Our First Scam Enquiry?

Post scam emails to warn other rental owners, or if you are not sure if an enquiry is genuine, put it up here and see what others think.
LotBoy47
Posts: 104
Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2019 12:40 pm
Location: SW France

Our First Scam Enquiry?

Post by LotBoy47 »

I’m pretty sure that this is a scam attempt:


“From: andy murdoch <possible_scammer@xmail.com>
Date: 20 February 2019 at 12:51:16 CET
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Subject: reservation

Hello,

I need to make a reservation at your place for 3 persons (1 couple and a friend ) going on holiday for 10 days starting from 6th April till 15th April 2019. I need to know your rates per night and the sum total for that period so we can arrange for payment. If you do not have availability at the time requested, Kindly let me know when you will have availability for 3 adults. I await your quick reply.

Regards,
Andy.”

First thing that looked odd was the email being sent to “Undisclosed Recipients” and BCCd to our email address.

Second clue (thanks to reading all the other scam example posted here!) was that he didn’t specify which of our 3 gites he was interested in.

He was nice enough to share his UK address though. Shame it belongs to a father and son gardening business with a totally different set of names.

Message was sent in both English and French, so at least “Andy” knows how to use Google Translate.

I do hope he isn’t hunched over his computer awaiting my reply. &#128515;
Last edited by LotBoy47 on Thu Feb 21, 2019 1:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Nemo
Posts: 7062
Joined: Thu Aug 14, 2008 10:15 am
Location: Norfolk

Post by Nemo »

Yes a scam, but you should disguise the email address by editing your post as it can be someone completely innocent and the email has been "cloned" or whatever the technical term is.
LotBoy47
Posts: 104
Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2019 12:40 pm
Location: SW France

Post by LotBoy47 »

Nemo wrote:Yes a scam, but you should disguise the email address by editing your post as it can be someone completely innocent and the email has been "cloned" or whatever the technical term is.
Good call, have edited my original post.
e-richard
Posts: 5008
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 11:33 am
Location: Algarve, Portugal
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Post by e-richard »

Yup, I agree. Definitely scam.
Nemo wrote:... and the email has been "cloned" or whatever the technical term is.
Funnily enough, the "technical term" for that is spoofing.
And its remarkably easy to do :cry:
** Richard
PIMS: Holiday Rental Management system
They say we learn from our mistakes. That makes me a genius !
LotBoy47
Posts: 104
Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2019 12:40 pm
Location: SW France

Post by LotBoy47 »

Belated follow-up post triggered by another scam email “arriving” from Watford.

I contacted the gardening firm based at the given address and, as expected, they’d never heard of an Andy Murdoch.
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