Wannabe a Transfer Agent?
Just this last week, we received two e-mails from people working the transfer agent scam.
I can see you asking, "What's that?".
It's easy to explain. The scammers send an e-mail saying they are looking for people to work as representatives. A part of the job is to receive payments from customers and transfer the money, less their commision, to their "partners". All pretty straight forward.
They use any type of business which has a certain cash transfer volume, such as flight ticket agents. In the case of these two e-mails, one says he deals with pearls & gems, the other metallurgical import & export.
The scammers look for people who want to buy, for example, gems. They do this using mass e-mails, like all good scammers do. When they get an inquiry from a potential customer who then wants to buy, they are told to make the payment to the local agent. Thus far there is no problem.
The "local agent" transfers the cash, minus his commision to his "partners" and everybody is happy. Until ...
the customer wonders where his order is. So he contacts the "local agent" who promises to find out where and when the delivery will be made. Of course, he is told that the delivery is on its way, or is due to be sent. This goes on for some time, in which further payments from other "customers" have been transfered to the "partners".
Sooner or later, the customers realise that they will not be receiving the goods they ordered and paid for. So they try and get their money back throught the "local agent". As he represents the "partners", he is the one who gets the trouble as he cannot pay the money back.
Usually the "customers" report the matter to the police and the "local agent" lands up in court, charged with fraud!
As you can see, this is an extremely risky enterprise for someone who wants to earn some extra cash.
What happens to the "partners"? The answer is nothing. There is no way to get hold of them.
The main reason why nothing happens is:
There are no international agreements or laws in place which would enable police and authorities to investige and arrest them!
Here are the two e-mails, supposedly from Chinese sources:
From: wangaleela@yahoo.com
Date:, February 28, 2005
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am MR.Wangaleela, managing director of CHINA NATIONAL PEARLS DIAMOND&GEM JEWELRY(CNPDGJ).
We are a group of business men who deal on pearl,diamond gem and jewellery export into the Canada/America and Europe.
We are searching for representatives who can help us establish a medium of getting to our customers in the Canada/America and Europe as well as making payments through you to us.
Please if you are interested in transacting business with us we will be glad.
Please contact us for more information, Subject to your satisfaction you will be given the opportunity to negotiate your mode of which we will pay for your services as our representative in Canada/America and Europe.
Please if you are interested forward to us your informations below:
FULL NAME:
FULL CONTACT ADDRESS:
PHONE:
FAX:
Thanks In advance.
MR.Wangaleela Du.
Managing Director,
ADDRESS£º5th Floor,
103,Jixiangli,Chaoyangmenwai,
Beijing,China
Post Code:100020
Email:wangaleela@yahoo.com
The second:
YANG XIAOLIN (CEO) CHINA METTALURGICAL IMPORT AND EXPORT COMPANY.
CLIENT MAKING PAYMENT FOR GOODS PURCHASED: NORMAN OBRIEN
--------------------------------------------------------------
CHINA METALLURGICAL IMPORT AND EXPORT COMPANY
Dear Sir/Madam,
We are a production, import and export company searching for representatives who can help us establish a medium of getting to our customers from Canada, America and Europe as well as making payments through you to us. We also need clients who require our products in theses areas.
If you are interested in transacting business with us, contact us for more information through:
Email:Chinaimport@mail2world.com
CHINA METALLURGICAL IMPORT AND EXPORT COMPANY (CMIEC).
COMPANY ADDRESS: 338, YINGZE AVENUE, YINGZE, TAIYUAN, SHANXI, CHINA.
We can negotiate the mode of payment for goods and services subject to your satisfaction. Thank you.
Mr. Yang Xiaolin.
General Manager.
posted by Michael Holdcroft @ 9:56 am
11 comments
11 Comments:
Ref No:0202242
Date:12/02/05
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am Mr.Yeo Seng JIN, Managing Director of CHINA NATIONAL
PEARL DIAMOND GEM & JEWELLERY IMPORT & EXPORT CORP,
(CNPDGJ IMPORT & EXPORT CORP). We are a group of business
men who deal on pearl,diamond gem and jewellery export
into the Canada/America and Europe. We are searching for
representatives who can help us establish a medium of
getting to our customers in the Canada/America and Europe
as well as making payments through you to us. Please if
you are interested in transacting business with us we will
be glad.
