What's this scam?

ward said:
Many thanks Evo for the contribute. Looks like the investigation is making progress and that is a good thing. I wonder what they (the "Shanxi Calling Ring") stand to benefit from these transactions. People have reported that the conversations sort of go nowhere and the work is nowhere to be found at the end of the day. That is why I think it is a phishing attempt so that various other listening devices can be attached, lamprey-like, to the underbelly of your operating system. My advice: don't touch the eel!
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Turns out I think your right @ward . I cannot pin point the time line, and didn't put it together until just now. I received a call from my bank questioning some suspicious charges on my business account. Some business based in the south (Georgia, if I remember correctly) charged my card for $214. The business is some type of third part SMS business. My bank declined the charges, and canceled my card. This was a few weeks ago, and either a few days before or after the above texting dialog.
After posting the text dialog above I googled the prefix only, and there seems to be a scam of returning calls to a spam call or text which are internet phone numbers. This is much like calling a 1(900) number where they can be billed via 3rd party. I don't know how they got my card # as I NEVER buy anything on my phone. I am not 100% sure this is how it went down, or if it's related to the text conversation or not. This isn't the first time, where I've responded to these obvious scam texts attempting to be a smart ass wasting their time. However this is the first time where it's turned into such a long "conversation" with a large number of incoming, and a few out going texts.

I guess the lesson is to at least google the number before responding to the text. I use a pay as you go cell phone from one of the top 3 companies, with a auto pay program. I don't see how they would or could give a third party my debit card info for SMS fees. Like I said I am not 100% sure this is related, but going with out a business card for a few weeks really sucks! It could have been worse where I'm billed for random shit, not knowing until the accountants figure it out (if even they do). @ROYCE you might want to check you books if you responded like I did! http://clark.com/scams-rip-offs/one-ring-scam-area-codes/
 
I'm the current owner of a house that's for sale and in the middle of this nightmare scam. A phone number from Colorado sent a text to a local person who owns a tree service and landscaping company with texts VERY similar as what I've seen in this thread. He said he is the new owner and he would like some trees taken down before he moves in. Another text said he is out of town and has lung cancer then later said sorry for the delay in replying I was at the medical center getting treatment. It goes on to say the same thing where he will send money for taking the trees down with additional money for closing cost that he would like for the contractor to send back to him. The contractor got suspicious and had his wife look online and saw where the house had not been sold so at that point he called my realtor. In the meantime this person doing the scam must have been texting other companies at the same time because someone cut down a big beautiful tree in the backyard and left a huge mess. I called the police and filed a report but they weren't very helpful, especially since I have no idea who did it. We're keeping an eye on the house to see if they come back. All this just unfolded over the weekend.
 

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ROYCE said:
I received one of these in a text. Saying the same things as all you have mentioned above. I answered the text because it seamed legit. They did not ask about credit card at first. After my response that I do tree work they asked if I could look at some trees at a rental property they had and if I accepted credit cards. Still seamed legit. I then asked what the address was. They gave me an address to a street in a town that was about 5 miles from my house and asked for an estimate to have the trees in the back and the side all removed, including the stumps. They then asked if the estimate could be emailed to an address they provided. Again, this all seemed legit as I work for customers who have rental properties in southern Vt and vacation homes.
So, I drive out to the house. The guy says he will not be able to meet me there because he lives out of town. No biggie. I go over and start looking around. There is only two trees in the back years and none in the side yard. Nice property, not really trees you would want to but down. I start to go back to my car and someone comes outside and asks what I am doing. I asked if Tom owns the house and that I was there to give an estimate for cutting down come trees. The women, was very surprised and said she owned the house. That is when it hit me that it was a scam. My first thought was that it was my competition pulling a prank on me. The "real" homeowner told me that someone cut down some trees a few streets down that they did not have permission to and it sounded like it was this same scam. I told her we do not do any work with out a 50% deposit and a signed contract.
So, I text the guy back knowing now that it's a scam and tell him he gave me the wrong address and the homeowner was home and said he does not own this home. He replied and said he was so sorry that the actual address was such and such a street. I just texted back that he was scamming me and I was going to report him. He did not text me back after that.....
Until a few weeks later. I get the text again. Same one you guys are getting. Now, I know it's a scam and I play along. I get the address out of them. I wait about an hour and reply back that I went out and looked at the trees. Its the exact song and dance they did the first time. (I never actually went out and looked at the trees, I just made them believe that I did) I text back it will cost 5K to do the job and we will be in town on Tuesday to do it. Just playing along to see where it will go. He then texts me that he does not actually own the house yet. That he is closing on it in a few days and that he wants to pay me 5K for the tree job, plus add another 10K in to cover the closing costs of the home he is buying, With the idea that I will kick him back the 10K.
So, I text back sure, no problem. We will see you on Tuesday and we need your credit card to secure a 50% deposit. He then texts back......HA>>>>HA We FOOOOLED YA.... I never heard from them again!!!
Really strange. So don't be fooled and it's a solid reason why you should never do work without a signed contact.
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I just received an email today that sounds eerily likes these. I'm so glad to have read your response, I would've responded and been duped. Here is what my email said:

Jan 9 at 6:51 PM

Hello good day am Mr Cole by name i will like to know if you are available for landscape service do you accept credit card as form of payment ?
 
Today I received an email and from what I can see here; it sounds just like it.. It reads:

Hello good day am Mr Cole by name i will like to know if you are available for landscape service do you accept credit card as form of payment ?


... seems a little familiar.. I responded with, Where are you located?
Curious to see what he says....
 
Raven said:
Here's some crazy phishing emails I've received over the past two weeks:

#1) "Hello this is smith, I will like to know if you do Tree service and do you accept credit card for payment?"

