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Urgent: In need of help to know if the offer I received is real or fake

by awledd
26 replies
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Yesterday I received an email asking me about
a natural product that I could not fulfil easily.
How can I be sure of its authenticity? The email is
a domain email but even in autoresponders we can insert any email
in the from section. How can I know the offer is real?
they also have given me address and tel no. Your insight
is appreciated.
  • Profile picture of the author Dan Riffle
    You're going to need to expand your question, methinks.
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  • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
    Best practice: Never buy anything offered in spam emails. Do not reward them for spamming you.
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  • Profile picture of the author awledd
    No. I can say that it is not spam because they read what I wrote in my website and asked me if I can provide them metric tones of that product. Simple as that. They have all the address and tel no. And their email is domain email.

    Is there anyway that we can proof the email is sent from that domain? I am asking this b/c some spam softwares and autoresponders can add any email in the from space.
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    • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
      Originally Posted by awledd View Post

      No. I can say that it is not spam because they read what I wrote in my website and asked me if I can provide them metric tones of that product. Simple as that. They have all the address and tel no. And their email is domain email.

      Is there anyway that we can proof the email is sent from that domain? I am asking this b/c some spam softwares and autoresponders can add any email in the from space.
      OK, I misunderstood your original post. Emails can be spoofed. However, if you write back to them at the domain in question, and they reply, I'd think that was pretty good assurance it came from that domain in the first place.

      Other than that, is this a service they would pay you to provide. Make them pay half to all up front. If they do, good chance it's real.
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    • Profile picture of the author Midnight Oil
      Originally Posted by awledd View Post

      I can say that it is not spam because they read what I wrote in my website and asked me if I can provide them metric tones of that product.
      Don't be so sure. Does your email look even remotely like the one below?

      My name is ________ i will like to place an pick up order. Will you be able to make food for 250 people on the 26th of October and it will be pick up in your store by 3pm let me know if you can handle it. Am gonna need grilled chicken sandwiches for 250 peoples i want the
      sandwiches individual lunch box and i want 250 chips in small bag okay and the date i need them is 26th of October and it will be pick up by 3pm in your store by my private shipper agent so let me know if you can handle that for me on that date and ready for pick up by 3pm because am ready to make you advance payment if you give me the total cost. I will also like to know the type of credit card you do accept for payment.Hope to hear from ssyou soon
      This is a scam that's been going around for quite a while. Not just restaurants, but any business that can sell bulk items. Just from what little info you've provided here, I wouldn't touch it.
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      • Profile picture of the author derekwong28
        "My name is ________ i will like to place an pick up order. Will you be able to make food for 250 people on the 26th of October and it will be pick up in your store by 3pm let me know if you can handle it. Am gonna need grilled chicken sandwiches for 250 peoples i want the
        sandwiches individual lunch box and i want 250 chips in small bag okay and the date i need them is 26th of October and it will be pick up by 3pm in your store by my private shipper agent so let me know if you can handle that for me on that date and ready for pick up by 3pm because am ready to make you advance payment if you give me the total cost. I will also like to know the type of credit card you do accept for payment.Hope to hear from ssyou soon"

        I find this very odd, I wonder if it is a hoax rather than a scam?

        If successful, the scammer would have to sell 250 sandwiches quickly and he could be easily caught by the police.
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    • Profile picture of the author seasoned
      Originally Posted by awledd View Post

      No. I can say that it is not spam because they read what I wrote in my website and asked me if I can provide them metric tones of that product. Simple as that. They have all the address and tel no. And their email is domain email.

      Is there anyway that we can proof the email is sent from that domain? I am asking this b/c some spam softwares and autoresponders can add any email in the from space.
      Sending mail as you describe is an old trick. It can even be AUTOMATED on some commercial and/or opensource software! The header should be hard to forge as a particular system should fail to honor a forged system. The FROM address is not generally enforced, but that is IT!

      Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author Dan Riffle
    Beyond checking the header information of the email, I don't know what to tell you. Maybe Seasoned will pop in. He has an almost human computer-like understanding of such things.

    What makes you think the request is fake? To me, this seems like a typical request from a customer. What's tripping you're alarm?
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  • Profile picture of the author awledd
    Sure it most likely is real but I talked to one supplier and he asked me "what if it is fake?" I said let me make sure, I'll let you know. Suppliers do not want waste time or money so i am trying to make things as smooth as possible. BTW I have no experience with such kind of thing and I intend to charge for brokering or something if the deal succeeds.
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  • Profile picture of the author awledd
    I will see what I can do. Will report the outcome. The deal is in several millions (for them) Will report here how it goes in a few days.
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    • Profile picture of the author Horny Devil
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      Originally Posted by awledd View Post

      Will report the outcome. The deal is in several millions
      I presume we're talking rupees, cambodian riel, or some other such currency here. :rolleyes:

      Originally Posted by awledd View Post

      Will report here how it goes in a few days.
      Can't wait. I've cancelled all my appointments and ordered a 3 day supply of Bud and pretzels, in anticipation.

