Tis the season for scammers to do what they can to bilk trusting consumers. I learned a lesson this week in TRUSTING MY GUT INSTINCTS no matter what. David found a "too good to be true" deal on a camera. The seller pretended to be from amazon but wasn't. All I had for ordering was an email. I inquired about the camera and they placed an order (I never told them to order it for me) and then they start demanding money via MoneyGram. The seller location was in Italy.
I didn't want to send a moneygram. At least through a credit card you have some kind of recourse if you don't receive the goods. But noooo... this person didn't accept credit card. Just MoneyGram or Western Union. And they sent me a "order" that looked like it was from Amazon, but the spelling errors were obvious that this person "no speak english" and everything about it just made me think it was a scam. They did not want me to tell the MoneyGram people it was a business transaction. They kept saying, "Tell them the money is for a family friend." Yeah RIGHT! I think NOT.
I contacted MoneyGram and Amazon.com and both of them agreed with me that this was a fraud and not to send a dime. So I tried to cancel the "order" (that I never even placed) and have been sent multiple harassing emails. I finally got PISSSSSSED off at them and sent them a nasty email back.
I asked them to give me their Seller name on Amazon. (Their so-called amazon order email contained NO seller listing... only an email address) I asked for them to give me the Amazon order number (there was no order number). I told them I did not believe they were legit. I told them I would not buy from them. I told them anybody who asks me to LIE to the Moneygram people about a transaction is dishonest. I told them they should be ashamed for posing like a Amazon seller when they had created that whole email to LOOK like it was legit but it was not (I sent it to Amazon and they told me it was a fake).
The biggest thing that bothers me.... is these people do have my name and address. That is the only private info they have.... but what if they get mad and open a bunch of credit card accounts using my name and address? I used to have identity theft protection insurance but it expired and I have no money to renew it.
They had also given me a "fax" number that was supposedly from amazon's international seller division that I could send my confirmation of payment to....(If I didn't want to send it directly to the seller) and I traced that number and it is not an amazon number. At least it is not on their website as one of their faxes. It showed up as a number in Florida.
I know what would have happened if I had done what they said. David would be out $600. I would never receive a camera. And if I complained about it, the MoneyGram order would have showed I sent money to a "family friend" not any business transaction where I should receive goods.
How stupid do they think I am?????
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