BS: Band payment scam becomes revolting

Subject: BS: Band payment scam becomes revolting
From: Skivee
Date: 14 Jul 05 - 07:47 PM

My pyrate band has been the target (but not the victims) of a scam involving payment by money order. FYI this tale played out over a 2 month period.
We got a job inquiry through our web site, to do a wedding job in St.Louis.
We are a D.C. based band, but we have done jobs in that fair city before.
All correspondence was by e-mail.
A reasonable fee was agreed upon.
The contact person suggested that he send a money order to prepay.
Cool, we like prepayment.
When the money order arrived it was for thousands of dollars more than the agreed upon fee.
Well, our guy suggests that we just cash the M.O. and forward the difference.
It would be a big deal to get a new M.O., this is simpler, right?
I believe a P.O. box was suggested.
Our band leader, Brad, goes to his bank. The bank suggests that we might be cautious...sounds fishy. There would be a week or so delay between cashing the M.O. and the reimbursement by the M.O. company.
Brad tells the guy that we need a M.O. for the correct amount.
The guy fires out a second money order, which turns out to be a second overpayment, with the same suggestion to be just forward the difference.
Meanwhile the bank confirms that they are both counterfeit. No shock there.
So the job is bogus, and quickly became joke material between us pyrates.
The date for the supposed job passed in June but our contact was still sending Brad emails with excuses.
Cool, I guess this means that he wants to pay us without our actually working, right?
Brad tells the fellow that he need not send any more notes or money orders.
He gets this reply:
Hello Friend,
> I am so sorry for not emailing you back, The
> celebrant was involved in the London Blast as they
> went for honey moon in London and we lost both of
> them. The police has already found the husband corpse
> and and wife own is still being search for, and the
> assure us that she's dead. It's a terrible news.
> That is the reason why you have not hear from me.
> But you'll still receive the payment this week, and
> i'll do the best things that will satisfy you, just
> let me know as soon as you receive the payment. And
> you can go ahead and cash it.
> Thank you.
>
Does this suck the air out of your lungs, or what????

Subject: RE: BS: Band payment scam becomes revolting
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 14 Jul 05 - 07:50 PM

HA!

Subject: RE: BS: Band payment scam becomes revolting
From: Bill D
Date: 14 Jul 05 - 09:50 PM

I hope the cops do "the best thing that will satisfy you" and pin these scam artists to the wall!

Subject: RE: BS: Band payment scam becomes revolting
From: khandu
Date: 14 Jul 05 - 10:06 PM

"Thousands of dollars" mean nothing to me as I have just been informed I have won an overseas lottery worth millions! When I get it, I will hire your band to play the Big Bash I'll have!
I will even prepay you!

K

Subject: RE: BS: Band payment scam becomes revolting
From: Skivee
Date: 14 Jul 05 - 10:24 PM

Bill: I believe that the culprit works out of a corner office at the Nigerian Banking Scam campus in Lagos.
Khandu: Just send us a money order. We'll take it from there.
CH: Ha, indeed.

Subject: RE: BS: Band payment scam becomes revolting
From: Rapparee
Date: 14 Jul 05 - 11:21 PM

"If it sounds too good to be true it probably is."

Tell the cops and possibly the FBI. Counterfiting money orders is still illegal. And don't delete ANY of the emails.

These people are trying to get you to pass bad MOs.

Like you would just skip down to the local 7-11 and cash an MO for thousands? Right. Uh-huh. Sure.

Call the cops.

Subject: RE: BS: Band payment scam becomes revolting
From: Sorcha
Date: 15 Jul 05 - 10:22 AM

I think it's kinda funny!

Subject: RE: BS: Band payment scam becomes revolting
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 15 Jul 05 - 12:59 PM

If grammar in email sound as if person trying to imitate Yoda is, good are chances there is scam on hands.

Subject: RE: BS: Band payment scam becomes revolting
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Jul 05 - 07:34 PM

These scams usually happen from overseas. This is easily a big deal here in the U.S. because the feds handle this stuff. Turn it over to the post office. They're real good at nailing folks for mailing fraudulent stuff. Seriously. Call your area postal inspector and tell them what happened.

U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Band payment scam becomes revolting
From: Charley Noble
Date: 16 Jul 05 - 11:11 AM

You know things is bad when even pyrates have to be concerned about being ripped off!

There may even be a song in this!

It was June and it was hot...

