A new kind of scam, legit request, or a prank?

[Guest andrewd]

This is interesting. Not sure, but I think it may be a new kind of scam or a prank. At first communication it didn’t seem so, but the grammar and the syntax of the last sentence “to read from you soon” raised my scam flags. The grammar and the syntax has a few similarities with the emails that come from overseas from Engineer So & So wanting to pay money up front, yada, yada, yada. I'm sure everybody has received one of these.

 

Here’s the first email I received; which I have omitted names just in case.

 

“hey

well first of all .. You need to know little about me. My name is xxxxx.42

years old,

single with no kids. I am a fun loving guy who love to have fun all the time. I

do own a

home store called xxxxx xxxxxxxxx. well i dont know what else to say. But i

belive when

you come down here you will know much about me. I need to know your rate for the

weekend.

Can i have you here on the 22rd and 23rd of Jan. I will be willing to pay for

your flight

ticket for the round trip. I guess that's motivating. Right now i am on the

filed and i

cant make a call or receive any call from here due to the nature of my job.. I

can keep

track on this email thing if that's okay with you. Let me know the cost to

bring you down

here in Houston TX. I am look forward to meet you soon and have some fun with

you. Can you

tell me what you really do for a living ? Your age and can i have more pics of

you. Hope

to read from you soon.”

 

I replied and directed him back to my profile for an answer to the age question & pics. As for the question re: my ‘real living’, I declined to go into detail as this too seemed odd to me. I asked him to give me a call if all sounded good so we could discuss further.

 

He responded to me 2 days later with the following:

 

“The price is okay by me.....since we agree on the price i will need to pay u a deposit of 1000$ and when you get here you will get your balance...Hope that cool with you..I will need a name and address to send the check of 1000$ to for the deposit.Hope to read from you soon.”

 

Whoa. Big time brake pump on my part. This really leads me to believe a new kind of scam or prank is at hand. I could be wrong, but this was odd. I have never flown to meet someone with whom I have only corresponded via email. I just don’t think it wise to agree to a meeting without phone contact first so we can both get a better feel for each other. I think from a safety standpoint, also, that only having an email addy is not wise either.

 

I replied to him stating my concerns about providing the info he requested and my desire to talk with him first before we schedule a meeting. That was 4 days ago and I am guessing my request to speak on the phone was deterrent enough as I have not heard from him. If it is a scam, not sure what he was hoping to gain. The other conclusion I am drawing is that perhaps this is a prank or a set up of sorts.

 

Any other guys experience something similar? Or am I just being paranoid? It could be legit, but my gut tells me otherwise.

[Kevin Slater]

I had the identical email sent to me two times. I ignored both.

 

Kevin Slater

[ShaunRoss]

andrewd,

 

The D in your name stands for DON"T!

 

Don't second guess your intuition or instincts.

 

Don't respond to any e-mail that asks for a way to send you some money upfront and requires you to give personal information about yourself.

 

Don't even think twice about it.

 

Hope you are enjoying your day!

[Racketjock]

My personal opinion is this creep can't communicate well enough nor appreciate with the same vigor that this fellow Houston cowboy can! Although I would say stay far away from the flake, I will encourage any trips closer my way. Oh well, looking forward to cumming your way on Monday.........

[Rick Munroe]

We got the same email and ignored it. Definitely reeked of scammer.

[seeker630]

Electronic banking scams

 

..I will need a name and address to send the check of 1000$ to for the deposit.Hope to read from you soon.”

It's possible that cashing a check would somehow enable him(?) to access your bank accounts.

Last year my elderly father received a check from an unknown business - supposedly some sort of gift or refund. The bank advised that cashing the check and depositing the money might give someone access to the account. Sounds far-fetched but...my fathers checking account was debited thousands of dollars two years ago by electronic checks and supposed internet purchases (and he's never owned or operated a computer!) It's scary how easy it was for someone to raid his account! We had to close the account, establish a new one - and then do it again because he gave his account number out over the phone to someone pretending to be with Medicare & the raids started again!

 

This story also sounds like a variation on emails that Mark Gordon (I think) recievd a few months ago (except it was a supposed woman who wanted to hire, as I recall.)

[Dave]

this sentence also indicates it's a scam, in my opinion:

 

"I am a fun loving guy who love to have fun all the time."

 

i mean, when have you ever had a legit client write you that?

i'm with ShaunRoss; trust your instinct. a skilled escort always does.

good luck, AndrewD, and sorry you had to waste time on that.

[rvwnsd]

Aside from the unusual syntax and the fact that several others received the same message, I'm bothered by the fact that the sender wants to pay you by personal check. The likelihood of him obtaining your bank account number from the negotiated check is slim, unless you write it on the check when you endorse it. A more likely scenario is that the check is stolen or counterfeit. You could be held liable for depositing a forged, counterfeit, or stolen check. Another variant of this scheme involves a "client" sending you a cashier's check in excess of your fee and asking you to wire him the excess. 99.99999% of the time the cashier's check is fake and you are out the money that you wired. Again, you could be held liable for passing bad checks.

 

This leads to a question: How do escorts collect fees in advance of a travel appointment? If the guy sends you a wire he has your bank account and routing information.

