Sofia and Donald... beware of scams

Howde Folks,

Okay, now we have updated you on events in the Haslington family and given you some information on the afterlife we want to warn you about scams. It is Christmas next month and a great time for scammers to take your money or sell you false products. They make you think you are getting a bargain when the item is faulty, already stolen or a dud. We also know of peeps who have broken into houses just before Christmas Eve and stolen all gifts from under the tree. We've never really understood why they were there. Did Santa come early? We urge you all to be really vigilant and careful. There is an old adage, 'if it's too good to be true'... we say leave it alone. Never give your bank details to anyone. Never open unsolicited attachments particularly from banks, PayPal, Amazon; they are designed to look genuine but are not, they are designed to steal your money! Lady M has often received emails from banks where she doesn't even have accounts. Recently, she received one from the tv licensing authority telling her that her license fee is overdue and if she clicked 'here' she could get a discount. Really! It was the wrong time and the wrong licence number but it would have been easy to click on a link suggesting a discount, wouldn't it?  Always think carefully before you click on to them.

We want you all to have a great Christmas and not a miserable one because you've been scammed. Scamming is everywhere these days and in many forms. Lady M first posted this one several years ago and it has been one of her most popular ones and so we would like to share it with you again.

                                                           ************************



Hello, We are quite interested in using your face/picture for a billboard/calling card advert. We presently have a billboard advert and your profile is chosen to do the job. Please reply with your approval,so we could move on with further details. All replies should be emailed to danielawhite001@yahoo.co.uk . Regards. Daniela.

Well, it sounds interesting... intriguing. Lady M requested more details.

Subject: billboard advert update
Good day

The profile we selected was sent by a third party company. They look through sites like Facebook, MySpace and MM to identify a profile for suitable for billboard advertising. We do not involved in erotic images. We explained in our previous email that our client who contracted this job to us produces international telephone cards.

This is a serious offer and to demonstrate how serious we are, you wouldn't pay any money. However, as this is a paid job you would get paid for this assignment, the photo session would hold in a photographer's studio close to your city. Let us know if you are interested,so we can send you more information.

Best regards

Daniela.

It sounds good. They are serious and they do not want any money. They are going to pay her. People have looked through FB and found her photograph. They WANT her. Wow. She is interested. Wouldn't you be? Next email.

Good day,

Thanks for getting back to us. This is an advert job, so you do not need to be a model in order to qualify, anyone can do an advert job, provided that your face match what we are looking for.

The total contract package for this Advertisement job is $30,000. We would want your face to appear in our client (Global Link International) advert campaign. The company is involved in international calling cards around UK and Europe. If you are accepted, your picture would be one of the faces for their new International calling cards and billboards. Find all details for the job below.

JOB LOCATION

Since we can not use the pictures from the social network website, we would need to take fresh photos. The photo shoot will be held at a rented photographer’s studio near you, so you don’t have to worry about travelling abroad, the name and address of the studio would be forwarded to you before the date of the shoot, all make up will be taken care of at the studio. You can also come along with any body of your choice on the day of the shoot, your family or personal manager.

JOB DETAILS

You have 4 different outfits to wear; this would be provided by our client on the day of the shoot. Note that your hair would need to be without any artificial hair colour.

TYPES OF CLOTHES

Casual

EXPECTATIONS

An advert job can be done by anybody, it all depends on if your picture matchthe kind of look we are searching for. Do get in touch with us if you will take the job so that we can start up from there. You would pay absolutely no commission, no personal cost to yourself.

Regards.

Daniela.

So, with such information and extremely curious our Lady M goes to the next stage. Alarm bells are ringing but...

Hello,

We appreciate your co-opration in theis project. Candimodels was founded in 2000 by David McDonald and Tracie Rowleys. Within this period of time we have grown into one of the most well-known and respected agencies of it's kind in UK and Nationwide. We have worked hard to ensure that we have the most comprehensive selection picture agency based in United kingdom. We acknowledge gorgeous pictures for commercial billboard advertisement.
Moreover,you have been selected for the billboard advertisement for our clients "Global Link INT". A copy of the picture will be sent to you. You also will have the opportunity to attend the launching of the billboard.
We require the following:

FULL NAME:

PHONE:

FULL POSTAL ADDRESS:

AGE:

OCCUPATION:
NAME OF YOUR BANK:( This is necessary, in other for the financier to know upon which bank cheque we to issue your salary)

Thanks.

Wow! It is all so impressive.
But wait a minute, not once have they mentioned her by name. The original email is a generalised one. If they are a UK company why are they dealing in dollars? Next stage...

Hello Marilyn,

I am happy to inform you that the photo shoot for the billboard/calling card advert is due on the 14TH and 15TH Of April 2012. The amount payable for this advert job is $30,000
(or its equivalent),because you are not registered with us you are entitled to 35%($10,500) of the total contract amount. You will receive your payment in two separate installments.First payment that will be made out to you by the financier would be for $5,000.You are to take out $1,000(being 20% of the first payment, as your part payment)the balance is meant for Studio fees and Legal Documentation. and "Sign up fee" with us,in case of future jobs.

A contract will be sent out to you via e-mail,the hard copy would be signed on the final day of shoot,the second installment payment of ($9,500 being your balance take home) would be paid to you in cash or be transferred to your bank on the shooting date immediately after the shoot. Candimodel members benefits include; being scouted by most of the top agencies in the world, from one place, at one time. Its just that simple. Candimodels, Scouts, backs up this claim by giving the potential model the opportunity to see which agencies/companies express an interest in them.
* Your portfolio is added to our agency database for 1 year.
* Agencies routinely search the database to find new faces.
* Agencies have access to your portfolio at anytime and can email it to clients.
* Agencies can find you by location, age, height, eye color, bust & more.
* Agencies can add your portfolio to their personal call back list.
* Agencies can add your portfolio to a global callback list (used by all the agencies).
Portfolio membership

Pls, do let us know if you are okay with this payment plan,so that we can move with other shoot arrangements. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Regards.

This is fantastic. For at least 5 minutes our Lady M was spending her $10,500 and she was going to be on their books for twelve months. Thank goodness her hair is still the natural colour. She may take someone with her to a professional photo shoot, the four outfits were to be provided by the agency. She would be invited to the launch. Her face would be on billboards, just how lucky can a girl get?

We would like to point out that there is a Candi Model Agency and a company called Global Link Int, but they may not be associated with this scam or even aware of it.

Why should she have to pay $4,000 out of her first payment? Why do this third party not pay it directly to the agency? Does a photo shoot with make up and hair being done by professionals for ONE photograph really take two days? Aren't contracts normally signed before the work and not at the end? Do professional agencies really pay out such large sums in cash? Why are we still discussing dollars in the UK? Why hasn't it been changed into sterling?

Lady M played around on Google and sure enough there were people around the world who had received this email during the last twelve months. Someone replied that it was a scam originating in Nigeria and they would send the cheque, but you would be obliged to pay the fees before the cheque was cleared. It would bounce all the way back. There would be no photo shoot. Our Lady M pulled out before she found out where the fictitious shoot was going to be. You have got to admit, it is a sophisticated scam. It has plenty of detail, is attractive and looks, until you scrutinise it, as if it is genuine. Strangely, after Lady M pulled out, the company made no effort to persuade her to reconsider.

If anyone can identify these fraudsters, knows who to contact re scams or wishes to publicise other scams please leave a comment. Thank you.

Love to you all and please be careful, Sofia and Donald ❤❤❤❤❤