Our studio is being scammed

[moracspace]

Hello,

Many thanks for your last email. My clients will be coming with every necessary information that you might need on 7th February to your country and they can present to you any needed information so that all of you will make the proper arrangements before you commence with the recording. You know I am only an agent and I am trying to secure a proper studio for them.

If 20 days is too small for the project, I believe they can still extend the date so they can be able to finish with whatever they want to do.

However, I was able to make an arrangement with a hotel and traveling pre-paid car hiring agent who will supply my clients with cars and other necessary things they will use throughout their stay with you. I will send check to you so please once you receive it and clear it, I plead with you to confirm your due amount and that of hotel logistics and kindly send to the agent their due amount via SWIFT WIRE TRANSFER. I will forward to you the details once this is confirmed. Do let me know how willing you are to assist me in this issue.

Please do remember that the integrity of our agency is involved, so this business requires prompt response. Please do call me if you have further questions. I also hope the stay of my clients in your studio will be made comfortable and we will build a better business relationship. I await your call now.

Cheers.
Ronnald

I will post the original email if anyone is interested.Everyone keep your eyes and ears open.Keep in mind this joker says he is an agent repping the group.
Thanks
Ray

[joelpatterson]

Yeah... but then, how often do you get the chance to record deposed Nigerian royalty?

[absrec]

What do you think he's trying to get from you?

-Aaron

[moracspace]

Well,he wants to send a check in an amount greater than the original quote.Then I must send back his fees.If you havent heard of this scam,you really should look in to it.

[PoorGlory]

How people fall for this shit is beyond me.

[moracspace]

Exactly

[noiseflaw]

Just keep the story rollin' for us here. I could do with a little light entertainment.

Why not just play with him a little, string him along......

Y'know - WITH HIS HEAD!.

[rydaken]

Welcome to the 419 Eater

[poncival]

From: "Ronnald Howard" <ronnaldhoward1@gmail.com>
Date: October 23, 2007 9:35:13 PM MST
To: <saltmine.com>
Subject: Enquiry
Reply-To: ronnaldhw@aol.com

Dear Sir/Madam,

Is your studio available for this date 11th February to 3th March 2008. Please confirm the availability of this date and get back to me as I wish to use your studio for my client's project which will begin on the date above. I await your mail.

Thanks,
Ronnald.



Begin forwarded message:

From: "Ronnald Howard" <ronnaldhoward@gmail.com>
Date: October 29, 2007 1:15:09 AM MST
To: <saltmine.com>
Subject: Get back to me.
Reply-To: ronnhoward@myway.com

Hello,

Please do get back to me so we can get this done.

Cheers,
Ronnald.


I'll post any updates as they become available...... Note different reply to addresses even though the send from address is the same..?

[cornutt]

If you take the check, hold the money for 30 days before you do anything. No less. Even if the check appears to clear initially, it's quite possible that it could take weeks for it to get flagged in the system. Even if it's a bank or cashier's check. Especially if it's drawn on a foreign bank.

Screw that wire transfer stuff. If they pay you by check, you pay them by check (assuming that their check is legit, which I'm guessing it isn't).

[Vandergraf]

Originally Posted by moracspace

Well,he wants to send a check in an amount greater than the original quote.Then I must send back his fees.If you havent heard of this scam,you really should look in to it.

Of course, DON'T DO IT!!!

My son is a PHP programmer. He had a guy send him a "money transfer" for $35000.00 . The deal was for $20000.00. He then kept waiting for my son to mention "the extra money". My son never did (being hip to this scam). The guy finally called him and told him that his secretary accidently sent too much money, and to please return the difference.

He asked me what to do, and I said "sit on for week or so".

Sure enough, week and a half later, the bank declared the whole thing a fraud. This is after my son called CitiBank three times to find out if this was legit, and tell them he believed he was being scammed. They kept telling him that "the money is really there" and encouraged him to spend it.

If he HAD spent the money he would have been in the hole for the difference. Turned out that the fraud guy WAS really in Nigeria, in spite of using a phone number with a Dubai exchange. When my son called his bluff, he told him that he knew what he was doing was illegal, and tried to recruit my son to help him!

The final kicker was that the scammer had mailed a money order to a CitiBank branch in San Diego, and CitiBank deposited it as a wire transfer, which it obviously was not!

Citibank then froze all three of my son's bank accounts, even his personal ones which were not even involved! This after he tried to tell them this was a scam!! What idiots! Don't believe the bank if they tell you that it is an OK deal. Sit on it for a while!

[krylenko]

Don't do it at all!

I'm too lazy to look up a citation, but I remember reading that a bank can actually press charges against you for depositing a fraudulent check... then the burden's on you to prove that you deposited it in good faith.

It's just not worth it... too bad some of the common 419 scam scams won't work with studio time.

[psycho_monkey]

Originally Posted by cornutt

If you take the check,

Ok stop right there. Don't take the cheque of course.