[Guest RyanCade]

Very simple remedy, no exchange of personal information is required. Prepaid visa or mastercard, The client purchases "green dot money packs" each money pack can hold a maximum of 500.00 the client then calls with the numeric code on the back, the escort then can either call or get online and the funds are posted immediately and are available for use and the transaction is not reversable. Note if the money pack is purchased at walmart the numeric activation code is printed on the receipt. If purchased at Wal Greens there is a one hour waiting period from the time of purchase before the funds can be loaded. You can also purchase "green dot money packs" at CVS, Rite Aid, Kroger and they can be loaded as soon as five minuted from the time of purchase.

 

This leads to a question: How do escorts collect fees in advance of a travel appointment? If the guy sends you a wire he has your bank account and routing information.

[NYTomcat]

Not that I am the expert but you can also email the escort airline gift card for the flight expenses, this doesn't even require an address to be given to the client to mail the gift cards. They can be emailed to the escorts account to pay for flight + if needed and the balance at meeting.

 

Also you want to be cautious of depositing personal checks. an old federal investigation scam to catch drugs, money launderers, and prostitution rings, follow the check then seize all the assets in the account as commingled with assets from an alleged crime. Even if you prevail, it will take months to see your money and if you lose (civil forfeiture of assets - goodbye money)

[rvwnsd]

Not that I am the expert but you can also email the escort airline gift card for the flight expenses,

 

I was actually more curious about the cost of the fee, which Ryan answered. I would be surprised if the ability to purchase a prepaid card without divulging personal information lasts for much longer, given the focus on fighting money laundering.

[NYTomcat]

You are correct, the anonymous nature of these cards is already under scrutiny and will probably be gone soon.

 

 

I was actually more curious about the cost of the fee, which Ryan answered. I would be surprised if the ability to purchase a prepaid card without divulging personal information lasts for much longer, given the focus on fighting money laundering.

[Dave]

Paypal is a great option. this page on my site explains the benefits. the only negative (for me, not for my clients) is that Paypal charges me - about 3%, a similar fee if i were to accept credit cards. that's not much on a short appointment, but it is noticeable on an overnight. still, i see it as just another part of my escorting costs.

[Guest RyanCade]

Paypal is a great option. this page on my site explains the benefits. the only negative (for me, not for my clients) is that Paypal charges me - about 3%, a similar fee if i were to accept credit cards. that's not much on a short appointment, but it is noticeable on an overnight. still, i see it as just another part of my escorting costs.

 

The other down fall is that people who like to rip off escorts can initiate a charge back and get thier money back after the session. Then you are left trying to substantiate your claim of services rendered

[Guest RyanCade]

You are correct, the anonymous nature of these cards is already under scrutiny and will probably be gone soon.

 

Actually the client doesn't need any information to purchase the reload cards, however uncle sam still requires the actual account holder who is receiving the activation number and loading the cash for their use, to submit proper identification, such as social security number, birth date, mothers maiden name, address on file with the credit reporting agencies.. treated just like a regular bank account but you don't have to go to the bank to deposit cash rather you pay a fee every time you make a deposit... for a traveling escort who uses it for purchasing hotel rooms plane tickets and collecting deposits, it is actually very convenient and useful. The money packs can also be loaded directly into your pay pal and e bay account and then it is an irreversible transaction

 

PS Be careful of how much money you run through these accounts they will shut the card down if it's obviously over the top activity with random and unpredictable loading patterns..

[+ Ace]

Got it as well...

I actually replied back (to see where it would go).

Here is the reply:

what date will you be available? I guess i can afford the charges. also about the ticket i will let my traveling agent handle that. she will be booking the hotel we will be staying in, she can book that along with the flight ticket. Well i am going to send you a 1000$ deposit. when you get here you will get your balance. Okay? I will mail out the check to you. I need your name and address where that will be send to.

Bye

[instudiocity]

Too weird...

 

This is all too weird to me.

 

Escorts, you would actually expose yourselves to someone like this with NO PRELIMINARIES?

 

I might be too wary, but I like to meet a guy for a drink at a neutral site before bringing him to my place (or hotel) or going to his.

 

Sending money in advance for an escort I've never met sounds dangerous to me.

[+ purplekow]

Some of you may recall that I received a request for my address from an escort just before the holidays and he told me he was going to send me something. Afeerwards I started receiving all sort of catalogues in his name. His explanation for needing my address was sketchy at best and I never received anything from him. Now I am wondering if he answered this letter and gave my address to see if a check or some sort of mail would actually be delivered.

[Dave]

The other down fall is that people who like to rip off escorts can initiate a charge back and get thier money back after the session. Then you are left trying to substantiate your claim of services rendered

 

yeah, you are right - in that way, PayPal is similar to credit cards. but in my experience, i've never had anyone try to get their money back

 

in fact, i'm not sure that's typical for people who "like to rip off escorts." IMO it's more common for them to be no shows or attempt phone sex calls. and occasionally, someone might give an outcall address that has no door answered (did any of you guys see HBO's Hung? his first appointment...)

