Does anyone have any customers in Nigeria?

Someone wants to buy a bunch of serigraphs from us in Nigeria. They have been emailing Lisa back and forth wanting a quote on shipping charges etc. Is there anyone on TC from Nigeria or does anyone else have a customer in Nigeria.
What do you guys think? Thanks

Dont! its a scam.
I dont know the full details but it is definitely a scam. I get those requests alot.

-stuckie

The only thing I know about Nigeria is that General Mikeely Muhmbahtoo wants to deposit $10,000,000 in my bank account so I can help him finance some sort of Goverment takeover, it appeals the the revolutonary in me. Other than that, I suggest COD.
Mahalo,
Al

Google Nigerian Credit Card scam and see what pops up. I usually screw with the requests and tell them to go to our wholesale department and then link them back to a info site about the card scams. They don't seem to be bothering my website that much anymore.

Screw C.O.D.

CASH IN ADVANCE !!!

after it clears, then send them their stuff!

They haven't asked us for any account info or anything, but they do want to use a credit card. Lisa is asking for there info.
Do you really think there might be a Tiki freak or two over there.

Thanks

Bank/Wire transfer of funds ---- Watch yourself these guys sit in rooms until they can come up with a scam !!!!

On 2006-06-26 08:34, TikiLaLe wrote:
Bank/Wire transfer of funds ---- Watch yourself these guys sit in rooms until they can come up with a scam !!!!

Yeah, definitely DO NOT do a bank/wire transfer. They can bounce it off a crappy bank in Switzerland and such your account dry.

It's a Scam!! They're also scamming funeral homes too.
(New Wrinkle in Nigerian Funeral Home Scam

NFDA has learned that the scope of the scam has been expanded to include caskets and vaults. A Maine funeral home received a request from Nigeria to purchase a casket and vault in the amount of $7,000 with instructions to deliver the merchandise to a shipping company which would forward it to Nigeria.

NFDA members are strongly advised not to ship any merchandise in response to an order received from Nigeria, from overseas, or via a hearing impaired operator. Members should also be advised that simply because a credit card number goes through, does not mean that it has not been stolen. If a member processes a transaction through a stolen credit card, they will later receive a charge-back from the credit card processor when the theft is discovered. )

What they're doing with caskets and tikis is any ones guess.

Always on the look-out for a crappy Swiss Bank --- do they give out swiss chocolates in the lobby !!!!

I had my CC # stolen. The "perp" used it at Hotels.com for a couple weeks at two hotels and tried getting several cell phone companies to give him service.

I was not the victim. Hotels.com was the victim. I could NOT use my card, had to get new card, had to call the cops (this does nothing), worry about who stole the #. Ex employee or the local Cruise America guy. I think the latter.

Remember! the person using the card can always say he didn't get the merchandise 6 months later. And then the charge back happens.

Like Ben said Do not do it! unless they agree to send cash in a well concealed package. Then you send the prints.

Read this thread on a forum just for online auctions:
http://www.fatwallet.com/t/67/476359/

It should be very insightful for you, especially if you sell on ebay.

For us to do a credit card transaction we need the exact billing address anyway...... We haven't heard back from them since Lisa asked for all there info.

Thanks everyone.

Scam and fraud info from Craigslist:

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/about/scams.html

I have to ask......

How did anyone from Nigeria even get through your spam filters to become a potential customer?

I heard that the Government of Nigeria was actually trying to reclaim and repair their image in the world, but none of their marketing emails were ever received.... :wink:

I once sold an expensive phone once on eBay and the Nigerians came out like sharks for blood in the water.

Here are some of the things I was offered (and didn't bite on thank God)

Phoney cashiers checks = Depost it and everything looks great for a month, then the bank tells you its fake and takes the money back.
Huge cashiers check = Seller want you to refund the differance in cash and ship the item too.

Credit card number = Looks good, but the buyer can't tell you the name on the card (not a good sign).
Buyer want to pay with multiple credit card numbers.

If by some miricle you do find an honest person in that country who does pay you, the item will most likely be stolen by someone in the Nigerian post office before it ever gets to the buyer.

Scamming and stealing from forginers is not illegal in Nigeria, in fact it is the second largest source of their GNP (Gold mining is #1).

I once read a story in the Onion about a multimillionare philanthripst who lived in Lagos Nigeria, he would send out thousands of emails begging people to take his money. The only replys he gets back are profanity telling him what to do with his millions. "Is there no poverty left in the world?"

Here is some more stuff from the Onion on Nigeria:
Point Conterpoint
2008 Genocide

I have had nothing but problems shipping to Nigeria, I stopped doing so. The last peson i sold to seemed legit. I spent literal days e-mailing back and forth different shipping quotes. They changed their shipping address numerous times, wanted to pay with a credit card, then cashier's check, then wire cash. I told them the only way I would ship was if they paid through PayPal and sent them a Pay Pal invoice. They never paid.

They later re-appeared about 9 months later, doing the same thing. I convinced them to purchase through PayPal (PayPal has seller insurance). Everything was fine: the money went through, I shipped the package via AirMail. But then two months later they claimed the items never arrived and they wanted me to replace the order. The Post Office helped me to try and trace the package, but the government in Nigeria is so corrupt there is a slim chance anything mailed to them actually arrives to the person. My post office will no longer insure packages to Nigeria (for the previous reason) so I had to eat the cost of the whole order.

