Hello,
Heads up: there is a scam going on around the web regarding an easy web design task. Below I will include 3 actual sample e-mails of what they approach you with.

Red Flags:

• -“Do you accept card payment?”
• -“I want the domain name – I don’t have a domain yet”
• -“I am hearing impaired”
• -“My credit card does not work fine with pay pal”
• -“I have a private project consultant”
• -“Use intuit quickbook”
• -“I will send you my credit card details for you to charge it”

When do they stumble:

• -Ask for Picture ID;
• -Ask for a personal meeting;
• -Ask for a wire transfer as payment meth;
• -They do not like (can’t use) PayPal as the payment meth;
• -They do not have a registered domain;

Below are 3 e-mail samples:

“Good morning I am Terry Fox and I am hearing impaired I need to know if you can handle my website for my Agriculture products and I also need to know if you accept credit cards as form of payment ? Because I have small scale business which i want to turn into large scale business now and this is based on importing and exporting of food from USA and Canada for Agriculture products such as Cotton seed, Peanuts, Rice, Cotton seed, Cotton Bales, Garlic, Onion, Potato so I need a best of the best layout design for it. Can you handle that for me?

Thank you very much for the response so I need you to development this site buti need something more perfect than this if its possible http://www.FarmFreshProduce.com

The site would only be informational, so I need you to give me an estimate based on the site I gave you to check out the estimate should include hosting and I want the same page as the site I gave you to check out and I have a private project consultant, he has the images, text content and the logos for the site.

Note:

• 1. I need a videos and blogs.
• 2. I want only English language
• 3. I have a domain name as FarmFreshProduce.com
• 4. you will be updating the site for me every month.
• 5. I will be proving you the images, logos and text content for my website right now
• 6. I want the Renew and site up before ending of next month. The background should be red I want you to add this emaill foxterry024@ and phone no is 9148990835 as contact
• 7. My budget for you to hep me change the website is $3,000

Kindly get back to me with your estimate if that not ok with you

You will charge my credit card for $xxx you hold $xxx first as upfront payment I will balance you up as soon as you finish building my website and the remain $xxx you send it to my private project consultant that has the text content, the images and the logo for my website so once he has the $xxx he would send the content text and logo needed for my website to you via email, so you an start building my website Ok.

I am asking for this favor due to my disability and am at the hospital will undergo operation coming up in few days time that why am asking for this favor

What type of invoice will you be sending? Kindly setup quickbooks online app

1. Here is the link to download the app at, quickbooks.intuit.ca/…/intuit-merchant-services/ you will be connecting it with your bank account so you can get the funds you that have been charged from my credit card okay.

2. This is Carolyn Morgan I am hearing impaired, can you handle website design for new company and do you accept credit card payment?

3. Hello, Please can you offer a website design for my business? I’m Hellen. and do you accept card payment?

Thanks for your response. Am so glad you responded so I will be glad if you can create my website for me.
Here is the job details for the site i want created. The business is a salon and spa but it still a small scale business so I need a best of the best layout design for it.

Can you handle that for me?

So here is an example site I want you to check out this site but i need something more perfect than this if its possible http://indocanadasalonandspa.com. The site would only be informational, so E-commerce functionality is not needed on this site, so I need you to give me an estimate based on the example site I gave you to check out,
the estimate should include hosting and also I want the site to be on word-press plus I want the same page as the site I gave you to check out and I have a private project consultant, whom has the text content and the logos for the site so there wont be any delays.

Note:

• 1. My budget is $2000 to $8,000
• 2. I want the same exact numbers of pages with the example site I gave you to check
• 3. I want the domain name as hellenkimspa.. cos I don’t have a domain yet
• 4. Updating of the site will be by you guys
• 5. The images, logos and content for the site will be provided by me.
• 6. I want the site up and running before ending of next month.

Kindly get back to me with:

• 1. An estimate
• 2. Are you the owner?

So please send me an invoice through intuit quickbook.

So I can make the payment, $xxxx for the down payment and $xxxx for the consultant

Final though:

• – Someone has to alert “intuit quickbook” or the authorizing gateway
• – Looks like they will resell the design and obviously reverse the payment
• – Most likely the credit card info they are using is stoles (I had to say “most likely” right? lol)
• – They appear to contact you from another country to avoid the personal meeting
• – Scammer e-mails associate to obviously NO social background data

PS: If anyone reads this – feel free to comment with more “scam e-mail” samples to help others.

Thank you.