A warning from Rod Smith MW of Vins Sans Frontières, high end wine merchant on the Côte d'Azur:
This scamster may be only calling abroad, but we received an "order" last week for a mixed case of Pétrus and Romanée-Conti (AC, not just DRC wines). The chap phoned first, and spoke passable French (but accented), although he did seem to know his vintages.
It was all a bit suspect and too good to be true, but I told him what we had and he duly sent through, by e-mail, an order. The presentation of this, coupled with his neither questioning, nor asking for discount from, the prices I sent back (€59k in total) confirmed my suspicions.
But he did then transfer the money to our bank. However he did this by cheque (not sure quite how this is accomplished) and then began phoning to ask when we would be sending the stock. We had taken the trouble to check with the bank whether wire-transfers were able to be recalled, but needless to say the cheque has subsequently bounced. We didn't send the stock and have heard nothing since.
I might send him a carefully worded e-mail, and respond, on his behalf, to some of the offers for viagra and intimate extensions I receive in my spam folder.
After I had asked him where he was from (he said Canada) one of my colleagues answered the phone to him and said he was pretty sure of African origin (without meaning to appear racist, there is something about the ask/aks dichotomy). Would explain the French/English combination he was using.
Given name: Kevin Sanders (referred to by us in the office as 'The Colonel')
email: kevin.sanders63@yahoo.co.uk
Given address: 56 Sterling Gardens, SE14 6DZ, London.
Tel: (0044)7879062807
Well, just so you know...'
The telephone number given is a mobile and 192 cannot find a Kevin Sanders at that address.
Always make sure funds have fully cleared before sending goods ordered by people you don't know.
