Possible Scam - shipping to Europe

[Terry Hayden]

So, now I have the final scam revealed.

After some back and forth it turns out that the real money source for these
dipsticks is in a false shipping front.

Supposedly the purchaser would only accept shipments through this phantom
shipping outfit.

They ( really same person I'm sure ) insisted that the only way to pay for shipping
was with a Western Union Moneygram.

Tah Dah! That's where the money gets to them. They give a phoney Mastercard
# to cover the prints and shipping. You fork out a couple hundred for shipping to
a moneygram drop location. Then the card bounces and you are out the shipping
charge.

When I asked the buyer to provide a scan of the front & back of their card as well
as a scan of their photo ID - they responded indignantly that they would never do this.

I checked the alleged addresses given for the shipping companies H.Q. in England
using google streetview. One was a noodle shop and the other was a womens dress shop.

I also got an email from a graphic artist in New York that apparently got the same scam request - he saw my note here and contacted me.

So, if anyone gets a note from Shan Oakes, allegedly in Lichtenstein, this is what it's
really about.

The initial ego rush was nice, but like so much of life - not real.

[Mike Anderson]

Hush Delivery Service: "When it Absolutely, Positively must be a scam."

...Mike

[Arne Croell]

I got a similar request for some of my images on my US email account from a "Crystal Brons"(crystal001brons@ymail.com) supposedly from Moldova, end of August. I searched for the name on the web and couldn't find any, which was a bit suspicious to start with. When I answered them that I live part time in Europe and would happily receive a wire transfer from them on my European account (the standard way to send money in Europe), I never heard back. Case closed.

[Terry Hayden]

Just got another note from someone contacted by the
same "Shan Oakes" alegedly in Lichtenstein.

Seems they are quite busy.

This shows the wonderful power of web based communication
boards like this.

Both the fellow from New York, and this new contact from CA. did
google searches on Shan Oakes and Lichtenstein. They both were
directed to this forum.

Sucks that people do that sort of scams, but it's pretty cool this
site saved people from falling for it.

[BrianShaw]

I understand how people inthe business of selling things can get sucked into these scams. What amazes me is how many times I similar messages, both on my personal and business emails, from people either trying to buy things I don't sell or claiming to already have ordered things I don't sell.

I'd call people who do this kind of scam spam @holes, but I don't even think that highly of them!

[Brian C. Miller]

On 419eater.com there's a forum for posting people who need baiting. You can sign up and post details of what you've received, and there's a good chance that one of the people will pick it up and give them a run for their money.

[Steven Tribe]

They have taken the name of a green party politician (female) in the UK so that a web search drowns in all sorts of other "hits". They must have seen her name in a UK tabloid. "shan oakes scam" brings us to the top, though.

[Ari]

I got the same request a few months ago.
I was suspicious from the start but played along, as nothing like credit cards or prices had yet been discussed.
When the question of shipping arose, I said I would only ship through a courier, like UPS or DHL.
Then, when I insisted upon payment in cashier's cheque or money order, and NOT credit card, communications abruptly ceased.

[irinar]

Same exact thing just happened to me. Two weeks of back and forth emailing with some fictional guy named Moj Oyles in Dominica who sounded so much like a robot, but seemed so endearing because seemed to want my photographs. Finally chose 3 and tried to squeeze $350 out of me through Western Union for delivery via Teche Delivery Service. Googled them to no avail. Well the manager of Western Union saved me the trouble and guaranteed it was a scam. I looked back through my communications with the delivery people (they were writing from a hotmail address) and they accidentally signed an email Hush Delivery Service. Googled that, landed here and voila! Another story for the board.
Beware of:
Moj Oyles
Teche Delivery Service
anything shady requiring Western Union to the UK...apparently the highest scam rate in the world.

[Brian Ellis]

. . . They ( really same person I'm sure ) insisted that the only way to pay for shipping
was with a Western Union Moneygram. . . .

Thanks for checking this out so thoroughly and posting the results here. One of the first rules I was taught about doing business on the internet was that as soon as someone mentions paying by Western Union run away as fast as you can.