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Is this a scam?
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Yes, I just got the same email today.
OK – so what is he trying to do? Is it just the hopes of a small refund for “overpayment” by a check he sends that will never clear anyway? (Good luck on that one!) Is he trying to confirm where we have our valuable video camera gear stored? Or is it a fancy phishing routine which will be used later for nefarious purposes, once “he” confirms that “we” are a legit production company?
Most criminal acts have a discernable purpose. This one I find baffling.
But thanks to all for these posts, it has saved me from wasting time responding to Mr. James!
— PeterHorizon Pictures, Inc.
Wilson Wyoming -
What this type of scammer almost invariably does is “accidently” overpay and ask you to send them a check (or wire them the money) for the difference… or pays in full and then cancels a job and asks for a refund. Their original check, of course, is rubber.
I wouldn’t worry about them finding out where your gear is stored or anything like that (isn’t that going to be readily available info anyway?). In all likelihood these people are halfway around the globe, the chances of a drop-in are pretty slim.
As is any chance of catching them.
T2
__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
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[Todd Terry] “What this type of scammer almost invariably does is “accidently” overpay and ask you to send them a check (or wire them the money) for the difference… or pays in full and then cancels a job and asks for a refund. Their original check, of course, is rubber.”
Yep, get enough people to send some money to you and it adds up. It’s another variation on the Prince of Nigeria asking us to send him $10,000 so he can send us our unclaimed millions. Just a smaller version of it so it looks legit.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Editor, Colorist, Director, Writer, Consultant, Author, Chef.
HD Post and Production
Biscardi Creative MediaCraft and Career Advice & Training from real Working Creative Professionals
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Thank goodness for the COW. Thanks all for the heads-up!
Here’s the version of the scam email I received today:
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“We are Allan Patrick llc Romania looking for professional Video
Production Company to Film Our incoming event which 26th of
April in oregon United StateDescription
Project: To produce a short behind the scene style event
highlight video of the 2 day event. To possibly include Vox Pop style
interviews with eitherdelegates and or key speakers.
Project Detail,
Details of the Project
1,A full day Crew for 8 hours with 2 Camera
2.full production inclusive of editing
3.Promotional Event
4.] finished video going to be used for point of sale video, cable tv,
Kindly email us the Full Quote for the Project as soon as possible.
Allan”
===============—
https://www.peterdv.com
Blog: https://herefortheweather.wordpress.com -
Yeah, I guess you are right, but it still is a concern to me.
Bob
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I’m the OP and here’s my new theories on this:
• They are targeting the video industry because they MUST have had some previous successes. Perhaps they are also hitting up other industries but ours is ripe for prospects holding out a carrot, we respond, they make a deposit and book us. They’re probably trolling similar industries, probably in the live event sphere I bet. It is rare for freelance communities to share information but we have this forum! Yippee!
• We all know that our banks want 3-5 business days to clear the checks we deposit. So, someone in our biz saw their deposit check had cleared and decided to “keep” the scammers money but send a portion back. My theory is that someone thought they were scamming the scammer. However, when a check bounces on the bank they route it again before declaring it non-sufficient funds and this takes more days. When I brought in Allen’s worthless $4900 check to see if it was legit the banker told me they could take up to two weeks before declaring it rubber. But if I did deposit this worthless check they would immediately give me $400, however, I’d have to pay it back when the check bounced.
All of this is in the fine print on the forms we sign and don’t understand when we open a checking account. So it is plausible that an otherwise intelligent person in the video production industry deposited a check that didn’t smell quite right, yet when they saw it “cleared” in their deposit ledger online they felt they could send part of the money back to the scammer because after all, it did clear. That’s my theory.
I don’t believe anyone making a living in the hyper competitive world of video production could be so dumb as to fall for this scam but I do believe that if they thought erroneously that the check had really cleared and the funds were in their account, they may have sent a portion back figuring they put one over on the scammer.
Ned Miller
Chicago Videographer
http://www.nedmiller.com
www,bizvideo.com -
I not only responded to one of these emails I got a check today. They told me their budget was $3200. I sent them an estimate for $4900, no arguments and the check is for $4900.There is only one small problem. I called the bank which the cashier’s check was drawn against Public Service Credit Union. They have no record of the check being issued. It’s funny that the check was signed by the bank’s ex CEO, he’s no longer there. Also the letter’s return address is from a college in Colorado Springs, but the tracking info says it came from Waynesville, NC.One special part of their request was for a video of the meeting and interviews with attendees, but their stated use of the video is for point of sales. It would make interesting viewing at some store.
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Hi everyone!
I also got this e-mail:
We are looking for professional Video Production Company to Film Our
incoming event in Spain 6th,& 7th,of December2016.
Description
1.]Project Part 1: To film all the presentations of speakers between
12pm and 2pm over 2 days in Film in Pr,Capturing the audio and any
Power Point slides (if used).Project Part 2: To produce a short behind the scene style event
highlight video of the 2 day event. To possibly include Vox Pop style
interviews with either delegates and or key speakers.Format….HD
Budget…….€10,000
Camera….2
Speakers….4
Assist us to look for your Nearest Event Center for the Project.
Kindly email us back with Proposal with any other Equipment that we
may need to use for the eventWaiting to read from you soon
Shezmina
The most amazing thing is that I was looking for this company and it exists and the manager´s name is Shezmina…
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Well, you never know. Just because the English grammar is a little rough that doesn’t mean it’s a scam. Since I started this thread way back in February I was contacted by a French marketing agency to film and edit two videos at a trade show at our largest convention hall in Chicago. I thought, “Oh no, here we go again.” But it turned out to be a real gig! They had a real website. The principals of the company appeared on the internet. Etc. But the original wording of their first email looked like one of the scammers returning.
What you have to look out for is: After you present your estimate they will come up with a reason as to why they have to send an Advance Payment. After they do that they will tell you that the gig was cancelled and to please send the money back but keep perhaps 35% for yourself. That is the red flag for the scam.
Also, they list a 10,000 Euro budget. That is very high for a two day shoot and edit, especially since you are only filming two hours per day. So to me that is a red flag.
However, there are fools out there and perhaps this woman’s boss told her to “find a video service and don’t spend over 10,000 Euros!” I have seen that plenty of times. Every gig starts with a phone call or email so you must run this down, it may be a good lead. Let us know.
Goo luck,
Ned
Ned Miller
Chicago Videographer
http://www.nedmiller.com -
All,
Well, this scammer has re-surfaced as Ubna Farouq at Quest Ltd (UAE).
Same MO, same RFP. Am playing along to get the check in hand to submit to the authorities.
The check was to arrive yesterday (Saturday) via USPS. I was at the office Saturday taking care of some paperwork and waiting for the mail – never arrived.
So I got an email this morning from Ubna asking if I received the payment since the tracking number showed it not been delivered. I responded back that I was there all day and didn’t receive the letter.
I also noted that at this point I would have to decline accepting their job (it starts this Tuesday) and I hoped they could find another production company that could handle their needs.
The return email from Ubna said that “there shit planning would cause the deligates to miss the meeting so we will schedule on 8 and 9 September.”
Will see what I get tomorrow in the mail!
Regards,
Chuck
Big Bad Wolf Creative Group
Fort Worth, Texas
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