Please contact us for more information, Subject to your
satisfaction you will be given the opportunity to
negotiate your mode of which we will pay for your services
as our representative in Canada/America and Europe.
Please if you are interested forward to us your
informations below to this email address yeo_seng1@asia.com:
FULL NAME:
FULL CONTACT ADDRESS:
PHONE:
FAX:
Thanks In advance,
Mr.Yeo Seng JIN,
Managing Director,
CHINA NATIONAL PEARL DIAMOND GEM & JEWELLERY IMPORT &
EXPORT CORP.
Email:yeo_seng1@asia.com
yeo_seng1@chenhknpdgj-hk.com
(CNPDGJ IMPORT & EXPORT CORP)
7th Floor, ChinFung Tower
101 Cheung Sha Wan Road
China.
Tel/fax: +852-301-78498
Yes, I was also send emails.
probably like you say it is an mass email action.
I had several contacts with the people who are setting this up.
One (and maybe they are all one and the same person) called me and told me about the business.
Really tempting program, where you only find out about the scam after it is much too late.
Dear Sir,
I recieve the same mail from Mr.Yeo Seng Jin of CNPDGJ imp & exp corp. Though your article suggest that there is possiblity of fraud, but how will they find a buyer who is stupid enough to transfer the money without any proof of delivery ?
Buyer will ofcourse ask for payment against shipping documents or will open a L/c. Why will he give the advance payment without any security ?
Await your valued feedback & thanks for posting this message online. I was just doing research on this company, since they have send me memorandum of understanding to sign.
B/regards,
Abhishek
abhishek_l@yahoo.com
Here's another one
CHINA METALOGICAL IMPORT & EXPORT COMPANY(CMIEC)
338 YINGZE AVENUE,YINGZE,
TAIYUAN,SHANXI, CHINA
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am MR.LEU CHENG, We are a group of business men who deal on
import and export of raw materials into the Canada/America and Europe.
We are searching for representatives who can help us establish a medium
of
getting to our customers in the Canada/America and Europe as well as
making
payments through you to us. Please if you are interested in transacting
business with us we will be glad.
Please contact us for more information, Subject to your satisfaction
you
will be given the opportunity to negotiate your mode of which we will
pay
for your services as our representative in Canada/America and Europe.
Please if you are interested forward to us your
informations below:
OUR REQUIREMENTS
FULL NAME:..................................
CONTACT ADDRESS:....................
COMPANY NAME:.........................(IF ANY)
COMPANY ADDRESS:...................
PHONE NUMBER:.........................
FAX:............................................
SEX:............................................
COUNTRY:..................................
STATE/CITY:..............................
ZIP CODE:.................................
If you are interested in this offer please respond via my
email: leu_che@yahoo.com.hk
NOTE:This does not require any of your financial obligations
THANKS IN ADVANCE
LEU CHENG
MANAGER.
This is an email i received, i'm sure this is the same scam:
I have received your mail,first i must thank you for your interest in becoming our payment agent in this endeavour but before we commence it will be better you know more about this as you have indicated.
CHINA NATIONAL PEARL DIAMOND GEM & JEWELLERY IMPORT & EXPORT CORP.(CNPDGJ IMPORT & EXPORT CORP) was established in 2001 we export preciuos stones such as pearl,diamond gem and jewellery. Our sales varies from different sizes as you will be sent a full schedule of our yearly export and net income on your partnership and competence with us. We have reached big sales volume in the European market and now are trying to penetrate the Northern American market and the Australia. Quite soon we will open representative offices and authorized sales centers in North America and therefore we are currently looking for people who will assist us in establishing a new distribution network there. The fact that despite the Nothern America market is new for us we already have regular clients also speaks for itself.
WHY YOU?
The international money order tax for legal entities (companies) in China is 21%, whereas for the individual it is only 10%. That's why we need you! We need agents to receive payment for our products in their locality and to resend the money to us. This way we will save money because of tax decreasing.
