SCAM Warning: ANDY HERMANN, JOSEPH MARIA

Post by **b0b** » 27 Jul 2004 9:21 am

A person named "Andy Hermann" has responded to many ads here. He is not a member of the Forum, and the nature of his replies makes us suspect that he is running some kind of scam. His email address is andy_hermann2004@yahoo.com.

We recommend that you refrain from doing business with this guy.

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<img align=left src="http://picturehost.net/b0b/ManzBob2.jpg" border="0"> Bobby Lee
-b0b- quasar@b0b.com 
System Administrator

Charles Tilley · Post by **Charles Tilley** » 27 Jul 2004 9:56 am

Watch out for Joseph Maria too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Daniel J. Cormier · Post by **Daniel J. Cormier** » 27 Jul 2004 1:29 pm

Lets add Micheal Smicer to the list .Says he is a car lot onwer from Harlen NYC

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Daniel J. Cormier
MCI D-10 , Peavey Sessions 500 & 400 Limited ,Nashville 400
http://www.cajunsteelguitar.com email at djcormier@cox-internet.com

Jimmie Martin · Post by **Jimmie Martin** » 27 Jul 2004 1:34 pm

THIS MICHEAL SPICER FROM HARLEM IS WANTING MY BMI I HAVE FOR SALE. IT DOESN'T SOUND RIGHT. THE BUYER IS USING THIS GUY AS A INTERNATIONAL BUYER OR SO HE SAYS. ROBERT

Harry Sheppard · Post by **Harry Sheppard** » 27 Jul 2004 1:48 pm

This guy must be going for a record. He contacted me within 2 hours of posting my D8 Stringmaster ad yesterday. I was going to play with him a while and see what I could get out of him but decided it wasn't worth my time. Here is what he sent me:

Hello Harry,
Thanks for the mail and am really happy to hear from u and also thanks for the present condition and please give me the last price for the fender.
Really Fender D8 Stringmaster is what have been looking for the past 3 months now.
But before i could proceed i will want u to send me the pics of Fender D8 Stringmaster if is available but if is not don't too worry.
Help me to take good proper care of it bcos by now i believe is mine and as for the method of payment certified cashier's check is ok by me bcos i believe is the best way to pay.As for the shipping don't to worry about that , i've a international shipping agent that going to handle everything and i really trust him bcos he's been helping me to ship my goods for about 6years ago so i really trust him as i trust u as well. I hope to hear from u soonest.
Thank's.

He used the name of "smicer micheal" <isolated_buyer@yahoo.com> but I am sure it's the same guy. He should go away soon if everyone is aware of the scam.

Harry

Jimmie Martin · Post by **Jimmie Martin** » 27 Jul 2004 1:57 pm

HEY GUYS I READ HARRYS LETTER HE RECEIVED FROM SMICER OR WHATEVER HE CALLS HIMSELF. HARRY TAKE EVERYWHERE HE SAID FENDER AND PUT BMI IN ITS PLACE AND THAT IS THE EXACT EMAIL I GOT. ROBERT

Bobby D. Hunter · Post by **Bobby D. Hunter** » 27 Jul 2004 5:02 pm

I am interested in any new names, or From addresses, for our new visitor(s). Please forward any new content to me for analysis and reporting.

Don't just copy and paste the message body content, it's of no use. I need the raw email headers intact to do anything about this.

Wizardo

Rand Anderson · Post by **Rand Anderson** » 27 Jul 2004 5:24 pm

Just got this....my guess is that some wrote spider which is traversing the forum for email addresses and subjects and shotgun mailing back to members

"Hello Rand,
Thanks for the mail and am really happy to hear from u and also thanks for the pics u sent to me is just too lovely its really my taste inshort i can wait to see it.
Really Melobar 6 String Lap Steel is what have been looking for the past 4 months own.Kindly help me to take good proper care of it and pls don't respond to
anybody email again about the Melobar 6 String Lap Steel bcos by now i believe is mine and as for the price $300 is ok by me but don't include the shipping cost bcos i've a shipping agent that is working for me.
As for the method of payment certified cashier's check is ok by me bcos i
believe is the best way to pay.As for the shipping don't to worry about
that , i've a international shipping agent that going to handle everything
and i really trust him bcos he's been helping me to ship my goods for about
6years ago so i really trust him as i trust u as well. I hope to hear from
u soonest.
Thank's.
"

Aaron Garrett · Post by **Aaron Garrett** » 27 Jul 2004 6:28 pm

I got nearly the same email from "Andy Hermann", and it was clearly a scam -- he knew nothing about steels.

