The letters below are examples of suspected scam letters that may be sent to your restaurant. The standard format is to request a large booking, often over a period of consecutive days. They will offer to make a deposit and if accepted will provide some sort of “proof” that they have made a credit card payment. Sometimes they will deliberately overpay. Later they will cancel for some reason or “discover” the overpayment and ask you to make a refund. The last step is when the original payment is reversed out of your bank account by the credit card company as the card will be found to be stolen.
Some of the tell tale signs are as follows:
• Poor spelling and grammar
• Unusual salutation eg “Hello Dear”, “Hello Sir/Madam” etc
• Group booking over consecutive days
• Offer to pay deposit in advance
• Payment in Dollars even though they claim to be from the UK
• Usually a Reverend, Doctor or head of a charity
Dining-OUT does not show email addresses of restaurant owners on its website. This was amended some time ago and guests fill in an email form which is forwarded by us to you. This stops scammers using “spiders” to harvest email addresses from our website and also gives us the opportunity to blacklist any that are identified as scams. Scammers therefore have to send each email separately slowing down the mail shot process and giving us time to blacklist the email address after the first few have been received by restaurants and forwarded to us.
However, please note that not all restaurant websites have these email scanning facilities in place and you may well receive scam emails from other sources including your own website if you have one. As they say on “The Real Hustle” on BBC Prime, “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is”.
Examples of Suspected Scam Letters:
Good day Sir/Madam, I am Dr.Albert Green,A supervisor of wildlife research institute United Kingdom.I want to book dinner for a my group of workers.We are 21 in number and will be coming for dinner in your place on JUNE 20th, 21st,22nd and 23rd 2007 by 7:00pm each day.As i do not know what the guests might choose for their meals and drinks i will make a pre-payment of $2,000 as initial deposit for this booking via credit card once availability is confirmed by you.All checks and balances will be made with you on 23rd JUNE which is the final day of the booking. Get back to me with your response as we don’t have much time with us.
Regards, Dr.Albert Green 109-113 Queen’s Gate, South Kensington, London,UK, SW7 5LR. Phone:+44(0)7045 717 672 Fax:+44(0)7005 976 590
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Revrend Emilio Lozada 102b/103 CANADA SQUARE CANARY WHARF LONDON. E14 5AX Phone:+447023052369 Direct Line:+447023051569 Fax:+448712639057
Hello, My name is Reverend Emilio Lozada,I want to book fora group dinner in your place for our church member coming for 3 day activity. Starting from the 27th June to 29th June,total of 3 nights.
I have a budget of 25pounds for each person and they are 20 in number.I want you to calculate the total cost of it and get back for the deposit. Regards the menu,i advice they choose from your menu at random.I will also deposit some money for the wine and beverages they will consume and preferably the wine will be calculated at the rate consumed.The remaining check and balance if there will be any ,will be done by the group leader on the last day being the 29th.
Kindly get back to me if there is avalablity in your place.
Regards and God bless you.
Rev Emilio Lozada
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Sent: Tuesday, May 15, 2007 2:29 AM
Subject: payment and confirmation
Dear, Mr SYLVIA
I thank you for your Reponses. I’ve just received your email and i thank you for your kind reply. Confirm the :
– ROOMS RATES
– CELL PHONES
So i send you my credit cards details in order to confirm .
AUTHORIZATION LETTER
I, Mr Franck Douclas Give to Nomanini permission to debit my credit cards.
Type of the card : MASTER CARD Number : XXXX XXXX XXXX 4265 Expiry date : 10/ 2008 CVV : 028 —————————————————————————————– Type of the card : MASTER CARD Number : XXXX XXXX XXXX 5450 Expiry date : 09/ 2007 CVV : 157
PS: PLEASE AGREE TO BOX BY SECTION OF ALL THINGS ON EACH BANK CARDS.
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Hello Mr., Mrs.
I am Mr.Philippe Geluck, At the time of the marriage of my daughter, I would like to reserve in your establishment beautiful rooms or an appartment. I give you the details:
02 beautiful doubles room or an apartment for the period of the 31th May to june 09th,2007 Hour of arrival: 14h I would thus like that you make me a proposal for a price for the stay I specify you that this hiring is planned for 04 people on the whole. You will thus understand that I would like the best for my only daughter.
I ask you also for a service:
I wish occasion consequently that you regulate the travel agency which deals with our plane tickets. Indeed, my wife and me let us offer to the future grooms first class tickets before the date of the marriage. I.e. you will take on my N° of credit card half of the amount of the reservation as advance (once arrived I will regulate you the remainder) and summon it of 4500 euros for the plane tickets of future the bride and to forward this sum by mandate Western Union to the GOLDENTRAVEL agency located In Ivory Coast of which I will communicate the co-ordinates at the time opportunt to you. There in fact, we have a reduction with this agency and envisaged to regulate their tickets. I am currently in Morocco for a congress from there I will set out again directly in France. Thus I am on standby of your confirmation in order to communicate to you my N° of credit card + the scratch date for the payment. I ask you moreover to render this service, because the travel agency donot can output remote credit card if not, I would have forwarded to them my N° of credit card. I remind to you that knowing that this is not your activity, I offer to you a commission of 500euro for this service. In waiting to read you or of your call.
