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Just want to give a heads up to all of my fellow t-shirt makers:
I received an "order" through e-mail for 250 tees. The manner in which the e-mail was written smells fishy.
The person "ordering" the shirts gives no specifics as to color or shirt, color of ink, etc., just the number of shirts, sizes, and the wording he wants on there. And, that because they are going overseas, his "freight agent" will pick them up.
I replied with a price per piece, and told him that advance payment would be required. He tells me to go ahead, and he will pay by Master Card.
What makes this more suspicious, is that it came in just after I had posted an ad on Craigslist about a sample sale that I'm having in the store.
I'm deciding now if I'm going to reply back and tell him I need the billing address of the card, and the name of the bank issuing the card so that I can check the card. I would also tell him that I will ship myself, or that he can do a UPS, FedEx, or whatever call tag for pick-up, but I will not release to a nameless "freight agent".
My husband, a musician and music teacher advertises on Craigslist for lessons. Almost every time he puts his ad up, we get at least one scam e-mail.
This one sounds an awful lot like someone has either a stolen credit card, or has managed to obtain a credit card in someone else's name.
I just want to let you all know about this, so that you can be aware, in the event that you receive a similar "order".
One certain African country is always trying to pull off these sort of dodgy scams. Sometimes looks like half the population of that country are involved in Internet frauds.
Never release anything until you get paid in full. Beware the collection driver that turns up 'knowing nothing about payment - they're just the driver'. Once something gets put in an international container, its gone forever.
I wrote this guy back, and told him I'd need full information for the credit card, including the name of the issuing bank. I'm just sure this is a stolen card, or a card obtained through identity theft -- I 'd like to get in touch with the fraud department of the bank that issued the card to alert them.
I also told him that I release only to UPS, FedEx, DHL, or US Post Office when they present me with a pre-paid call tag.
He didn't like that very much, and said he will get back to me with the card information. We'll see.
The whole thing is very fishy...and this is how these rings work. They hire "order processors" to place the orders. They used to hire people to "receive packages", now they send some "freight agent" to pick up the goods.
This guy calls himself a Reverand...I guess that's supposed to make me just automatically trust him. LOL
The thing they do with the music lessons is send an e-mail saying something like "I will be visiting your country for 3 months. I want my son to have music lessons 5 days a week, for 3 hours a day. Tell me how much, and I will send a cashiers check". Although of course, like the other e-mail I received, they can barely string a sentence together, much less punctuate it. It's sooooooo obvious that it's a scam.
I assure you that you will never hear back from him since you aksed about the card. Iget these emails everday and I am never very nice in my replies
LOL...you're so right. He did reply challenging the delivery requirements. He said he'd get back to me with the credit card number...that will never happen!
One certain African country is always trying to pull off these sort of dodgy scams. Sometimes looks like half the population of that country are involved in Internet frauds.
Never release anything until you get paid in full. Beware the collection driver that turns up 'knowing nothing about payment - they're just the driver'. Once something gets put in an international container, its gone forever.
I would add to that: DON'T EVEN ORDER ANYTHING UNTIL YOU'RE PAID IN FULL. And, if you're suspicious, get more information than you normally do, and quote a longer turn around time so you can make sure the payment is legit.
I have my credit card terminal set up so that the customer has to give me their full billing address, and it must match the one at their bank. Just an little extra precaution.
All of the products I sell are strictly cash with order. I don't even commence an order until I am paid in full. Every parcel I send out has a proof of posting certificate obtained from the post office.
Trouble with the Internet, is that besides offering trade with other nations, it also gives rogues in other countries, the ability to operate on a worldwide global platform. Scams existed before the Internet, but now they seem a lot more widespread.
I don't get many web orders -- my site is really more an on-line catalog for my customers. Most of my business is in store, or phone with pick-up in store.
Most of my web orders are local, repeat customers who know my work.
I use USPS 3 Day Priority mail most of the time because they provide proof of delivery. I don't sell or ship outside of the US.
Good rule of thumb, Dreamglass..."if in doubt, don't send it out".
I had a similar incident happen to me about a year ago. I was on advertising on craigslist for some items I had for sell. Once someone replied to my e-mail, I started getting all kinds of emails from different people saying I won something or they want me to sign for some type of inheritance. Next thing I know, I have a 3,000 dollar cashiers check in my hand. I took it to my bank and I told the manager how I received the check. She said" Just because you cash a check doesn't mean it's any good. Once it would have came back NSF, I would have been charge the full amount". Remember these words BE CAREFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for the warning, I would never process a order through email without 100 % of money up front. ...... JB
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I had a similar incident happen to me about a year ago. I was on advertising on craigslist for some items I had for sell. Once someone replied to my e-mail, I started getting all kinds of emails from different people saying I won something or they want me to sign for some type of inheritance. Next thing I know, I have a 3,000 dollar cashiers check in my hand. I took it to my bank and I told the manager how I received the check. She said" Just because you cash a check doesn't mean it's any good. Once it would have came back NSF, I would have been charge the full amount". Remember these words BE CAREFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Glad to hear that the bank manager was looking out for you.
Thanks for the warning, I would never process a order through email without 100 % of money up front. ...... JB
No, I would not either. But in this particular case, even getting all the money up front wouldn't have saved me any grief if I had taken the order.
It was clear from his first e-mail that it was fishy. Starting with who the hell just orders 250 shirts, (especially without any color, font, or ink color specs) over e-mail from a shop they have never worked with before?
I have some regular customers who order via e-mail, but they know that I don't begin to process the order until they call me with a credit card number.
There is alot of these going around to sign shops too.. for banners..
usually saying something.. like God Is Good.. or Feed the Children
What they try to do is give you stollen credit card number.. or fake cashiers check.. and they will make the payment more that the shirt order is.. So you can then pay the freight out of it.
Which of course is just some partner of theres.. who they want you to give like 1,000 dollars to or more.. of your money..
They dont really even want the shirts or banners.. they are after the money that they will want you to give the fake shipping guy..
The way I handle it.. is by tellin gthem I will only accept payments in cash lol..
they go away quick
There is sophisticated automated software that trawls the internet lifting millions of email links from adverts and web sites. These email lists are then sold on to others.
There are a few ways around this. Use a 'disposable' hotmail account for your publicly viewable email. When you get innundated with email at a later stage, simply cancel it and start up another. Avoid putting email links on web sites, use a web form instead. Invest in a 'mail washing' program that views your mails on the server before you download onto your computer. You can 'bounce back to sender' the dodgy ones.
I work online, but for retail shops, I'd invest in the biggest dog you can find.
Fishy E-mail Order 
