Expat scams - have you been had?

[frogblogger]

Have any of you ever been scammed? I don't mean just the 'surcharge' that we sometimes get from the average French plumber , builder etc...

I've just posted a curious 'job offer' in the Expat Lounge. It seems to be directly targeting the expat community, and appears to be too good to be true. Which usually means that it is...

Check out the offer email copy/pasted into the Lounge thread.

[brucesarn]

Originally Posted by frogblogger

Have any of you ever been scammed? I don't mean just the 'surcharge' that we sometimes get from the average French plumber , builder etc...

I've just posted a curious 'job offer' in the Expat Lounge. It seems to be directly targeting the expat community, and appears to be too good to be true. Which usually means that it is...

Check out the offer email copy/pasted into the Lounge thread.

Hi, I'm a recently retired London Met Detective with a lot of experience of this scam - was very common back in the 90's in the UK, normally Nigerian run, they use naive punters to shop for consumables using supplied stolen credit card details, either the physical card or details from the internet. The purchases are then posted onto mail drops, post office boxes etc. You take the risk for them basically - on reading the advert the English grammar falters every now and then indicating a foreign scribe.
Whoever is foolish enough to enter into this arrangement risks arrest and a possible prison sentence - and I suspect here in France it would be a substantial penalty as well. It is not sufficient defense to claim ignorance, the law still requires you to use common sense and sound judgement when undertaking any business arrangement - €500 a week for making purchases for an anonymous individual using numerous credit card details is highly suspect at the very least.
Please beware of these parasites. Bruce.

[frogblogger]

Thanks Bruce, the voice of reason.

[GALLUS]

Wat our distinguished friend calls Nigerian scam, is in fact based on simple VERY attractive offer, on the border of legality most times but not always.

Job offers are also in the list of what is called advanced fee fraud. Where the victim is asked to pay a fee (company regsitration or all sort of fee, or costs) in order to obtain his/her full money in return.

In the job offer you posted Bev, it reminds me of stolen Credit Cards schemes where an organised crime group was purchasing luxury goods (via internet or in shops) with the assistance of tourists (accomplices) and residents alike, and these goods were exported back by these tourists or others, some were exported by post or courriers.

I have noticed these schemes in several countries including France. Most unfortunately none of them were Nigerian. Even if Nigerian are extremely creative when it comes to crime.

The writing style and the type of offer points at a particular continent 'though. Bev I suggest you moderate this offer.

[Bevdeforges]

Originally Posted by GALLUS

In the job offer you posted Bev, it reminds me of stolen Credit Cards schemes where an organised crime group was purchasing luxury goods (via internet or in shops) with the assistance of tourists (accomplices) and residents alike, and these goods were exported back by these tourists or others, some were exported by post or courriers....

Whoa, that one wasn't my post. It was Frogblogger's - but I believe he laid it out quite plainly as a con in order to set up the discussion.
Cheers,
Bev

[frogblogger]

As Bev says, and all other posters seem to have understood the purpose behind the thread, going by their comments.

[Matou]

Originally Posted by GALLUS

Wat our distinguished friend calls Nigerian scam, is in fact based on simple VERY attractive offer, on the border of legality most times but not always.

Well, our "distinguished friend" mentioned naive persons being paid for using stolen credit cards details to purchase goods and sending them to their "employers".
I can tell you for sure that, as far as French law is concerned, this is not just on the border of legality this is a combination of the "délits" of "escroquerie" (i.e. con --- as regards the seller of the goods) and "recel" (i.e. receiving of stolen goods --- for detaining the stolen credit cards details). Both can be punished by a maximum of 5 years of prison. Being just naive will be no excuse because no one is supposed to ignore the law and any reasonable person should have doubts when someone provides him/her with "unknown" credit cards details...
Cheers