Arghhh!
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Band payment scam becomes revolting
From: Skivee
Date: 16 Jul 05 - 01:06 PM

Yea, Charley.
What's happened to our community standards???
My real point in posting this is that I hadn't heard of this scam before. Maybe it's been out there.
More of "a word to the wise" than "woe is us".
We didn't lose a dime.
So just be wary of Money order payments that don't match up.
Unlike the Nigerian Banking scam, it doesn't rely on the greed of the victim, just a bit of smoke and mirrors.
The scam works on the float from transaction time.
After reading the text of their disgusting London Bombing tie-in, I'm pretty sure that these folks are well offshore.
The shipping guy at the music store was about to sent several rush orders to Indonesia.
I smelled a Sumatran Rat-Monkey.
It turned out that 11 of 12 orders were on stolen credit cards.
My first clue was that those 11 all wanted rush FEd-EX shipment.
It's good to see that the spirit of enterprize still walks the earth.

Subject: RE: BS: Band payment scam becomes revolting
From: Skivee
Date: 16 Jul 05 - 01:59 PM

The midsummer sun beat on our deck
The sea was as hot as a stew.
The lookout he cried from the forepeake above,
"A money order's hove into view"

Turn into the wind, our captain he shouted.
We'll very soon have 'er aboard.
here was steel in his voice, and none of us doubted
we'd soon add her coin to our hoard.

Nelson proclaimed as he died on the deck,
"Kiss me, Hardy", and "Men, do your duty".
I'd done number two, and strode from the head.
and observed this transaction of booty


But the Purser he squinted, as they sometimes do
"I don't like the cut of 'er jib
If I were the captain, tis caution I'd use.
I think that that cheque is a fib.

"Why curse 'er, my purser, You've got it in one!"
Then he blew his nose on his tunic.
That shallow draft soon was ablaze on a beach
We escaped mouthing oaths that were punic

There's a wee bit of risk in every endeavour
the sages will often proclaim
But if pyrates can't trust other folks to be honest,
Then something's dead wrong with the game!

Subject: RE: BS: Band payment scam becomes revolting
From: JennyO
Date: 17 Jul 05 - 03:58 AM

Excellent song, Skivee!

Subject: RE: BS: Band payment scam becomes revolting
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 Jul 05 - 12:41 PM

So they're onto the postal inspectors also, if they're asking for FedEx.

Subject: RE: BS: Band payment scam becomes revolting
From: Skivee
Date: 17 Jul 05 - 09:15 PM

The FedEx thing was just an illustration of another scam.
It' amazing how many crooks there are out and about.

Subject: RE: BS: Band payment scam becomes revolting
From: Dita
Date: 17 Jul 05 - 11:47 PM

Happens on e-bay too. Same set up, winning bidder tries to pay with cheque for thousands of pounds over the bid and askes for the balance to be sent back. Police in Scotland are aware of this scam.

Problem is scammer outbids genuine bidders, and Skivee's band could have kocked back genuine gig.

John.

Subject: RE: BS: Band payment scam becomes revolting
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 18 Jul 05 - 09:10 AM

Love your poem, Skivee!

Also,it gives me a warm glow to read an account of financial skulduggery where the proposed victim triumphs over evil.

But what's a "pyrate band?" Anything to do with fool's gold?

Subject: RE: BS: Band payment scam becomes revolting
From: Flash Company
Date: 18 Jul 05 - 10:10 AM

I heard of this being done on e-bay ealier this week, but tying in the London bombings as another way to weaken your resolve about making the refund!!! That is SICK!

FC

Subject: RE: BS: Band payment scam becomes revolting
From: Skivee
Date: 18 Jul 05 - 01:52 PM

leeneia
Our band is (am, are,be ???) the Pyrates Royale.
I tried the blue clicky-maker, but it didn't like me.
www.pyrates.com
I think I'm be reworking it as a song for the band.
I haven't sussed how to use," their barque was worse that their bight" yet. But I'll keep at it.
FC
I can't imagine how they thought it would suddenly change our minds on this.
A little like a bad party hypnotist waving his hand in your face and saying,"you don't need to see our papers, these are not the funds you're looking for."

