All entries for Saturday 10 June 2006

I have almost been the victim of fraud!

Writing about web page http://cms.met.police.uk/news/appeals/fraud/criminal_cashback_fraud

So I am selling my ST1100 Pan European and I advertised in a number of internet places.

Anyways, I received the following email from browngroupss@yahoo.ca:

Hi Ya,
I came across your advert during my search for buying these item---“1990 HONDA ST PAN EUROPEAN ST1100,Pls let me know whether is still available for sale and also the price,my name is micheal brown ,am situated in Canada the best country so far.I have a shipper that will be responsible for the shipment,shipment will not be your stress.but before payment, i will want you to make me asure you will be honest and trust worthy with me throught this transaction.Pay will issued by a certified GBP Bank draft.Pls let me know the prise pls.
micheal brown

and then:

Hi Sound Good…i want the pics now…..
I’m ready to proceed with the purchase, I will instruct my UK bank to raise the GBP BANK cheque directly in your name and favour from my account for the sum of £4,500 You’ll allow the cheque to clear for 2-3 days at your Bank. After you might have deducted your payment, the excess fund should be sent to my shipper in the UK, via westernunion moneytransfer. My shipper’ll handle the shipping to Canada, he deals with Quick Time,and fast delivery.I’ll like to pay you £150 for your efforts and the westernunion charges.
Pls send your full datas,so that you’ll recieve the cheque very
soon.NAME…PHYSICAL ADDRESS…PHONE NUMBERS…
Hoping to hear from you asap,shipper will come for pickup at your address.
miheal brown

Interesting huh. A bit of googling found: http://cms.met.police.uk/news/appeals/fraud/criminal_cashback_fraud, the exact thing that Micheal is proposing :)

Interesting huh. I have never been the “victim” of fraud AFAIK…and I am still not as this guys approach was so obvious :)

: 10 Jun 2006 14:55 |  Tags: Bike |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

It gets worse….

Writing about web page /colinyates/entry/hsbc_love_them/

Writing about an entry you don't have permission to view

So I have just received the first (hopefully of many) cheque for commission for a book I co-wrote (Expert Spring MVC + Web Flow) from the American publishers Apress.

OK, off to HSBC I trotted (across the electronical wire via the telephone) and enquired as to how much this would translate into when cashed into UK pounds…..and they didn’t know. Eventually their help desk managed to find someone who kinda knew and they informed me it would cost a whopping £28 and six weeks to clear!

They were having a laugh….£28 is ridiculous, as is 6 weeks!

Anyway, off I trotted (via the telephone) to Cahoot to ask them and was told it would still take 6 weeks, but they would only charge £10.

Ok, so maybe 6 weeks is the time it takes the English computer to understand the American computer’s bizarre use of the English language (:)), but why does it cost HSBC almost 3 times as much as it costs Cahoot?

Oh that’s right, it doesn’t. They are rip off merchants.

They suck.

: 10 Jun 2006 09:09 |  Tags: Hsbc |  Comments (1) |  Close comments |  Report a problem