So just know that even if the people are fine, you are taking a risk in getting the items to them. Make sure you use a shipper who will insure your items and don't ship to them unless they pay for insurance. That's the best lesson I learned from shipping to Nigeria.

There was an article in the Wall Street Journal, about how there are guys who spend all day in Internet lounges. They use stolen credit card numbers to buy stuff, then turn around and sell it for a profit. Sometimes they have confederates in Europe to provide a 'legit' address.

You may not be sending something to Colonel Idi Amin working for the Nigerian National Treasury, but it sounds like bad news in any case.

Big Dada says "Yes, I would like 15 Wade Koniakowsky prints, and please throw in a couple of Hukilau 2005 posters. Thank you."

The Tikipedia
www.tikipedia.com

[ Edited by: tikipedia 2006-06-26 21:19 ]

It is sad, because there are certainly tons of honest people in Nigeria, and I imagine there are even honest tiki fans there as well. :) But the risks are high. Read some of the info at http://fraud.org/tips/internet/fakecheck.htm, which talks about the likely outcome of this situation. (Also read http://419eater.com for information on another cmmon scam, the advance fee fraud.)

Unfortunately, many sellers just refuse to do sales to Nigeria anymore because of the risks. It's like when a business won't take checks with a low check number -- it is disappointing if you're the honest buyer who happens to have a low check number, but usually the seller has had to make that decision for a good reason.

In general I would not ship to Nigeria, period.

I just got this e-mail today. I get e-mails similar to this several times a week. In the past year they've become more sneaky, using quilting references to try to trick me into thinking they might actually be credible customers. Not gonna happen. Beware folks! Most often they use stolen credit card numbers. I actually use the phrase 'I will' in my spam filter, since it's used in virtually every e-mail.

Dear Sales,
Goodday to you.I am the CEO of GREAT QUILT INC.i browse through your website and i found it quite interesting and i will like to order some of your goods to my new store in Lagos State. However,Before i go ahead with my order,I will like to know whether you ship to Lagos.

Finally,At this time,I will made the payment via my credit card. and also hopefully you do use both UPS, U.S GLOBAL EXPRESS,DHL. for the shipment.

I await your reply as soon as possible so that i can forward you the items needed.

Thanks

James.

NOW THIS GUY WANTS US TO SHIP HIM A COMPUTER!

Lisa,

The total amount for my order and shipping is quite ok by me, but before I proceed with payment. I want you to know that i'm distributor to the retailers shops in my state and I have been working on my Store Website since January of last year but it is yet to be completed and hosted. I needed a Notebook computer that is Based on Pentium M processor as a dedicated server. My engineer advised it will be a better option due to my kind of business. New Notebooks computers are relative scares here and are extremely expensive compared to the prices I've seen in some stores on the web sites. Most of them do not ship internationally.Please, I will really appreciate it if you could assist me purchase a Laptops Computer Pentium M Processor to be inlcuded in the order when you are going to ship my order and the model of the Laptop Computer Pentium M Processor should as follow (TOSHIBA PORTEG,SONY VAIO or HP COMPAQ) QTY IN {2}.You know I can also do the same help for you if you were in shoes that is why I decided to ask you and I believe you will help me out. So when i provide you my credit card info you will charge your money from it. I wouldn t mind to compensate you $500 for your running around fee because you deserve it, when I make your payment.

God will be with you, your families and even your business. And also you can get back to me with the grand total with my order and shipping cost ASAP.

I await your kind consideration.

Best Regards
Wemimo.

well, god will be with you. i say do it!

hell, just tell him to mail you a check when he gets his items. i'm sure he's good for it.

you could always send him a p-p-p-powerbook

http://www.p-p-p-powerbook.com/files/thepowerbook.pdf

sheesh

[ Edited by: pdrake 2006-06-27 10:40 ]

I loved that powerbook story it was very funny.

A friend of mine told me a simailar story about a woman on the internet who has created multiple identitys and she collects emails and fake checks while she strings along the Nigerian Scammers for her entertianment. It like having demented pen pals who want to steal from you.

Well, no question now, he's a scammer. At least you don't have to feel bad that he was a possible honest tiki fan.

(Oh, captnkirk, that's what those people at the 419eater.com site I mentioned earlier do -- they bait the scammers, stringing them along and wasting their time in highly entertaining ways. Because the more of their time you waste, the less time they have to work on real victims.)

[ Edited by: litlnemo 2006-06-27 18:18 ]

Dont do it! Not worth the risk.

Awe come on Gean, I have faith in ya.
Go for it! :)

seriously-I say 100% scam!!! We get these at work at the time. They use stolen credit card numbers and the billing address won't usually match the shipping address(call the credit card company for address verification first!). They use stolen card numbers that are NOT yet known to be stolen so the credit card company will authorize the sale.
If you want to lose money and waste your time-send the stuff. Otherwise mark their emails as spam and don't bother replying!

DON'T DO IT-end of story!!!!!