I wanted to draw to your attention a scam that is doing the rounds
at the moment that has very nearly caught a number of companies out and
may very well effect a large number of Conference News readers.
We have recently been in receipt of an from a Mr Teddy Williams as follows:
“ Hello,
I will like to contract your services with respect to my wife’s birthday
(Mrs Jasmine Williams) scheduled to hold on the 24th August 2012. I
will like you to take charge of the arrangements. Mrs Williams (my wife)
happens to be from your country and this birthday celebrations is meant
to be a surprise package that is to say she is not aware of this
arrangement. Please get back to me with any of the services which you
can provide as regards the birthday arrangement for my wife.
– Vehicles /hotel transfers for the guests – (coaches transportation)
– location for the Birthday party
–
lodging for the guests for an estimate of twenty people(arriving on the
23rd of Aug – and departing on the 26th (morning) of Aug)2012
– Birthday cakes and Flower decorations
– Sight seeing tours for the guest/ boat tours – (25th August)
– DJ Sound and flower decoration
The Birthday Budget is at the range of 24,000 GBP for now and it
remains very flexible pending our final conclusion. Please do let me
have the details of all I should know as regards the arrangement.
Estimates and calculations should be based on the
quoted budget.
Do get back to me asap via e-mail.”
I understand that as
part of the scam not only are many organisations wasting valuable time
in putting together a proposal and going on to book services but ‘Mr
Williams’ goes on to advise that payment will be made by credit card via
our ‘POS machine’ with the intention to pay for services by a bogus
credit card and then seek to gain a fraudulent refund.
Upon initial reading the above can be perceived to be somewhat
genuine, particularly given the nature that we along with many other
providers to the UK events industry deal with clients where English is
not their native tongue which can go some way to explain the poor
English.
There is a blog on the subject which can be found here.
Have you been sent this email? If so, please email conferencenews@mashmedia.net