Very Cordially MR Philippe Geluck 00225 09001576
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Hello Dear,
Calvary Greetings from Rev Richard Hernadez from LIVING FAITH OUTREACH
MINISTRIES.I want to book dinner for my group of worshipers arriving
from UNITED KINGDOM. They will come for dinner in your place on May 22nd,
23rd and 24th, 2007 by 7:00pm each day. The guests are 15 in number , we
do not know what the guests would choose for their meals so we would
deposit you $2500USD in advance as initial deposit . All checks and
balances will be made with you on 18th May which is the final day of the
booking .Get back with your response if there is avalaibility in your
restaurant.
Regards
Rev Richard Hernadez.
Please do send your reply:info_livingfaithoutreach.intl@yahoo.com
office:+44(0)7031840498
Cell:+44(0)703 184 0680
Fax Numbers: +448704713618
United Kingdom
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Bonjour M. ,
Je suis Mr LACROIX BERTRAND , Président de la Federation Ivoirienne des Producteurs de Cafe-Cacao ( FIPCC ) . Je réside en Cote d’ivoire, j’ai été invité dans votre pays pour participer à une exposition vente , je voudrais faire une réservation de 5 chambres singles au sein de votre hôtel pour une durée de 05 jours ,
à partir du 19/05/2007 au 24/05/2007
Aussi j’aimerais savoir si vous possédez un Terminal de prélèvement de vente a distance (TPE-VAD) pour règlement de ma facture. Dans l’attente de vous relire veuillez accepter Mr-Mme,
Mes sincères salutations
M. LACROIX BERTRAND
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Hello, I am Daniel Costar,a supervisor of wildlife research institute . I want to book dinner for my group of workers arriving from Scotland .They will all come for dinner in your place on June 13th,14th,and 15th, 2007 by 7:00pm each day. They are are 15 in number , I do not know what they might choose for their meals and drinks so i will give you my credit card for a 1000GBP initial deposit. All checks and balances will be made with you on 22nd May which is the final day of the booking . Get back with your response . Regards Daniel Costar supervisor wildlife research institute Greenburn Road, bRENTWOOD AB21 9SB sCOTLAND +447031840996
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Hello, I am Rev. James Peters of St.Pauls Cathedral London . I want to book dinner for my church committee members that will be coming for a conference at your area.They will all come for dinner in your place as from the 20th, 21st,22nd,23rd and 25th February, 2008 by 7:00pm each day. They are 15 in number. Payment is via 100% credit card.So confirm if you accept credit cards for payments. Get back with your response if there is availability in your restaurant. Warmest Regards, REV.JAMES PETERS Email: clergy_james@yahoo.co.uk Antholin house, 71 queen street EC4N 4TL, LONDON. UK. +447024062538 +447024091908
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I am Mr Jonathan Lubikowski,I want to book dinner for my members in your Restaurant. Please confirm these reservation in your Facility.
Details of the Reservation : Date:24th,25th,26th,27th,28th,29th and 30th of March 2008. No of person:10 person Arrival times: within 7:30PM TO 8:30 PM each day Payment Type:Credit Card Only (I hope you have credit card facilities)
Please confirm if you have the availability and provide me with the amount(total charges)for 10 people in 6days,Then we will make an advance payment to hold the booking. I await your swift response. Regards, Mr.Lubiowski Phone number: +447024060124 Fax:+44-87-1256-5000
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Nadi Johnson Attorney at Law (SAT) Rue des Oliviers, Blding 014H, BP.01120 Lome-Casablanca, Togo
I take the liberty of writing you this very confidential mail. I implore you to give it your maximum attention as the contents are in absolute good faith. For avoidance of doubts, my name is Barrister Nadi Johnson, I am a full time practicing lawyer registered with the Togolese Bar Association as well as a Member of African Independent Financial Advisors. My purpose of writing you this confidential mail is hinged on the fact that; I was personal attorney to Mr. Robert Exeter. Precisely on December 30th, 2003, while returning from Accra Ghana after a weekend holiday at Labadi beach Hotel, my client and members of his family (wife and daughter) died in ghastly motor accident by running into a stationery Trailer without warning sign along the Togo/Ghana Express way. After his death with members of his family,due process was followed to alert members of the public and any relation of his through Electronic Media Obituary Announcement both in the local television station here in Togo and Ghana. Also I took personal steps to announce his death through internet advert but yet up till this moment of writing no surviving relation of my said client ever came forward. Right now his Bankers has written me requesting me to contact any serving relation of his for the purpose of transferring his estate in the sum of 10.2 million Us Dollars. Due to the pressure from the Bank I decided to present you as the next of kin to my said deceased client and to further ask your hand of co-operation under utmost confidentiality to claim the outstanding sum by presenting you as the Next of Kin of my late client. Needless to reassure you that as a Lawyer and personal attorney to my late client, all the necessary information and documents that will sufficiently prove to the officials of the Bank that you are the next of Kin to the deceased shall be obtained legally from the probate section of the High Court. I would therefore request you to give this letter serious thought and get back to me urgently. You can also reach me through this email address for more information. Regards, Nadi Johnson Attorney at Law (SAT) Tel:00228 9970837