      Seriously. Why do you feel an obligation to report your, *ahem*, Wall Street dealings, to the fantasy island section of WF?
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      • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
        Originally Posted by Horny Devil View Post

        Can't wait. I've cancelled all my appointments and ordered a 3 day supply of Bud and pretzels, in anticipation.

        Seriously. Why do you feel an obligation to report your, *ahem*, Wall Street dealings, to the fantasy island section of WF?
        Voted "Funniest post today" by Claudius

        Originally Posted by Dennis Gaskill View Post

        Why would someone contact you out of the blue, with a multi-million dollar business proposal, when you have no experience and no track record in this area.

        Think about that huge red flag.
        Wow. I think we have a winner here for "Best most obvious thought that nobody else considered".
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    • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
      Originally Posted by awledd View Post

      BTW I have no experience with such kind of thing and I intend to charge for brokering or something if the deal succeeds.
      Originally Posted by awledd View Post

      The deal is in several millions (for them) Will report here how it goes in a few days.
      Why would someone contact you out of the blue, with a multi-million dollar business proposal, when you have no experience and no track record in this area?

      Think about that huge red flag.
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  • Profile picture of the author yukon
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    Was the email from a prince?
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  • Profile picture of the author derekwong28
    You should write back to that e-mail address asking for more information. If they respond, then it should be genuine. You are then left with a transaction of a size that should be handled by experienced people or companies.
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  • Profile picture of the author bizgrower
    NO advance payment by credit card or cashiers check.
    Cashiers checks can be faked and you or your client would be responsible for the amount of the cashiers check. Ditto, kind of (huge hassle anyway), if they use a fraudulent card and try for a refund.

    bank wire transfer or escrow.com only

    Nothing fake in their dealings with you from this point on.

    Did you Google their domain name and check to see if it is a real
    company?
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  • Profile picture of the author awledd
    The business is real I checked it in google map. It is right there. Though I do not have experience in things like this, my aim for creating that page is to work like a broker. Too much for my mind though - so help me God!
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    • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
      Originally Posted by awledd View Post

      The business is real I checked it in google map. It is right there. Though I do not have experience in things like this, my aim for creating that page is to work like a broker. Too much for my mind though - so help me God!

      Seeing that you resurrected this thread, I'd point out one last thing...

      This may not apply in this case, but it may be food for thought for another time or for someone else who may read this thread.

      What you have said, that the business is real because it's on Google maps, is meaningless in and of itself. There are a lot of businesses that don't have websites. A scammer could find one fairly easily, open a website posing as that business, and start sending emails out in their name. A little due diligence would show what you found, they have an address. More due diligence is required to ensure the person sending the email is actually connected to the real business.
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      • Profile picture of the author Kay King
        I haven't been in this type of market before (grain export) some idea came to mind, I tried to generate traffic and I started getting some requests from abroad about that specific seed which is the main export in our country. I tried to became a broker between the buyer and the seller/exporter. The price difference was too much to reconcile.
        Sounds like you tried to broker a product you know little about. Unlikely to end well.
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  • Profile picture of the author awledd
    Ok after several email messages, we could not agree on the price. He said something like $1900 per Metric Tonne of the product and the exporters I talked with said $2450/MT. Deal ended unsuccessfully. I also received emails from other buyers but still not successful due to price and other specifications. I hope I will make something out of this.
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    • Profile picture of the author tagiscom
      Originally Posted by awledd View Post

      Ok after several email messages, we could not agree on the price. He said something like $1900 per Metric Tonne of the product and the exporters I talked with said $2450/MT. Deal ended unsuccessfully. I also received emails from other buyers but still not successful due to price and other specifications. I hope I will make something out of this.
      I would expand on your business offer in your sig file! :rolleyes:


      Unless you have very deep pockets, this is sure to be a dodgy offer, or something that doesn't work because of this and that!


      Best to start off small!


      I have fallen for these sorts of things, over the years, 99% of the time, they are a crock......!

      I might be wrong here, but l am probably not! Sounds like you are getting excited about this, which means as they are hoping you thinking with your emotions instead of your logic. A sure way to loss!

      Best of luck!


      Shane
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      • Profile picture of the author Kay King
        I don't get this thread at all. If you are acting as a broker of any product - you have to know what the product sells for...what the bottom line price is.

        You can advertise an artificially low price and get traffic/inquiries - but if the product/produce isn't sold at that low price, what's the point?
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  • Profile picture of the author awledd
    I haven't been in this type of market before (grain export) some idea came to mind, I tried to generate traffic and I started getting some requests from abroad about that specific seed which is the main export in our country. I tried to became a broker between the buyer and the seller/exporter. The price difference was too much to reconcile. Though the first and second leads fail, I hope to make it in the future. Good luck for me!
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