy even responded to me at 3:30 AM too. As soon as I saw an out of area phone number I was suspicious, but thanks to this website now I know. Thanks guys!

The sender of the check is a victim of the scam. Bring the check and the envelope it came in to the US Postal Inspection Service so that they can handle it.

We received a text and then a USPS Priority Mail envelope with check number #2662 from Farella Braun+Martel but the envelope had a return address from Simon Alexander. The check was in the amount of $1750.00 and we were selling the item for $275.00. He was claiming that we were to pay the delivery person the shipping and handling for our item. Because of this website info being provided and our being turned off by the odd amount that was never discussed, we texted the number back stating that we were cancelling our transaction. We were cursed at and told that we were 'doing bad business'.

Thank you for reporting this scammer. What phone numbers and email addresses were they using?

Do take the check and the envelope to your local post office and file a report with them, as well.

Same thing. Took me all of 20 minutes to confirm this scam with your site.

E-Mail was <[email protected]>

For the spiders:

Thanks you for your response.I have been contracted to fix up some HP
laptops but at the moment i am in Carson California attending to
some other jobs. In view of this we are looking to offer
you this job and we want you to handle the fixing of the laptops on
agreed terms.

This are what need to be done on the laptops.
1. Formatting of Hard Drive
2. Install Window 10
3. Microsoft Office Package(2015)
4. 2015 AVG Antivirus Software (Free Lifetime Update)
5. Adobe Acrobat reader(10.1.4)
6. General system Diagnostics(check hard drive, cdrom,etc.)

So if you are capable of handling this get back to us with the total
cost for handling each unit based on a total cost of 7 Units. Please
get back to me as soon as you get this so we can proceed and i can go
ahead to arrange moving and payments am paying you with cashier check
I will need all this information to send the payment overnight
1.....Full name to write on the money order 2.....Full Physical
address to post the check 3.....City, State and Zip Code 4....Home &
Cell Phone to contact you

Best Regards.

The scammer is West African.