I got a call last night in regards to an international package got held up in customs. The person that called me was posing as a UPS guy. He made an elaborate story about how Canada's customs department confiscated their package that was enroute to me from a Lomax & Brown brokerage firm that handles prize money or any sort of "funds" of the sort. He said that usually there is an investigation for items worth more than $5,000 and that it has taken about 4 days now. The package in question were for 2 checks totaling $30, 000 USD. After not being able to be more specific about details, he gives me a security code so that an "agent" James Evans can call me the next morning (this morning) to give me details about the FBI investigation with my package.
Well, about 1:30 my time, I get this call and spoke to the guy. HE tells me that there was an investigation going on for 48 hours that was routine in nature. It conveniently passed their inspection and was "legit". In order for me to receive it, I had to pay the 5% duty tax which came out to $1,500 on the 2 $15,000 checks. In order to get them, I had to wire some funds through Western Union to a certain bogus address he gave me. I gave him some good and thorough questions and probably pissed him off cuz he didnt think i'd be this resistant.
What ticked him off was him claiming that he had a truck going out at 4 (his time) and that I could make it if i transfer the funds before 3 (my time). In which case, I could get my checks by 12pm the next day. I said I'd like to check him out a bit and that I'd like to do it tomorrow. His tone falters saying, "You wanna do it tomorrow?".
CLICK!
A few minutes later, after he calmed down, he excused himself for hanging up. He said that a clerk or something dropped a folder on the phone and disconnected him. I then asked him for a website so I could check out the address he gave me (which i had to use to wire transfer to). He says, "www.canadiancustoms.com". No go. I delved a little further and asked him why there wasnt some sort of .gov (or whatever equivalent for Canada) and he says he doesnt know. He is just some 45 year old clerk that wasnt in touch with the internet. For some odd reason, he didnt have a URL on a piece of paper in front of him either.
Well, he said he was gonna call back at 4 (3 my time) and see if i wired it. Then he could ship the checks out.
of course, the whole time he was assuring me how safe and guaranteed this was.
This is probably the first scam of this nature that I have ever received and I think I did a good job. in fact, I wanna turn him in to fraud.org but they seemed busy.
what do u guys think i shoudl tell him when he calls me again? 😉
Well, about 1:30 my time, I get this call and spoke to the guy. HE tells me that there was an investigation going on for 48 hours that was routine in nature. It conveniently passed their inspection and was "legit". In order for me to receive it, I had to pay the 5% duty tax which came out to $1,500 on the 2 $15,000 checks. In order to get them, I had to wire some funds through Western Union to a certain bogus address he gave me. I gave him some good and thorough questions and probably pissed him off cuz he didnt think i'd be this resistant.
What ticked him off was him claiming that he had a truck going out at 4 (his time) and that I could make it if i transfer the funds before 3 (my time). In which case, I could get my checks by 12pm the next day. I said I'd like to check him out a bit and that I'd like to do it tomorrow. His tone falters saying, "You wanna do it tomorrow?".
CLICK!
A few minutes later, after he calmed down, he excused himself for hanging up. He said that a clerk or something dropped a folder on the phone and disconnected him. I then asked him for a website so I could check out the address he gave me (which i had to use to wire transfer to). He says, "www.canadiancustoms.com". No go. I delved a little further and asked him why there wasnt some sort of .gov (or whatever equivalent for Canada) and he says he doesnt know. He is just some 45 year old clerk that wasnt in touch with the internet. For some odd reason, he didnt have a URL on a piece of paper in front of him either.
Well, he said he was gonna call back at 4 (3 my time) and see if i wired it. Then he could ship the checks out.
of course, the whole time he was assuring me how safe and guaranteed this was.
This is probably the first scam of this nature that I have ever received and I think I did a good job. in fact, I wanna turn him in to fraud.org but they seemed busy.
what do u guys think i shoudl tell him when he calls me again? 😉