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Hello, I am very sorry for you Xxxxxx, is a pity that this is how your life is going to end as soon as you don’t comply. As you can see there is no need of introducing myself to you because I don’t have any business with you, my duty as I am mailing you now is just to KILL you and I have to do it as I have already been paid for that. Someone you call a friend wants you Dead by all means, and the person have spent a lot of money on this, the person also came to us and told me that he wanted you dead and he provided us with your name ,picture and other necessary information’s we needed about you. So I sent my boys to track you down and they have carried out the necessary investigation needed for the operation on you, and they have done that but I told them not to kill you that I will like to contact you and see if your life is Important to you or not since their findings shows that you are innocent. I called my client back and ask him of your email address which I didn’t tell him what I wanted to do with it and he gave it to me and I am using it to contact you now. As I am writing to you now my men are monitoring you and they are telling me everything about you. Now do you want to LIVE OR DIE? As someone has paid us to kill you. Get back to me now if you are ready to pay some fees to spare your life, $15,000 is all you need to spend You will first of all pay $8,000 then I will send a tape to you which i recoeded every discusion i hade with the person who wanted you dead and as soon as you get the tape, you will pay the remaining $7,000. If you are not ready for my help, then I will carry on with my job straight-up.
WARNING: DO NOT THINK OF CONTACTING THE POLICE OR EVEN TELLING ANYONE BECAUSE I WILL KNOW.REMEMBER, SOMEONE WHO KNOWS YOU VERY WELL WANT YOU DEAD! I WILL EXTEND IT TO YOUR FAMILY, INCASE I NOTICE SOMETHING FUNNY. DO NOT COME OUT ONCE IT IS 7:PM UNTIL I MAKE OUT TIME TO SEE YOU AND GIVE YOU THE TAPE OF MY DISCUSSION WITH THE PERSON WHO WANT YOU DEAD THEN YOU CAN USE IT TO TAKE ANY LEGAL ACTION. GOOD LUCK AS I AWAIT YOUR REPLY to: musa_husan04@yahoo.co.uk
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Hello,
I am Engr Benn Atkins,the director of Staff welfare Independent petroleum United states. I want to book dinner for my group of workers arriving from Washington.
They will all come for dinner in your place as from April 20th, 21st and 22nd, 2008 by 7:00pm each day. They are are 15 in number. Get back with your response if there is availability in your restaurant.
Kind Regards, Benn Atikns
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From: Prof Wilson Sent: 28 January 2010 10:13 AM Subject: Dinner inquiry
Hello, I am Prof Wilson.I want you to book dinner for 15 guests from my Department arriving in your country. They will all come for dinner on 26th,27th,and 28th March, 2010 by 7.00pm each day.
Kindly get back to me with estimated cost of your menu if there is availability so that I can proceed with the payment. Note, all payment would be made with credit card before our arrival.
Please,do not hesitate to get back to me immediately with the types of menu.
Best regards, Prof Wilson
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From: “Dr. Allen Bradley” Sent: Friday, January 29, 2010 8:41 AM Subject: ………Dinner Bookings
Hello, I am Dr. Allen Bradley ,the director of Staff welfare, I want to book dinner for my group of workers . They will all come for dinner in your place as from Mar 10th, 11th, 12th 2010 by 6:30pm each day. They are 15 in number.Get back with your response if there is availability in your restaurant.
Kind Regards, Dr. Allen Bradley Tel : +447045705287
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Good day Sir/Madam, I hope you are having a wonderful day,I will like to make dinner reservations in your
restaurant for 10 guest between the 15th and 24th of december 2012.They will come for
dinner every night between 18.30 to 20.00 daily.
The guests are 10 in number , we do not know what the guests would choose for their meals so
we would deposit you $2500 in advance as initial deposit .The tables could be share by 5
guests each on 2 tables.The will make orders on the menu you have available for the 10 night
period.All checks and balances will be made later on.
Please get back to me if there are availability within the 15th to 24th of december .Hope
you accept credit card as means of payment thanks mike
From: mike brown
Tel: 447700042059
Cell: 447700042059 Guest
Email Address: mikebrown222@ymail.com
