This week I received an interesting Email in my business account. I thought at the time it seemed “scammy”, but still sent a polite reply just in case. By the second email though, it was obviously a scam, and by the third message, I decided (with encouragement from Dave and I.T. bro Paul) to just have a lot of fun with it. To be on the safe side, we removed some identifying details off my website first. The results are as follows:
Message 1:
This is Rev Mark Robinson,I have contact you to know if you carry pillar candle in stock,i need you to get back to me with the price on Stylos Pillar Candle Trays .Sizes: Small = 10″ x 3″ x 7″, Medium = 16″ x 3″ x 7″, Large = 19″ x 3″ x 7″.let me know the type and size that you have in stock or you can make a special order for me.I will like you to get back to me with a price on that now okay so that i will know the quantity that i will require for my order asap.Let me know if you accept all major Credit Card as the for of payment so that we can procced.Kindly get back to me now so that we can procced..
Regards..
Rev Mark Robinson…
Reply:
Hi Mark,
I’m not sure that you have contacted the correct person. I run a wedding flower business and do not stock pillar candles for sale. I purchase them from decor hire companies/craft supply stores if and when I require them for any weddings I provide flowers for.
I wish you luck in your search for the products you require.
Best regards,
Belinda Muller
FlowerChix.
Message 2:
HELLO BELINDA,
THANK YOU FOR THE MAIL AND CAN YOU GET BACK TO ME WITH THE TYPES OF WEDDING FLOWERS THAT YOU CARRY NOW SO THAT WE CAN PROCEED..
REGARDS..
REV MARK.
Reply:
Hi Mark,
I’M SORRY I ONLY PROCEED WITH WEDDING ORDERS AFTER AN OFFICIAL CONSULTATION HAS TAKEN PLACE.
Regards,
Belinda.
Message 3!!!:
Hello,
Thank you very much for the mail and i want you to order this WEDDING and i will like you to get back to me with the price on that so that i will know the quantity that i will require..its going to be picked up at your location as soon as its ready for pick.Let me know if you accept all major Credit Card as the form of payment so that we can procced with the full payment now..Kindly get back to me with the price now on that now so that we can procced with the full payment on my Credit Card now you can contact me with your contact Number as well…
Regards..
Rev Mark Robinson…..
Reply:
Hi Mark,
As per your request, I have attached a quote for an ENTIRE WEDDING, complete with bride and groom. Due to you declining a consultation to discuss your specific requirements, I have provided a quotation for our “Gold Plated Platinum Deluxe Wedding Package” which is AVAILABLE NOW!
Should this not suit your price range, we have the “YeeHaw, It’s a Weddin’ Y’All Package” complete with authentic rusty pick-up trucks, COMING SOON!
We accept payment by Cash, Personal cheque, solid gold lemmings, or Sendorian Plintos
For further details please call
+61 7 3835 4666 or 1800 333 000 (be sure to ask for the Fraud Division)
Regards,
Belinda Muller
FlowerChix.
Attached:
scamwedding1
*Please note that the above phone numbers are for the ACCC and the Australian Federal Police respectively.
Interestingly, I never heard back from him. *sigh*
Sounds like a bargain – what a pity I’m already married!!!!
I can’t believe some people actually fall for those scams… very entertaining though. I once had some guy try to sell me a chihuahua that came with full vaccinations from him…a qualified vertinary. When I suggested he was running a scam he was very insistant that he was genuine blah blah blah. I then pointed out that if he was indeed a vet after so many years at University he would know the correct word is Veterinary, I then suggested he go look up the word in a dictionary. He then got back to me saying I should use the dictionary because the word was Vertinary. What an idiot! You think if these people were going to run scams they would do a little research first, maybe spellcheck their e-mails? I must remember your use of “for further details…” for the next scam that comes along… I love it!
LOL – That’s hilarious! Perhaps it is spelled vertinary in Nigeria.
hahahahaha, this is so funny! You have wayyy to much time on your hands but I loved reading this – so did my workmates
How much for the ye’haw wedding??
I just got an e-mail from the same person! He asked me to give him a quote to print 300,000 fliers:
“Hello my name is Rev Mark Robinson and i will like to make a order of Flyer’s and i will like you to print 300,000 pcs of for me as another below is the information i need
8.5 x 11 brochures
1/1 on 100# gloss text
Text: Today’s Children
Quantity:300,000 pcs
Colour-Black /Black Paper front and back tri foled”
So that is the Flyer’s i am looking for and also i will like you to go
ahead and e-mail me back with the total Price of the Flyer’s of 300,000pcs let me know if you accept all major Credit Card as the form of payment so that we can proccced.Hope to hear from you and have a Nice working day.
Stay Blessed
Rev Mark Robinson….
He also asked if we accept credit cards so we can proceed with the order. That’s the first red flag: By experience I know that not one customer talks about payment before they see what we can offer. I did reply with 7 questions to him to get more details about the order, but then I did some research and found this post. Can’t wait for his answer, and see how he spells it!
Although I did find two people online with the same name, who look like normal people 
In the mean time, I’m having a nice “working day”!
I’m glad you found this Maria. I warned some florist friends of mine in the next city, and they said “Oh yeah, we’ve had him.”
After a simple Google search, I found a radio presenter who was also a Rev. Mark Robinson – perhaps an easy target for the scammer to copy his name.
I wonder if the scammer knows a lot of people don’t randomly trust the church anymore.
They should at least work on their English.
Maybe Google translator would help LOL “I will like to order” sounds just as bad as “Vertinary”
I was surprised to get a response from him today:
“Hello
thank you for your email i would like you to go ahead and get me the types and alos the designs u do and actually i will handly the shippment so go head and get me this this type 8.5 x 11 brochures
1/1 on 100# gloss text
Text: Today’s Children…”
I actually blocked his address, but just got an idea: I might copy some Nostradamus’ centuries and let him sweat a bit on translating it
) I think I’ll unblock his address to see what he sends back!
Here is what I sent, I replaced a couple of words, so it looks like it’s related to the “order” he is trying to place:
Three hundred will be in accord with one will o come to the execution of their blow tin twenty months after all printing Their job betrayed simulating feigned print.