CONSUMER ALERT A New scam, what will they think of next!!!!

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RParrish

RParrish

PFG, Picture Framing God
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Joined
Aug 26, 2006
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A2 Michigan
This morning I recieved a call from a communications service for the deaf, relaying a call for a suposedly deaf person. They wanted my email to send a quote into me for 200 8x10" frames, within a week. I told them it would be at least 2 months because I'm so backed up right now and they said fine...SCAM!!! The person had generic American name, and a Gmail address and wanted custom frames, but in 8x10? please, why not go get some ready mades. Stupid me I gave my email, but did not return their quote. I think I'll be updating my virus protection program and changing my passwords for extra prote
 
What's new about this??
 
There are about 2 dozen threads on here about this scam going back about 2 years.

The most recent was last week and another warning from Larson Juhl the week before that.

Was the generic name Kennedy or Reverend something, these seem to be the most common.

Thanks for the warning.
 
We get a few of these every day for years. :(

They find ya on the web usually.

Mike
 
I got a call yesterday from the relay system.
They asked for my email to get a kwote and when I told them they need to come into the store they disconnected.

Gee, wonder why?
 
I got a call last week something about a video translation form a hearing impaired person, can't remember exactly what they said. I said 'No Thank You' and hung up. They called right back. It was a legit call from a deaf customer I had in the previous week. On her end she does her hand signs and it is translated via a very lifelike computer voice to me. I felt awful. I will explain when she come in to pick up her artwork.
 
FraminGal said:
I got a call last week something about a video translation form a hearing impaired person, can't remember exactly what they said. I said 'No Thank You' and hung up. They called right back. It was a legit call from a deaf customer I had in the previous week. On her end she does her hand signs and it is translated via a very lifelike computer voice to me. I felt awful. I will explain when she come in to pick up her artwork.
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Yea that's why I took the call, I have a deaf relative working in the area and we talked about getting together.
 
I take the calls because I do have interactions with a couple of legitimate users of the relay system.

I still cannot figure out how the perpetrators of this scam make any money. People have even explained it here on the G. I cannot make it make sense in my head.
 
I tend to steel myself for a scam when relay calls come in, but there is the occasional legitimate one. I got one from a hearing-impaired experienced framer who was moving to my area and looking for work. She gave references which indeed checked out.

Meghan MacMillan said:
I still cannot figure out how the perpetrators of this scam make any money. People have even explained it here on the G. I cannot make it make sense in my head.
Click to expand...

Let me try my hand at explaining it then: They pay for the order using a phony payment method (stolen credit card, counterfeit money order, whatever). They OVERpay, either claiming that a mistake had been made or that the overpayment is to cover shipping. They don't want you to ship, though: they'll send over a guy in a U-haul to pick the stuff up. What they want you to do is to wire the amount of the overpayment back to them.

So: if the order is for $10000 they'll send you a "money order" for $12000. They then ask you to wire $2000 back to them via Western Union.

This works because of the delays in the banking system when dealing with phony checks or credit cards: you think you have $12000 in hand so you have no problem sending $2000 back. It takes a few days for the bad check to bounce, at which point you have:
  • $0 (value of worthless check)
  • -$2000 (the money you wired to them)
  • -$20 or so (bounced check fee from bank)

Oh, and if you had actually processed the order and delivered it, then you're also out the price of the materials and labor.

In the meantime, the scammer now has $2000 plus a big pile of frames that he can get a few bucks for, minus maybe a couple hundred for the U-haul rental. Still not a bad day's pay.
 
Don't any of the hearing impaired people who are legitimate customers have computers to email you?

My one customer who is stone deaf emails me whenever she needs to get ahold of me and lets me know she is coming in. While here she talks and I write my responses.

You all need to suggest it to your customers instead of the relay system for just this reason.
 
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