HOW MUCH WILL YOU EARN?
10% from each sale/resale operation! For instance: you receive $100,000 USD to your bank account. You will withdraw the money and keep $10000 (10% from $100,000) for yourself! At the beginning your commission will equal 10%, though later it will increase up!
ADVANTAGES
You do not have to go out as you will work as an independent contractor right from your home office. Your job is absolutely legal. You can earn up to $50000-$400000 depending on time you will spend for this job. You do not need any capital to start. The employees who make efforts and work hard have a strong possibility to become managers. Anyway our employees never leave us. If you are interested in our offer, please feel free to ask for the general provisions of the Contract and provide us the following information to enable us proceed.
Please indicate your interest immediately via email as recruitment is currently going on:
I hope to have informed you correctly and wait to hear from you soon so i can advice you on the very next step to take in this endeavour.
PERSONAL DETAILS
Name:
Address:
Zip Code:
Company Name:
Age:
Sex:
Occupation:
Telephone:
Cell:
E-mail:
Country:
We await your prompt response to this message. Thanks once again for your interest in this job. Your respond is needed so that I shall instruct you what is next to be done
Signed By ,
Mrs .Jiao-jie Bing(secretary)
CNPDGJ IMPORT & EXPORT CORP
Email: cn_pdgjrecruitunit@yahoo.com.cn
As you can see, they are all much the same with differences in country and company names. The companies usually don't exist at all and there is no way you can trace the people behind these scams.
Excellent information, but I'm afraid I found it a little too late...maybe. I've been scamed, except that I did deposit the check and it cleared the bank, but I have not send any money. I received a check for $9,204.00 US and supposed to keep the 10%, but I didn't want to take the chance of sending the money. I guess I'll contact the Federal Business of Investigation and get some help on what to do next.
Papo,
at least you have recognized the risk you are taking with this. Let me know what the FBI recommend.
So far it has been three days since I deposited the check. The first day I was getting all kinds of emails from them instructing me what to do next. Two things stooped from sending the money: The $9204.00 US; that’s a whole lot of money, at least to me. So I was cautious and wanted more information. Second, I got kind of suspicious about the emails. They didn’t look they were coming from someone that just handed me that such amount of cash. The emails, including the font use, were unprofessional and way too polite. In business, emails tend to be straight to the point and facts in front. When I read these particular emails coming to me, they sounded more like if the person was in a rush. Here is an excerpt: “With all due respect, I want you to ask your bank to tell you the exact day the money is going to be available in your account. I shall await your response and also do send to me that number.” The font used was “Comic Sans MS”…that’s what a person writing a children’s book may use. And the “With all due respect” sounded like it came from a person with no business background.
Your observations on the messages you are getting are exactly what I often see. A lot of the e-mails are poorly written or use language which is never used in everyday business.
In your case the money can come from several sources. The obvious thing about it is, that the crooks want to launder the money. Getting someone to act as the Agent is ideal for this purpose. Once the the money has been sent on to them, it effectivly disapears. The 10% they lose to the agent is are "peanuts".
In regards to the scammers; I found out how this particular scam works. The scammers draw a check from the bank and then report it missing. The banks issues them a copy of the check, a smaller version, but identical as the original. They send this check to the possible victim; the victim then deposits the check, keeps the supposedly 10% for his/her work and send the rest to the scammers. The scammers then cancel payment on the check, and draw out their money, along with the money sent to them from the victim. By this time, victims owe the bank for the amount they withdrew and sent to the scammers; they also cannot cash on the 10% because the original check was canceled. Some of the names used are: Mrs .Jiao-jie Bing – email: cn_pdgjrecruitmenunit@yahoo.com.cn; Denise Malcolm – email: eliteconsultingservices@yahoo.com; Taylor Paul or Paul-Taylor-Moore – email: taylorpaul1000@yahoo.ca; and Richard Powelle – Email: rich_powelle@yahoo.ca. Of course, this names are fictitious, but by making them public, it’ll force them to try other names.
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