#2) "Hello I'm Steven I will like to know if you do tree services, ground maintenance and lawn care services and do you except credit cards? I'm interested in those service for my house."

#3) "hello good day...i will like to know if you still render tree service and what type of credit card do you accept"

I think because my business email has a "tree" in it makes me a target. My address is always in the bcc line making me think it's going to anyone and everyone. I don't know what they plan to achieve by giving me their credit card info but something very phishy here. Anyone else getting these lately? Anything I can do to stop it, report it?
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I get these all the time. definitely a scam. I think it works like this. They use a stolen credit card to pay you upfront. they over pay and ask you to send them money back they over paid. this is how it was explained to me. I just ignore them, I don't waste my time trying to report it because there are so many of them. I am too busy trying to run a business. I also get many calls a day from legit people trying to sell me something. It used to bug me. But I have decided to view it as part of being in business, like working on equipment etc. I just don't spend time on it . That's what works for me.
 
owScott said:
I get these all the time. definitely a scam. I think it works like this. They use a stolen credit card to pay you upfront. they over pay and ask you to send them money back they over paid. this is how it was explained to me. I just ignore them, I don't waste my time trying to report it because there are so many of them. I am too busy trying to run a business. I also get many calls a day from legit people trying to sell me something. It used to bug me. But I have decided to view it as part of being in business, like working on equipment etc. I just don't spend time on it . That's what works for me.
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I get more scams then I know what to deal with too.. This one almost made me think it was real until I researched it. I appreciate you telling me your thoughts on their end game. I couldn't figure out how they would benefit.. but that's a very good answer.
 
One time I was selling a saw on Craigslist and a foreign guy texted he was interested. I got him on the phone and he mailed me a cashiers check that was more than what I wanted and he just wanted me to cash it before he had somebody come get it. So I deposited it long story short it bounced and I got screwed for over drafting fees and the bank and cops had no idea what to make of it
 
Mowerr said:
One time I was selling a saw on Craigslist and a foreign guy texted he was interested. I got him on the phone and he mailed me a cashiers check that was more than what I wanted and he just wanted me to cash it before he had somebody come get it. So I deposited it long story short it bounced and I got screwed for over drafting fees and the bank and cops had no idea what to make of it
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Awww... That really sucks. Well I am glad to have read these reviews. I saw a house on Craigs list and they wanted me to pay the deposit without even entering it. I ended up googling the image and found it for sale. I contacted the realtor and they said it was not available to rent and they had no idea who was asking me for a deposit. I guess most things if they seem too good to be true. are.
 
Me and a co worker just got a couple of these emails last week from someone calling themselves Nathan Wendt. She hasn't done tree work for a number of years and I don't advertise my side work at all so its strange that they would have our personal emails. The only thing me and the co worker have in common is that we are ISA certified. I wonder if ISA has been hacked and that's where these scammers are getting our info? Just a thought.
 
etownnate said:
Me and a co worker just got a couple of these emails last week from someone calling themselves Nathan Wendt. She hasn't done tree work for a number of years and I don't advertise my side work at all so its strange that they would have our personal emails. The only thing me and the co worker have in common is that we are ISA certified. I wonder if ISA has been hacked and that's where these scammers are getting our info? Just a thought.
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Interesting thought.
 
I have received many of these. Usually, they cut right to the chase, "I will like you Tree Service, and do you accept credit cards?" Those are automatically ignored. However, the scammers are getting smarter. The other day I got a text from someone looking for service. The procedure that they used was different, so it seemed legit. I try not to conduct business completely by text/e-mail, but I understand what a busy life is like, so I at least start the estimate process. The address was legit. I use Google Maps on just about everything, so I could see that there were trees on the property that needed help. After an on-site look, I responded back to him with my recommendation and a rough estimate. I asked for an e-mail to send the detailed quote to, and he sent one. But before I could get that sent, he texted back that the price was within his budget and that he was sending me a payment to secure the job. Then, in a separate text, he pulled out the credit card question. I figured it was over at that point. First, I rarely take deposits to do work. (If it looks sketchy, I just pass on it.) I don't start work until I get a legitimate authorization on an actual written quote. And last, I only accept credit cards in person (safer AND cheaper).
 
I talked to one of these guys on the phone last month. It was an Internet call and the guy had an obvious Nigerian accent. After trying to get him to give me something solid to go on and not getting anywhere, I told him I only accept Bitcoin and require %50 up front. He replied " I don't do business like that " and hung up.
Now whenever I get these fishing attempts I start out with Bitcoin and that ends the conversation immediately.
 
I've gotten them where someone texts saying that they are currently away and for me to go to a property and give them a quote for tree removal. Or saying that they are in the hospital but to go to an address and give an estimate on a tree removal. And usually they always say do you accept credit cards. I actually had one text me saying that he needs me to go set up a credit card processor so I can accept his payment.

One way I can tell scams real easily is by telling them I require the homeowner to be present at all estimates. Usually if they are scamming you they realize then that you know what's going on or if you ask them to have a conversation with you over the phone.

I had this the other day for something related to another business, the person was communicating by email and I asked them if they could give me a call and we discuss things over the phone and they just stopped responding. Most often all this stuff is scam stuff I think.
 
I got another one the other day. One thing I do is attempt to call the numbers back. They usually don't answer, but the other day this man actually did. I started to think it might be a legit call. He said he would send me the address and some pictures. (Doubt began to return.) About 5 minutes later I got the info for a house in Seattle. I am based in Wisconsin. Fail!
 
I’ve had one of these. For a property that was up for sale. First looked up the property on the city/county GIS viewer - you just input the address - click on the parcel and it brings up legal owner instantly. It was obvious my contact wasn’t the owner.
After that called realtor to let him know the tree May be at risk! He was v grateful.
 
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