Watch out for scam emails!

Scam Email Alert

I get scam emails from time to time (in my spam folder) and hear about them frequently.  I've always thought I'd never fall for one, or even come close.  I thought I could spot them a mile away.

I received an email recently that had me puzzled.  I thought it was odd.  Here it is.....

 Hello,
I want to place an order from you to our store in The Netherlands. I want to know if you can ship here and accept MASTER OR VISA CREDIT CARD as a form of payment. Reply back asap.
Thanks

Weird, huh?  I decided to reply even though I thought it a bad idea to ship cookies to the Netherlands for resale.  Perhaps I'd get more details in the next email.  I was curious.  Here is that email....

Subject Line:  MY ORDER LIST::: AWAIT YOUR RESPONSE WITH THE TOTAL COST SOONER.

Hello,
Thanks for your reply back. Its a pleasure receiving your reply back. I want to order for the below items for my customer's here, I want you to reply back with the total cost plus shipping quote. We're ready and can't wait to receive these wonderful products if yours here.
Your utmost reply back with the total quote will be highly appreciated.

Large Cookie Favors
QTY.....................  80

Cookie Toppers
QTY.....................  80

Large Cookie Platters
QTY.....................  80

...ADDRESS  FOR THE SHIPPING QUOTE........
Hoofdstraat 90A,
8162 AD,
Epe,
The Netherlands.

Hope to read back from you with the total cost and we can proceed and finalized my order.

God bless you,
Jacob.

My thoughts after this email.......
This is definitely not right!
If you'd like to resell my cookies, why aren't you asking if I sell wholesale?
How fresh would these cookies be for your customers?
You want "large favors", "cookie toppers" and "platters"?  Huh?  Nothing specific?
Send you a price on this request?  Really?  How would I do that?
Weird just got weirder.

I let this email sit in my inbox for a few days.  There's no way that I was going to try to fill this order, but I wasn't sure that it was a true scam.  I mentioned it to my friend Meghan and she told me to google the entire email that I received from "Jacob".  What good advice!

I found it verbatim in the first entire page of google results.  These had different mailing addresses and signed by different names, but the exact same email.

Apparently the next email from "Jacob" will be to ask me to use his shipper.  Then give me one or two credit cards to charge.  Then ask me to send the shipping amount directly to the shipper.  Or something like this.  It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.  What does make sense is that he'll be using a stolen credit card.  The charge will be reversed.  He'll have his money and I'll be out my merchandise and the money.

Oh, and the type of merchandise you sell doesn't matter at all.  It's not just cookies.  It's anything.  Anyone that will fall for it.

So do I send another reply?  Tell him that he's a dirtbag thief?  Play along with him for a while, just to waste his time?  (That's what my son wanted to do!)

I just deleted the emails.  I won't let him waste MY time.

My advice to you is the same that Meghan gave me.....If you receive an email that raises red flags - google it.  If you find it - case closed.  If you don't find it, talk to someone about it before doing anything.  If you're at all unsure - pass on the deal.  Just don't do it.

Question for you: Have you received this same scam email?  Or another one?  Let us know in the comments.  It could help someone else to avoid falling victim to a scam.

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