Beware email scammers

[Chappy]

In case you receive an email from Fiona Simmons I'll save you wasting your time.
It makes me laugh that scammers use female names as they appear more 'trustworthy'.
Here is my email thread with these losers:


========================
Hello,

Thanks for a quick reply but we are only working via email.
I hope this isn't a problem.

We are very eager to close this deal as soon as possible.

Please let me know.


Thanks.


Fiona

On 8/24/2010 5:59 AM, Matt wrote:
Can we speak on the phone?
Please provide a telephone number.

Thanks



On 8/23/2010 2:10 PM, Fiona Simmons wrote:
Hello,

We are based from US Atlanta.
Do you agreed on our price?

Please advise.


REgards,
Fiona

On 8/24/2010 2:12 AM, Matt wrote:
Fiona
We might be able to come to some arrangement here.
What is the name of your company? Where are you based?
Thanks


On 8/23/2010 11:06 AM, Fiona Simmons wrote:
Hello,


Sorry to bother you but I noticed you own [LLL].com.
My company has finally finished a project that we’ve spent nearly 6 months building.
It’s been a nightmare! If you are in the Internet business, I’m sure you know how that is.

Anyway, we need a name for it now and your domain might be a perfect fit. We only need to see if we can fit it in our budget.
The budget we have is $5,000. What do you think? Will you sell us the domain?

Please reply to me either way so I can look for another name if we aren’t going to be able to do a deal.


Thanks in advance.



Regards,
Fiona

 

[VirtualT]

I don't get it, why is this a scam?

 

[draggar]

I'd consider it suspicious.

They avoid questions (company name etc..), no phone conversations?

 

[VirtualT]

I'd consider it suspicious.

They avoid questions (company name etc..), no phone conversations?

Suspicious yes, maybe they are a multinational and don't want you to know how much money they have , not exactly scammers if they haven't tried to scam you though.

 

[exxe]

They don't look like a genuine company/buyer.

 

[DomainsInc]

i don't know about scammers, probably more like your typical lowballer losers. i got one too for an lll.com.

 

[Chappy]

Perhaps scammers was the wrong word. Certainly suspicious.
It seems only one in twenty emails I get is genuine these days.

 

[DomainMagnate]

I'd be initially more suspicious of someone with a female name asking about buying my domains. Don't really know why, it's just that pretty much everyone inquiring about my domains seems to be male.

 

[Poohnix]

I'd be initially more suspicious of someone with a female name asking about buying my domains. Don't really know why, it's just that pretty much everyone inquiring about my domains seems to be male.

To me it seems to be 50-50 nowadays... which is suspicious in itself.
And yes, I've gotten some from this Fiona.

I also don't know what the deal is with the last name "Simmons"... I've received all kinds of domain inquiries from people claiming to have the last name Simmons. (Including those idiots trying to sell domains about to drop, which fit one you already own, (or you just dropped the domain), trying to give the impression they already own the domain...)
Now I just delete any emails from people by the name Simmons.

.

 

[DomainMagnate]

Wouldn't that be cool if all spammers had the last name Simmons

 

[Poohnix]

Wouldn't that be cool if all spammers had the last name Simmons

At least it would be easy to filter...

 

[mvl]

I received the same email today for an LLL.com, and I think it is supsicious. The domain from which the email was sent was registered only a few weeks ago (I obfuscated the domainname a bit, but people that got the email should be able to recognize it):

Domain Name: BxxxMxSxxxx.COM
Registrar: DYNADOT, LLC
Whois Server: whois.dynadot.com
Referral URL: http://www.dynadot.com
Name Server: NS1.DYNADOT.COM
Name Server: NS2.DYNADOT.COM
Status: clientTransferProhibited
Updated Date: 17-jun-2010
Creation Date: 17-jun-2010
Expiration Date: 17-jun-2011

What is really interesting is that the mail was sent from an ip address belonging to a subscriber line in the Phillipines:

inetnum: 116.50.xxx.x - 116.50.xxx.xxx
netname: ETPI
descr: Eastern Telecoms Philippines, Inc.
descr: Telecoms Plaza
descr: 316 Sen Gil Puyat Ave.
descr: Salcedo Village
descr: Makati City
descr: 1200
country: PH
admin-c: RC536-AP
tech-c: EP83-AP
tech-c: RL521-AP
status: ALLOCATED PORTABLE
mnt-by: APNIC-HM
mnt-lower: MAINT-PH-ETPI
remarks: -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-++-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
remarks: This object can only be updated by APNIC hostmasters.
remarks: To update this object, please contact APNIC
remarks: hostmasters and include your organisation's account
remarks: name in the subject line.
remarks: -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-++-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
changed: [email protected] 20070322
source: APNIC

Now that is odd for an Atlanta based company ...

 

[Chappy]

Yes good catch. My email was from the same place.