Is this a scam?

Be really, really careful at the moment...
A mate that I know well, has probably just done ten grand cold...
Just buying a new four axle dog trailer, ordered it in November last year, from a BIG trailer manufactuer- one that we all know well.
Had all the correct paperwork and so on. Go the invoice for the trailer, which required the deposit to proceed with the build.
got another email WITH ALL THE CORRECT DETAILS AND LETTERHEAD AND PERSONELL from the manufacturer, stating that the bank details had changed, and please change your accounts to this new one.
They paid their deposit accordingly, and even sent the remittance advice, to which they received a "thank you" reply from the manufacturer, and the trailer was built. now it's ready for collection, the manufacturer has said "hey, we have never recieved your deposit"... and they haven't.
It's gone, to some place in cybercrimminal land...
So now the fight is on over who pays.
Thats the THIRD story I've heard like this very recently, including one where the crooks waited until the secretary was away to send a "please pay this amount" from the boss to the temporary office girl, using all the correct names, details and so on from the boss... Only a fluke that they didn't just pay the $17 grand amount, as it wasn't an abnormal transaction...
I get emails frequently from auctions replying to "my enquiry"- and the enquiry has all my correct details on it, even down to the point of being about the style of trucks that I may actually be interested in...
So I would suggest that someone is watching all you do online, with a view to jumping in at the correct time to have a crack at you.
And I had one a while ago Morris, with a person "selling" a landcruiser, same same, all too easy all to cheap.
My sister also booked and AirBNB in New York for a week for her family, used the correct Air BNB site the whole normal operation- to find that the particular accomodation she booked just disappeared, after she had paid for it, in full. And because she EFT'd the payment- gone. no recourse at all.
So use a credit card if you are paying for things online, at least the credit card or paypal site will usuallly give you some backup or refund. With direct debit, you are on your own....
Have a good day everyone!
Cheers
Richard

A housebuilding company told me that due to internet crime,they will no longer deal thru any kind of internet money transfer.....if you dont use a finance company or bank to pay,you can only make progress payments by opening a joint bank account with a company officer at their nominated bank.....You deposit the money,they draw it out.....all done on the banks secure system......So Im thinking they have had problems before.

Hey Prodrive, have you had the Phone call from the A.T.O. Telling you that there's a Warrant out for your arrest if you Don't Pay up...?

I've had it 3 times in the last 6-8 Weeks...

And a call from Amazon confirming my bill for $390 and a call from Google confirming my bill for $760 and a call from Telstra asking to confirm my credit details before having the phone cut off and a call from Lifesavers, RSPCA, Sporting Wheelies, WWF etc etc not to mention Viagra, Diet Supplements and yesterday a Covid inoculation booking for $79.

That's life in 2021, you just have to keep your wits about you.

Lang

A lot of cheap low mileage, late model motorhomes available at present. All around 2017 models with about 35k mileage for $50k. (Real value is somewhere between $100k to $130k). These scam ones all come with hard luck stories.

Big time alarm bells Morris. Sounds like the reversal of the other type of scams that usually Africans are involved with wanting to buy a car from you and an agent will come and pick it up.

Seed, yep, plenty of things like that! And also the others, amazon, you name it... drives me bloody nuts.
Does anyone know why you get calls, usually from "sydney" or something like that, but there is no one there when you answer? i can only assume it's a computer dialing you, then it confirms that your number is actually being answered, then someone else tries to do something dodgy to you...
On the previous subject of government stuff ups- remember when the govt brought in "privacy" laws? meaning you could no longer call Cummins or any other biggish mob (etc) to find out anything- as they won't tell you because of 'privacy"..which can be a right PITA.
But in typical style, since the gubbernmint brought in all these stupid laws which make it hard for you to find out any tiny detail that could be helpful and never hurt anyone- all these crappy scammers have all you details, and you get five hundred million crappy calls or junk mail or spam!!
Bloody governments....
Hey! Thats nearly a rant!!!
have a great day fellas.
Cheers
Rich

prodrive wrote: Be really, really careful at the moment...
A mate that I know well, has probably just done ten grand cold...
Just buying a new four axle dog trailer, ordered it in November last year, from a BIG trailer manufactuer- one that we all know well.
Had all the correct paperwork and so on. Go the invoice for the trailer, which required the deposit to proceed with the build.
got another email WITH ALL THE CORRECT DETAILS AND LETTERHEAD AND PERSONELL from the manufacturer, stating that the bank details had changed, and please change your accounts to this new one.
They paid their deposit accordingly, and even sent the remittance advice, to which they received a "thank you" reply from the manufacturer, and the trailer was built. now it's ready for collection, the manufacturer has said "hey, we have never recieved your deposit"... and they haven't.
It's gone, to some place in cybercrimminal land...
So now the fight is on over who pays.
Thats the THIRD story I've heard like this very recently, including one where the crooks waited until the secretary was away to send a "please pay this amount" from the boss to the temporary office girl, using all the correct names, details and so on from the boss... Only a fluke that they didn't just pay the $17 grand amount, as it wasn't an abnormal transaction...
I get emails frequently from auctions replying to "my enquiry"- and the enquiry has all my correct details on it, even down to the point of being about the style of trucks that I may actually be interested in...
So I would suggest that someone is watching all you do online, with a view to jumping in at the correct time to have a crack at you.
And I had one a while ago Morris, with a person "selling" a landcruiser, same same, all too easy all to cheap.
My sister also booked and AirBNB in New York for a week for her family, used the correct Air BNB site the whole normal operation- to find that the particular accomodation she booked just disappeared, after she had paid for it, in full. And because she EFT'd the payment- gone. no recourse at all.
So use a credit card if you are paying for things online, at least the credit card or paypal site will usuallly give you some backup or refund. With direct debit, you are on your own....
Have a good day everyone!
Cheers
Richard

The first example you recited is actually due to someone(s) having broken into the trailer company's office network and in particular their email server(computer) and is able to view and intercept all mail going in and out looking for opportunities to step in and send their version of the emails. That is Cracking(or incorrectly called Hacking in the media) and is not spam but is illegal entry and theft/fraud. This is a view from a legal person on a similar event, www.gotocourt.com.au/civil-law/hacked-bu...ble-client-business/ where is the trailer company responsible for the security of their email server and thus liable or their insurance company or the customer who didn't check.

The other examples where the accounts department, secretary, treasurer(it happens with clubs a lot) send or receive an email from someone else in the organisation to say to transfer this money is spam as the naughty person hasn't broken into anything they have simply scanned a website or public documents to determine valid names and email accounts for the organisation and imitated the email addresses(spoof'ing) to make themselves look legit and is spam or phishing, but still fraud, which is done from outside the company or organisation.

Terry

I no longer answer private or unknown numbers.
Every unknown number is checked through the site below.Amazing how many are listed as scam
www.reverseaustralia.com/
Do you know that if you dial #31# before any number caller I.D. displays your number on the call receivers phone as a Private Number
I call back unknown numbers that reverse australia have no details for,a huge amount I receive a recorded message that "the number you are dialing is not connected". Does anyone know how they do this? dial from an unconnected phone

Oliver,

You can read about what is happening here, www.acma.gov.au/calling-line-identification-and-spoofing

They aren't actually calling from that number, they just appear to be calling from that number. There is also something the carriers can do to prevent unused/allocated numbers from being used by this form of spoofing, but for some reason they don't.

A google search on 'spoofing australian phone numbers" gives you plenty of things to read.

Terry