But by all means give them false bank details, bank names, client names, and generally wind them up by sounding very polite all of the time.

[alnico]

They tried this crap on me last year from the UK. I sniffed him out right away and told em to take a hike...

[gsilbers]

couldnt someone call the cops, fbi, who ever deals with frauds and get them to be involved so they take over the "transaction" and try to find him in his country?

[moracspace]

Thats a good question.I was wondering that my self.Im still in email contact with the weezle.I havent let on that im aware of the scam.

[narcoman]

Originally Posted by alnico

They tried this crap on me last year from the UK. I sniffed him out right away and told em to take a hike...

... well they wouldnt have really been in the UK. Its not possibl to do it from here - in some countries anyone can set up as a bank BUT you can do it here. If you try to wire tansfer money from the UK to th USA it will onl go if there is money in the first place. It will also transfer in 24 hours. The problem with "nigerian" accounts (from none bona fida banks) is that the "transfer" is sen without money in the account. When the actual fisal exchange takes place, some weeks later (not 24hours as in UK) then the fraud is discovered.

C'mon banks - you KNOW about this. The onus is on YOU to sort it out......

[bigbubbaj]

I am getting emails from the same dude.

Hello Justin,



I appreciate your prompt and warm response as regards to my enquiry in your studio. Let me 1st introduce myself, I am Mr. Ronnald Howard, an agent for travels and Tour here in UK. Do know that I contacted you based on the reference I got from my Clients that will be coming to record their albums in your studio.



They are group of 6 friends that formed a band group and have been performing live shows and now want to have an album of their own. They chose your studio as their choice of place to record under the sponsorship they got from the state Government of their country. Please note that they will record 2 different albums of gospel with the total of 8 tracks in each CD cassette. They informed me that the gospel songs that they want to record will be informed of blues.



They will start their recording at the date I gave you in my previous mail which is 11th February to 3rd March 2008 but they will arrive in your country by 8th February so that they can present to you their Demo and make other necessary arrangements with you for them to have a good recording time in your studio.



From the information left to me by my clients, they said they will record 8-10 Hours daily. The songs will be Digital recording but they will play some instruments by themselves like guitar, drums etc. They are on a musical programme now and will be preparing for their travel to your country soon. Please do get back to me via email or phone with any further questions as regards to this arrangement so we can get things done.



I will wait to hear back from you soon on the developments. Once more thanks and I pray that my clients will have a successful recording in your studio and we will have a good business relationship.



Cheers.







Ronnald Howard

Travels and Tours Ltd

E-mail: ronnhoward@myway.com

Tel: +44 704 572 3133

Fax: +44 700 596 1818

[Improv]

Originally Posted by poncival

Note different reply to addresses even though the send from address is the same..?

send from address is different, too.

[lowfreq33]

These guys are barking up the wrong tree. Studio cats have excellent radar for this kind of thing, probably because we're used to dealing with legitimate people trying to get over on us!

[gabetx26]

I have a guy trying to book time im my studio using $500 Macy's gift cards as payment. Do you think that could be a scam????

[donsolo]

def a scam. Those cards can be lifted and not activated...

so he's go a stack of really nice looking plastic cards with magnetic strips on them.

not $500.

[Master Tang]

I think I would take the opportunity to write Mr. Howard back, and tell him "Backdraft" really sucked.

[xmostynx]

Originally Posted by noiseflaw

Just keep the story rollin' for us here. I could do with a little light entertainment.

Why not just play with him a little, string him along......

Y'know - WITH HIS HEAD!.

HAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA DOOO ITT!! Take the check and rip it up, and let him think you fell for it. or better yet!!! TAKE THE CHECK write on it "FRAUD YOU FVCKIN DIRTY BASTARD"

and say one up for little folk trying to make a living!

btw...i only accept cash. there are no checks. money orders or cash...and i make everyone sign their and my invoice. nifty no problems yet!

[CrazyBeast]

me too... hmm

Originally Posted by bigbubbaj

I am getting emails from the same dude.

[Master C]

I bet you were excited for about two seconds....
What's up with these nigerians!!!!

Glad to see you didn't take the bait!

[ToddF]

I have Ronnald Howard emailing me to book time also.
I hate these scammers.

Need to come up with a good game to play with him.

Peace, Todd

[ToddF]

Originally Posted by gabetx26

I have a guy trying to book time im my studio using $500 Macy's gift cards as payment. Do you think that could be a scam????

That is a good one.

[Mikem]

Do NOT even try to deposit the check. I'm a public defender by day, and I've seen people prosecuted for forgery for trying to deposit a fake check. Forgery laws can be tricky--the person in possession of the forged writing can be PRESUMED to know it's a forgery, sort of shifting the burden to you.

Trying to deposit a check "just to see if it's good" is not a guaranteed defense--to the contrary, can lead to your conviction.

Feel free to mess with these people, but don't ever try to deposit anything they send you.