Micheal [sic] contacted me by email and wound up having a few exchanges with me about his need for a topographic and boundary survey. First clue about this scam is that the guy doesn’t even spell his own name correctly.
I wrote a proposal for the work after getting the address that asks for a retainer of 50 percent. That is where it gets really strange.
He wrote that he can only make payment through ACH (Automated Clearing House) and that I need to send him a link. Only pays through ACH?
Well, I ignored his messages after that admission and haven’t gotten any more messages.
Historic boundaries and conservation efforts.
I also recently received a direct email form an individual claiming to be a GC (copied last name of one in neighboring county - different first name) needing a topo/boundary survey on a road that happens to have acreage for sale. The individual repeatedly failed to provide an address or tax map number and never engaged in the typical conversation you would expect. I blocked the contact as I suspect it was a scam.
I'm not sure how this would work as a scam. Our office regularly takes payments by ACH. Once received, as I understand it, money transferred by ACH cannot be recalled or disputed, unlike a credit card payment.
Anybody, please correct me if I'm wrong about this.
Here's my latest scam:
Would you be willing to facilitate the payment using one of these platforms? K_ will ensure that a reimbursement check is provided to you as soon as possible. let me know which one of the payment platform you have...?Your prompt response would be greatly appreciated, as it will help us meet our obligations to the vendor.
Thank you so much for considering this request.
I just now read a post elsewhere from an acquaintance, saying he was scammed by a cloned web site. He tried to buy something from a site that looked identical to the real one if you didn't check the URL carefully.
I get scammers often. Normally they are easy to spot. The ACH process is ligit. Nothing better than an automated payment. I've never signed up for that particular service, ours are set up through the accountant and the bank.
We receive many of our clients payments through ACH. Giving out your ACH information is not anymore risk than writing a check. Every check you write has your routing number and account number on it. It is not exactly secret information.
https://stripe.com/resources/more/ach-fraud-101-how-these-scams-work-and-how-to-prevent-them
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Micheal [sic] contacted me by email and wound up having a few exchanges with me about his need for a topographic and boundary survey. First clue about this scam is that the guy doesn’t even spell his own name correctly.
The Irish version is spelled like that.
I've seen it both ways. I always check to see if it Micha- el or Mike-eel. Not to be confused with Mish-el.
Trivia note: The mother on The Waltons was portrayed by Michael Learned. In the first few years they listed her as Miss Michael Learned. Once the show took off, they dropped the Miss. She, in fact, was married and had children of her own.
@holy-cow And she was very particular about how her name was pronounced.
Know a couple with two daughters, Randi and Ronni. Some people should not be allowed to name babies.
Knew a couple years ago who were both profesors at Mississippi State University with identical names. Talk about confusing.
I once met a guy living in the same city with all three names identical to mine except that he was William and I'm not. At work there was a Beatrice who went by Bea and the same last name as me. We got a lot of each others' internal company mail addressed with just an initial and last name.
@holy-cow My childhood ophthalmologist had the surname "Doctor", so he was Doctor Doctor. His wife too was an ophthalmologist, so when introduced, or referred to, as a couple, they were Doctor and Doctor Doctor. These days I have an acquaintance whose full name is Hector Hector. I keep wanting to ask if that is how his parents named him.
An engineer down the hall married a woman named Janet, his brother married a woman named Janet, they have an unmarried sister named Janet. Janet #1 teaches english at the college, my wife teaches english there part time, Janet #2 teaches english at the high school, my wife also taught there until COVID, Janet#3 is also an english teacher in a nearby town,,,,,,,,,,it's a bit confusing.
Many years ago my sister worked in a single office with two other ladies and one telephone. They were Mary Katherine, Mary Alice and Mary Jane.
I've gotten a few messages from supposed GCs wanting to know what areas I serve. Knowing that there's about a 10% (or less) chance it might be a legitimate inquiry, I always respond adding that I only take construction staking jobs where I've also done the boundary and topo. I'm now getting follow up messages from these people to provide boundary and topo on specific sites.
The last one was for a lot 2 blocks from my house. I spoke with the record owner and she had no idea who the contractor was, wasn't planning any improvements to her property but has been kicking around the idea of splitting her lot. One of her coworkers owns property across town and is also considering splitting that property. I messaged back to the supposed GC and asked who they were dealing with as the owner or owner's representative and that GC has since disappeared. But tracking down the owner turned out to be a good marketing exercise which may turn into two legitimate projects.