Need help! Is it a scam?
August 3rd, 2016
I’m staying at home seeking for a job, meanwhile I post an ad on craiglist that I can repair computer. Then 2 days later I receive an email and doubt that may be a scam, it could be a good deal if I take only 50$ each but I’m not sure. If you know what may happen to me, please tell me. Thank you so much!!
Here’s the email:
”
Good afternoon Tech. I’m AnnBoggs from new york. I came accross your ad on craigslist.com and I read your description & talents. I hereby declare to you that I’m interested in your services. Please I will need your services with no delay as I am planning on shipping some computer’s into your city soon .
I currently work in Germany so I will need your urgency on this issue as further delays might affect the nature of my business. I will be importing some computers into the states soon to an old friend. The PC are DELL laptops ( CENTRINO). I want you to Install ;-
– Softwares(includes… anti virus,Microsoft excel,power point,adobe page maker,Microsoft office,coral draw, power dvd and latest dvd player )
– clean inner & outer computer components and
– update the software’s to current status.
They’re about 20 Dell Laptops. I have a shipping company that will ship them to and from you . So no worries about that .
I will make provision for all listed softwares above that are to be installed on each of the laptops , and will provide each drivers/license keys for these softwares .
Having read the informations above . I will like you to get back to me with a price for 20 Computers considering the fact that I will ship 20 Dell laptops to you .Please let me know what your rates are and I will like to know the turn around time you’ll have for the project.
I will like you to know this wont be an end to our transaction as I will be able to introduce you to more of my friends in this field depending on charges as we recently lost the guy that does all these for us. I want these taken care of as soon as possible .
I might have more work for you in the near future. Let’s see…Let me know if you’ll accept a check or money order as your mode of payment. I will instruct my client in the states to issue out the payment to you as soon as we reach a conclusion as you may receive an over payment check to be cashed by you at your banking place/trust account and you will need to pay for the shipping when the shipper gets the laptops to you . Is that clear and acceptable by you?
Get back to me as soon as possible and let me know a better price and let me know if you will be able to complete this for us soon.
I await your urgent response so I can put arrangements in order.
Thanks
A.Boggs.
“
Personally, I wouldn’t.
And here is the story before that email. I received an email from a guy name XYZ, he had 7 Dell laptop and need me to do 7 tasks:
“1 Format Hard Drive
2 Instal Win Xp with Service Pack 2
3 Microsoft Office Package
4 AVG Virus Software (Free Lifetime Updates)
5 Adobe Acrobat
6 Laptop Cleaning of the keyboard, screen and other case.
7 Diagnostics of the entire system after to check hard, cdrom, floppy, etc. Get back to me with your total cost for the services of 7 units. I will pay you with a certified check . I await your urgent response so that i can make Moving arrangements and payment as soon as possible”
I replied that I could charge 55-65$, and he’s ok with that and wrote: “Do send me your full name and address and your phone number unfailingly,so as to prepare the check and shipping of the laptops to your address.”
But I wanted to know his contact infomation, he did not answer, here is the last communication:
Me: “Dear James I email just want you to know that I can’t work on if either I don’t know your contact information or you are from country outside of USA. So if you are so, please do not ship your machines.
Thanks,”
XYZ: “Yes i live in west des moines in iowa…so get back to me as soon as you recieve the package and hope you gonna work greatly on my units…”
As you can see, he did not get to the point. He did send the package. He knew my my name, address and phone number and I know nothing from him. I’m seriously think that may be it is a scam but I don’t know what it is. What shouls I do when the pakage arrive, should I return it?
I am really appreciate your apprehension on things like that and reply me. (Image it is a CSI case )
PS: As I afraid of scam and see that it is hard to make money like this, I deleted the post and give up doing that. This XYZ is my first customer and he may be a scam.
That is so funny, I was always getting e-mails from an A.Boggs, seriously…I remember that name clearly. he was trying to ship me funds from his emperor…LOL,LOL. and needed an American contact,LOL LOL. He was from Nigeria.(That is what I found out later after I reported the e-mail to the FBI Internet fraud team.)Helps to have family in DC Just do as has done, and request Co. info and contact info. The rest is easy, follow up and do some research. Honestly though, I think that is a SCAM. Best of luck I would be interested in finding out what happens…keep us (me) informed.
Tks for your replies. Since I did not reply the email they did not email me anymore. Surely I’ll keep you guys informed, bit hopefully nothing happen to me
Recently I received lots of strange call, some call with “Unavailable No”, I pick up but there’s no voice on on line. It turned me to remember the story I heard in WA, a guy receives an ad call, they offer a good deal so he talk with the Ad guy for awhile, definitely it’s not happened, but they have the guy’s name, address and his voice and recorded the sound like “yes”, “of course”.. And then a month later they charge him an amount of money with the prove of the call which they may mixed it up in their dialogue.
I’m sure that all it is about!