SHOOTING CLUB SCAM

[Mike]

The e-mail scammers may have turned their attention to shooting clubs.

 

See http://psa.bizhosting.com/whats_new.html

 

I'm sure no shooting club in the UK would fall for it, but it might get more sophisticated in the future, so it would be as well to be aware of this scam.

 

 

I've posted this on the target shooting board as well, but I think it probably deserves wider attention.

[Alycidon]

Hi Mike,

 

What exactly is the scam here ?, is it the potential banning of air weapons, a firearms review or what?. I cant see anything that might be a scam, so far anyway,

 

Thanks

 

A

[1967spud]

read down a bit A

 

"As we understand it, the scam works like this - The hotel or club replies with their rates, whereupon the scammer books a room or range day using a fraudulent card. The scammer then almost immediately cancels, (or reduces the booking numbers, or "accidentally overpays") and requests a refund, which the hotel or club repays in good faith, only to find that the original transaction was fraudulent, so they've refunded money they didn't receive. Even if you are not taken in, simply replying shows the scammer that your e-mail address is "live" and that you answer your e-mails, so it is likely that your e-mail address will be sold on to other scammers."

[Mike]

Alycidon,

 

Sorry about that - I'm guessing that your machine must have cached the page from an earlier visit?

 

http://psa.bizhosting.com/whats_new.html should be OK, I changed the site about 20 minutes before posting here.

 

Thanks for visiting anyway!

[Vermincinerator]

I cant see how this can work with a shooting club, as far as a Home Office approved Rifle and Pistol club, people cant just turn up and shoot, due to regulations this can only happen on an official open day, and i cant see how any club can take an advance payment for something it cant actual offer.

I can only see this scam working at a commercial clay shooting ground and only if they are not governed by the same rules regarding guest shooters like rifle clubs are.

 

Ian.

[Mike]

"Dear Sir,

 

I am the chairman of St Bodkin's Gypping-in-the-Marsh round table, and ten of our members have expressed an interest in having a guest day at your club as we are interested in your sport, and would like to take it up.

 

We would of course pay £50 per head in advance to cover your costs.

 

you can visit our website at

http://www.freewebs.com/gyppinginthemarsh/

 

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Your sincerely,

 

Rev Gilbert Murray."

 

 

It could be done well within the Home Office club criteria, although I doubt that many shooting clubs would be caught out, and few would have set up webpayments or accept credit card payments this way.

 

BUT scammers are trying hard, and people HAVE sent (and still send) thousands of pounds to Nigerian finance ministers, so we shouldn't think we're immune.

[Chris-NZ]

.... simply replying shows the scammer that your e-mail address is "live" and that you answer your e-mails, so it is likely that your e-mail address will be sold on to other scammers."

 

 

Yep, pays to resist the temptation of telling the sender to "F*** OFF AND DIE PAINFULLY" as you'll only be attracting more mails

 

Chris-NZ

[Mike]

Yep, pays to resist the temptation of telling the sender to "F*** OFF AND DIE PAINFULLY" as you'll only be attracting more mails

 

Chris-NZ

 

There's a whole "business" of "telling the sender to "F*** OFF AND DIE PAINFULLY" in a subtle but amusing way - see -

 

http://www.freewebs.com/gyppinginthemarsh/

 

http://www.scambuster419.co.uk/index.html

 

I gather this scam was widespread in New Zealand at hotels and guest houses a year or so back.