Post by **b0b** » 28 Jul 2004 9:43 am

I just received a Nigerian after-market spam. I can't believe the nerve of these guys! Subject: "Do you need a lawyer in Nigeria", with a return address at hotmail.com. I'm forwarding it to Bob.

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<img align=left src="http://picturehost.net/b0b/ManzBob2.jpg" border="0"> Bobby Lee
-b0b- quasar@b0b.com 
System Administrator

Mark van Allen · Post by **Mark van Allen** » 28 Jul 2004 10:15 am

Sadly this appears to be an ongoing product of our culture. A few years back there were gangs of "workers" around Atlanta going up to old people and offering to resurface their roofs for a couple hundred $ with "space age 30 year coating", and then just smearing used motor oil around... now the internet just makes it easier. The most insidious stuff I've seen yet are the emails that look just like ebay or paypal official notices telling you to sign in with your passwords etc., or your account will be terminated. Got one yesterday. Obviously we have to be very careful what we believe these days...

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Stop by the Steel Store at: www.markvanallen.com

Bill Bosler · Post by **Bill Bosler** » 28 Jul 2004 4:41 pm

Does the name Mark Flamming ring a bell?

Jimmy Douglas · Post by **Jimmy Douglas** » 28 Jul 2004 7:19 pm

Just a heads up, I have received an email enquiry from a Mark Flamming which is very similar to the "Andy" mails I have received.

My apologies to Mark in advance if he is slighted by this insuniation however I can not reply to anybody who does not have a surname and a phone number.

thanks

JD

Denny Turner · Post by **Denny Turner** » 28 Jul 2004 7:38 pm

Hey ....I lubb yew no chit ... you buy me jinkie?

Aloha,
DT~[This message was edited by Denny Turner on 28 July 2004 at 08:39 PM.]

gary darr · Post by **gary darr** » 29 Jul 2004 1:41 pm

I got a email from the Mark Flamming dude today,sounds suspicous.

hello

i will like to pay the $900 for the Dekley S-12 but
it is quite unfortunate that i am not going to be in town as from
tomorrow cause i received a call yesternight that i will be going on a business trip,
so i will like to make everything fast as possible cause i am buying
it for my son as a birthday present. and i want everything to be in
place when i come back. the discription
u gave me it is okay. concerning payment i will instruct my business
representative whom we did business together and is owing me $3200 and he said he will be paying me via cashiers check. i will instruct him to
issue u the certified cashiers check of the above amount ($3200)to you,as soon
as u receive the check u will cash it then deduct the cost of your
Dekley S-12 and wire the remaining balance of $2250 to my shipping company via
western union money transfer in inorder to make arrangement in coming
over to your location for the pick up of the Dekley S-12 . u will
make use of the extra $50 for the running around.
my shipper will be coming over to your location as soon as funds is being sent to him
and to make sure that Dekley S-12 is in good condition.
all receipt paper will be handled my shipper
if this okay by u pls i will need ur full name, address and phone
number as it should be on the check.
thanks
awaits your soonest reply

What do ya'll think about that one?

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Dekley S-12 Session 500,American standard Strat,Shecter tele,Peavy Classic 50

Aaron Garrett · Post by **Aaron Garrett** » 29 Jul 2004 2:00 pm

Classic Nigerian style scam. Forged cashier check.

Bobby D. Hunter · Post by **Bobby D. Hunter** » 29 Jul 2004 8:28 pm

Not only a forged check, but evidence.

The scam works like this:

You have an item for sale, for $xxx;
Nigerian #1 offers to have an associate pay you the amount he supposedly owes person #1. You are supposed to deposit the certified check in your bank, who will tell you that it looks fine. You think you have made some fast money, because person #1 lets you deduct a fee for your trouble;
You wire the rest to Nigeria, via Western Union;
Person #2 may or may not come to pickup your item for sale, probably not;
Two weeks later the bank notifies you that the certified check is a forgery, and you now owe the full amount, usually over $3200.

This is known as a 419 fraud scheme, in Nigeria. If somebody actually receives one of these forged checks, by mail, in the USA, they should contact the police, asap, and if they don't know how to deal with it, contact the Postal Inspector in your district, and launch a Federal Postal Fraud investigation. If such a check is hand delivered, refuse to accept it for payment and tell the person with it to go cah it themselves and bring back cash. Check the cash carefully, as it my be counterfit also.