Subject: RE: BS: Band payment scam becomes revolting
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 18 Jul 05 - 02:09 PM

www.Pyrates.com

Nigel (Gratuitous Links Inc)

Subject: RE: BS: Band payment scam becomes revolting
From: M.Ted
Date: 19 Jul 05 - 11:15 AM

The FedEx part is not to avoid the mail fraud charges, it is part of the scam because, if they don't get your check quickly enough, you'll find out that their Money Order is counterfeit and stop payment--

The thing is, if the scam doesn't work, it costs them nothing but postage--they may pull this thing hundreds of times to get a few checks that actually clear--still, it must work, or they wouldn't keep doing it--

Subject: RE: BS: Band payment scam becomes revolting
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 19 Jul 05 - 11:19 AM

you spelled pirats wrong.

Subject: RE: BS: Band payment scam becomes revolting
From: GUEST,Emily S
Date: 21 Apr 08 - 12:05 PM

This scam has popped up again here in the US. My band was contacted through our website with a sort of generic "Hey, we need a band for a wedding" email. We emailed back asking for details. The gig would be about a 3 hour drive away. The guy sounded very genuine, decent grammar and had enough personal details to sound legit. He asked for an address to send a check to which I thought was a bit weird. Who pays musicians in advance? Anyway, an email a few days later said there was some trouble, blah blah and how about just sending our bank account number, etc and the money would be wired. Well that sent up all sorts of red flags. Emailed the guy back saying, no just send us a check, it'll get here soon enough and haven't heard back. Can't wait to hear what tragedy prevents the wedding to be cancelled.

Like Skivee who started this, we haven't been ripped off but just want people to know about this scam. Now that we know there are bogus gig offers out there we will have to do more to verify the legitimacy of any offers that do come from strangers. This becomes a bit awkward though questioning a potential offer...Any thoughts? We googled the address which ended up as an apartment complex rather than a "new home" and of course we didn't have an apartment number to go with the address.

This wasn't even a "sounds to good to be true." It was a reasonable gig offer.

Performers Beware!
Emily

Subject: RE: BS: Band payment scam becomes revolting
From: Skivee
Date: 21 Apr 08 - 01:43 PM

Death!... Death to them All! Arrrrr.

Subject: RE: BS: Band payment scam becomes revolting
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 21 Apr 08 - 02:23 PM

Seems to me that this type of scam can be avoided by simply instructing the inquiring party to telephone you to discuss details. If it's legit, they shouldn't have any problem with talking to a real person. If it's a scam, they'll look for another sucker.

Subject: RE: BS: Band payment scam becomes revolting
From: Skivee
Date: 21 Apr 08 - 02:27 PM

So you eschew the death option?

Subject: RE: BS: Band payment scam becomes revolting
From: katlaughing
Date: 21 Apr 08 - 03:26 PM

Fax them a contract and ask them to fax it back...signed. Make sure your contract has spaces for ALL of their pertinent data.

Subject: RE: BS: Band payment scam becomes revolting
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 21 Apr 08 - 03:45 PM

We advertised three items for sale in the local newspaper, and received identical replies, obviously all from the same source although different names were shown on the mailings.

The only variation was that the "excess" was to be forwarded to "someone who would arrange shipping" for the items.

As these obviously were scams, we made no reply. All three were forwarded to appropriate authorities - including the newspaper, the Better Business Bureau, local police e-crime unit, Postal service, County and State Attorneys General (both of whom have e-crime units) with NO RESPONSE FROM ANY OF THEM.

A member of the family who probably should not be named (it wa'nt me) subsequently "loaned" one of the items to a friend on agreement that he could try it out and would purchase it if he kept it. This was someone I've known for about 30 years, and "other person" considered a friend for more than ten, but since he left with the item (a modest guitar, agreed price $100.) we've been unable to contact him and haven't heard from him - going on three years now. (Although we have heard from collection agencies based on his using me for a character reference.)

Ya never know who you can('t) trust.

John

Subject: RE: BS: Band payment scam becomes revolting
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 22 Apr 08 - 11:53 AM

Such ill treatment, John. Next he'll use the guitar to play when he's ripping off your favorite song.

Subject: RE: BS: Band payment scam becomes revolting
From: GUEST,emily s
Date: 26 Apr 08 - 07:22 PM

Well, we just heard back from our scamming friend...He's said a terrible tragedy as struck. The groom's father has suffered cardiac arrest. They are postponing the wedding a few weeks and sincerely hope we can still play. They are also willing to "pay" us for our inconvenience of the postponement. I'm sure if we just give them our bank account number we'll get the payment in no time.
Just remember, if it smells bad (or too good to be true) it probably is.