 

having said all that, i did have an experience last week that i haven't had for a while. a little background: this guy is 30 years old, closeted, single, sexually abused by a family member as a teen, and only recently starting to be more comfortable with his sexuality. i had seen him two times before.

 

one hour into our two hour appt, he tells me that he struggled to come up with the money for this; he expected his bonus the day before, and it didnt come yet, and he had to borrow the cash for this appt from his friend, and yada yada yada... he only has 2/3 of the fee. it was a shock, not only because of when he chose to tell me, but also, well - things had been going so good up till then!

 

what would you guys've done? i am curious.

[+ purplekow]

Given the nature of the relationship, I probably would have completed the appointment, told the client that if he has financial problems in the future to let you know before the appointment and perhaps things could be scheduled differently. I would also expect him to pay the balance. I have done this in my professional life with some successes and some failures. The successes result in a loyal and happy patron. The failures usually result in the person not being seen again. Win Win.

[jackcali]

I think pk has it exactly right. You should definitely tell him that he should have told you earlier. But let me ask, if he told you when you showed up, would you have gone through with the two hours or told him he's only entitled to less time for his money? I think the answer depends on how you feel about the client. His is certainly a sympathetic story and, given his background, I doubt he's doing this just to scam you out of one-third of your fee.

 

So, Dave, what did you do?

[Guest andrewd]

Just a couple things...

 

Thanks for your responses guys. Like I said, thought it was a new scam & glad to have that confirmed by other guys who have received similar emails.

 

Don't respond to any e-mail that asks for a way to send you some money upfront and requires you to give personal information about yourself.

 

Shaun, I don't ever respond to emails that request this info up front. As I noted in the OP, he made no mention of this in his first email to me; which is why I responded. In the second email is when this was requested and that's when the red flag/hairs on the back of my neck went up.

 

Last year my elderly father received a check from an unknown business - supposedly some sort of gift or refund. The bank advised that cashing the check and depositing the money might give someone access to the account. Sounds far-fetched but...my fathers checking account was debited thousands of dollars two years ago by electronic checks and supposed internet purchases (and he's never owned or operated a computer!) It's scary how easy it was for someone to raid his account! We had to close the account, establish a new one - and then do it again because he gave his account number out over the phone to someone pretending to be with Medicare & the raids started again!

 

Perhaps this is a similar scam this person was trying to perpetrate.

 

and sorry you had to waste time on that.

 

Thanks for the sentiment, Rockin', but I don't see it as a time waster, rather an opportunity to learn about another possible scam & like Shaun said, affirmation to trust the good old gut & instints.

 

The likelihood of him obtaining your bank account number from the negotiated check is slim, unless you write it on the check when you endorse it.

 

rvwnsd, actually my credit union does require its members to write our account number on the back of the check, so thanks for pointing that out as a possibility. Good to know.

 

Escorts, you would actually expose yourselves to someone like this with NO PRELIMINARIES?

 

instudiocity, I just want to make clear that my safety & well being; which extends to my health and that of the people with whom I share my time, is of utmost & paramount importance to me. In my OP you will notice my last response to him was to say,

 

"I replied to him stating my concerns about providing the info he requested and my desire to talk with him first before we schedule a meeting."

 

I would NEVER agree to meet someone for an extended time, much less fly or drive to a city after having only had email contact with someone. In fact, I can't really think of a time when I have even agreed to any meeting with only email contact. I always request a phone number or phone contact before agreeing to an appointment. If something goes south, an email addy would be too hard to track, while a phone number, and maybe I'm being naive or gullible here, provides a way to trace or track someone down should it be necessary.

 

Thanks again for your feedback guys!

 

xoxoxo

 

PS Dutchess! Whatcha think of this use of multi quotes? Buyah! lol xo

[Dave]

I think pk has it exactly right. You should definitely tell him that he should have told you earlier. But let me ask, if he told you when you showed up, would you have gone through with the two hours or told him he's only entitled to less time for his money? I think the answer depends on how you feel about the client. His is certainly a sympathetic story and, given his background, I doubt he's doing this just to scam you out of one-third of your fee.

 

So, Dave, what did you do?

 

sorry about this late response.

 

i agree with you and pk- i did let him know i would have preferred he had told me earlier.

unfortunately, the way he dealt with the situation left me feeling a bit taken advantage of... i sensed he almost wasnt going to tell me at all (until the end of our 3 hours.) and for that reason, i told him we would only have two hours that day. the element of sneakiness kinda ruined the mood a bit for me - i don't play games with my clients and i don't want them to play games with me. wait, i'm not against strip poker though

 

definitely if it were another person who mightve presented it to me in a more upfront way, i would have kept it at 3 hours. most people who have seen me know that i'm not a clockwatcher, and i have been known to go over agreed upon time periods, without any request for additional payment.

[rvwnsd]

rvwnsd, actually my credit union does require its members to write our account number on the back of the check, so thanks for pointing that out as a possibility. Good to know.

 

Time to change credit unions/banks. They should not require this information. They should be able to trace a deposit back to your account without you having to write the account number on the check. My bank discourages its customers from writing account numbers on the back of deposited items and forbids its tellers from doing so.

 

PS: Sorry for the delayed reply.