Another scam alert

[domenico Foschi]

In the past days I have been contacted by this individual, John Ayinla, who claimed to be interested in purchasing some of my prints for an exhibit.
It smelled fishy since the beginning but I decided to go ahead and checking on his behaviour to learn how this scam "artists" are developing their "craft".
I haven't still met one of them that deserve the "artist" nomination.


Check this links about this guy.

http://www.nabble.com/RE:-vague-requ...-p6259078.html
http://christo.absolutearts.com/arts...tml?1156269100

These are the emails I exchanged with the guy.

Hello,
My name is John Ayinla and I will like to purchase 3 Photo prints. I saw your Advert on photographersindex.com.
Can you provide photoprints with the following details: People/lifestyle/Landscape/wildlife photography on any print i.e colour/black&white matted on 12x24 , or the largest prints you have.

I am interested in purchasing any 3 of these specified. How much does each cost?

It is needed for an exhibition in Australia. Please let me know if you can provide these items, and the shipping cost for it. I will prefer FEDEX as shipping option.
I await your response soonest.
Regards,
John.



Hi John,

Is there something in my website you would like to purchase?
Thank you for the interest,

Domenico Foschi



Dear Domenico Foschi,
I checked out you website Your prints are quite fantastic, i really love your work, Please provide me with the following prints:
Image #1 - (under Leaves)
Image #3 - (under Leaves)
Image #7 - (under Tarnished Promises)
All matted out to 16X24,
I will be ordering these 3 prints from you for now, let me know what the total cost will be plus shipping for the 3 prints. i want the prints MATTED with window to 12x24 or 16x24, or the largest prints you have, not framed. I am interested in purchasing any of these specified.
The exhibition is slated for April 23rd but i will like to have them as soon as possible. let me know if there is anything else you will like to know, and please you can include what the total cost will be, so i can start making the arrangements for payment.
As regards payment I will give instruction to my clients there in the united states to send you a check in that amount, I will still be needing the address, and the name to which the payment will be sent to. Once i am in receipt of all the necessary information we can set up the transactions. I await your response soonest.
Regards,
John



John,

Thank you again for contacting me.

The sizes you are asking me are very unusual for the images you are requesting.
When you ask for 12x24 and 16x24 I wonder if you mean 20x24 and 16x20, in which case it means you need this images sizes matted in a bigger size, right?
12x24 is a size that doesn‚t corenspond to these images because it would be too long, for the 16x24 is the same but not as much.
Please advise so that I can send you a definitive estimate of the all package.
You say these images are for an exhibit, could you inform me in a little more details?
Also as payment I accept money order only to:
--
Domenico Foschi
7229 Painter Ave,# 4
Whittier, Ca 90602

I see that the time frame is not much but we will make it,

Sincerely,

Domenico Foschi



Thanks for the response Domenico Foschi,

What I want is the image size to be 12x20 and matted in a bigger size of 16x24. I hope this is clear now.

The exhibition is an art show, I am an art dealer and I offer only client based approached i.e the one-on-one personal meetings, I attend exhibitions too for clients, and right now i am teaming up with a partner in Australia to see to push my business a little from there. the name of his gallery is "vivid images" in Victoria The images are going to be displayed at the exhibition and hopefully get sold.

I will be expecting your definitive estimate of the all package. thankyou.

John Ayinla

[domenico Foschi]

Happened just now.

Dear Domenico, I have taken note of the sizes, there is no problem. I will order frames with according to the sizes you quoted. so you can go ahead and give me the estimate.
John



Hi John,
I have calculated the costs of matting and shipping, and the amount will be at USD 1800.00.
Thank you for the interest,

[Scott --]

The whole "my clients in the US will send payment" thing sounds a little wacko...

[PViapiano]

It will always be impossible to tell legit offers from bad, but always make it a practice to get the money up front and cleared first...then send the photos.

[Dave Parker]

Seems to me, it would be very easy, to decline to do business with him at this time and move on...if you have found information that makes you feel uncomfortable, that would seem to be the prudent course of action.

I just send a polite note back, telling them I am not interested at this time.

Dave

[alec4444]

I'd continue to wait for the check and hold off on any printing etc. until the check was received and cleared. Worst case scenario is the guy sends a bogus check. Best case scenario is that the guy sends a check and it clears. Either way you haven't expended a dime until full payment is received.

People can run into strange situations from time to time. If you want to judge how people run their lives or their business, that's cool. But you might lose a sale or two in the process.

I agree this sounds weird, but it's not really a "scam" as of yet.

--A

Oh, I see I just reiterated what "PViapiano" said in a more verbose way....oops.

[Ron Marshall]

Just state that you want payment by bank draft or certified check. Make sure even if it is certified that the bank clears it fully before shipping anything.

[Scott Davis]

I agree about the suspicious factor of "I will get a third party to pay you, if you ship it to me in (name foreign country here)". I'd adopt a paypal-like policy with these things - payment must originate from an address the same as the shipping destination. I had someone try to pull a fast one on me like that from a camera I had listed on APUG. I told him the camera would ship when the USPS Money Order had cleared my bank. I never heard another word from him.

Another giveaway that this is at best suspicious is the poor English skills of your correspondent. I'd expect an Aussie to make the occasional spelling mistake, but not have that hard a time with syntax.

[John Berry]

Or you could play the fish for a while?

[domenico Foschi]

I'd continue to wait for the check and hold off on any printing etc. until the check was received and cleared. Worst case scenario is the guy sends a bogus check. Best case scenario is that the guy sends a check and it clears. Either way you haven't expended a dime until full payment is received.

People can run into strange situations from time to time. If you want to judge how people run their lives or their business, that's cool. But you might lose a sale or two in the process.

I agree this sounds weird, but it's not really a "scam" as of yet.

--A

Oh, I see I just reiterated what "PViapiano" said in a more verbose way....oops.

Alec,
that's exactly what I am planning to do.
I wrote him I will only accept payment as money order to be on the safe side.
He sent me another email telling that the price was too high, so I went down a bit and he accepted.
The devil is in the details...

I do have a Paypal account but I rather not use it for many factors.
I will keep you posted in any case so that if you get contacted by this fellow you will know how to act.
If the man is honest, after having informed you, I will ask to delete the thread.
We'll see what happens next.