Bobby

Glenn Suchan · Post by **Glenn Suchan** » 30 Jul 2004 4:58 am

To Gary Darr and everyone else:

About a week and a half ago I received the same e-mail from Mark Flamming. Except his "business representative" owed him $4000. The difference between my sale item and his "owed" amount (less $50 I could keep for "running around") was gonna put $2300 in his pocket.

Anyway, I responded, "From what country will the Certified Cashiers Check ($4000) be issued? Will it be alright to wait until the Cashiers Check clears the bank before I forward the difference? Please provide me with your full name and shipping address before I can consider accepting your offer. Also what is the name and e-mail address of your business representative, just in case I need to work out last minute details of his transaction?"

His reply: "thanks for ur mail back well as for now i dont know the shipper my shipping company will assign to me but as soon as i get all the details i will forward it to u.
concerning the check to clear time will not permit cos u know irt will take up to 7working days to clear thats why i said u should take it to the chasing store cos they will cash oit without \delay so all u should do is go to any check cashing store close to u and find out how much they will charge to cash a check of $4000.
my name is mark flamming and i am located in the uk also the check is being issued form the USA to be precise in maryland.
thanks and i expect ur personal details."

To which I replied: "After thinking about your offer, I've decided to only accept a money order endorsed by you in the amount of the sale (guitar plus freight/insurance). Shipment will be made after the money order clears my bank. Also, per my advertisement in the Forum, shipments will be exclusive to the USA and Canada.

It's regretful that time is limited for you, but I am selling an expensive instrument and I must protect my interests in the sale.

If these points are acceptable to you, we may be able to work out the details."

Don't believe I was being unreasonable. Nonetheless, I have not heard from him since.

The only thing I can say is, whether you are buying or selling via a correspondence (E-bay, the "Forum", etc.) be sure to be meticulous about your conditions of sale or purchase and get the agreed upon 'terms" in a written form. Even if it's just a print-out from an e-mail. This will be an important document if you need to pursue legal recourse.

Keep on pickin'!
Glenn

Jim Florence · Post by **Jim Florence** » 1 Aug 2004 11:37 am

Don't bother thinking about getting a Nigerian lawyer. There was an article in yesterday's Tulsa Ok. paper about that scam. It looks like the [or at least some] of the Nigerian government is behind the scam. Said they are making millions. And it's not just the SGF.
Jim

Gere Mullican · Post by **Gere Mullican** » 1 Aug 2004 1:41 pm

I got an e-mail from the same mark_flamming a few days ago wanting to by my Nashville 400 almost word for word as the others. He wanted me to post pictures and my last price. I replied and told him I have no way of posting pictures and the price was $350.PERIOD.. Haven't heard a word since.
Gere

Bobby D. Hunter · Post by **Bobby D. Hunter** » 7 Aug 2004 8:41 am

Scammers are still trolling the forums and replying to ads for goods for sale!

You can add these recent names and email addresses to the list of scammers to watch out for:

Jamson Valantino (jamsonval@yahoo.com)

fidson auto (fidson_auto@fastermail.com)

TOSIN OMISORE

Just another heads-up to my brothers of the steel bar.

W[This message was edited by Bobby D. Hunter on 07 August 2004 at 09:51 AM.]

Hap Young · Post by **Hap Young** » 7 Aug 2004 11:44 am

Lets add Jamson Valintino to the list too.

Sidney Ralph Penton · Post by **Sidney Ralph Penton** » 10 Aug 2004 5:04 pm

boy oh boy you know i got a e mail from some guy in england wanting to buy my carter starter his name is jamson valantino i couldn't understan why a man would trust someone to cash a check and send the remainder to a shiping company. damm i feel blond. hay bob send me your e mail address and i will e mail you all the e mails i got from this guy thanks.sid

Bob Simmons · Post by **Bob Simmons** » 10 Aug 2004 6:55 pm

Don't forget "pastor John" from Nigeria, sure glad my gut told me to leave this alone! sacreligious at that

Bobby D. Hunter · Post by **Bobby D. Hunter** » 11 Aug 2004 8:55 am

Anybody who wishes to forward obvious fraud or scam emails to me can FORWARD them to wizardodelasteel @ hotmail.com (remove the spaces on either side of the @ before sending)

Please do not copy and paste email messages, as I will not get the headers. Forward them to me, via Outlook Express. If you are using web-based email, like Yahoo, or Hotmail, first set it to display ALL HEADERS, then forward it to me, using the link above here. Without the headers intact the email is useless for tracking and reporting.

Bobby D. Hunter
Are you Game?