So I'm playing "Julia Simpson," the online scambag, making "her" think I'm about to send off both my painting and a refund check. She's got to be thinking she's hit the jackpot. Though I have my doubts as to whether she has the slightest appreciation for bird paintings; this scammer would probably throw out the painting and cash the check. I warm up my tone a bit with the signoff. I can't wait to see what she'll say when she hears I've deposited the check prior to sending the painting.
On 4/1/14, Julie Zickefoose wrote:
Dear Julia,
I've just returned from town
where I had a million errands to do. I
didn't have time to talk to my
banker but I did deposit your check for
$3,250.00. I have pulled the
painting from my archives and am packing it up
today. Is it all right if I
enclose a check for the refund amount in the package
with the painting and send the
whole thing, painting and check, to the 1826
W.23d St. address, Miami Beach?
Excited for you to have this
painting. It's one of my favorites.
Best,
Julie
Note the date. Heh. Julia gets RIGHT back to me.
On Apr 1, 2014, at 8:55 PM, Julia
Simpson wrote:
Hi Julie,
Good to hear back from you and
thanks for the update.I am so excited
and can't wait to have the
painting on my wall. Meanwhile, I spoke
with my husband and he will like
you to send the refund via via (
Western Union ) money in minutes
service back to his Assistant at the
address below.
Name : Eric Medina
Address: 936 Avenida Del Vista,
Corona,
Ca 92882
I was able to find some Western
Union locations near you ,where you
can easily transfer the funds.
See below.
CASHLAND #3125
703 Pike St
Marietta, OH 45750-3502
740-376-9202
GIANT EAGLE #6510
128 Gross St
Marietta, OH 45750-2031
740-373-5567
KROGER #776
40 Acme St
Marietta, OH 45750-3306
740-374-5855
KMART #7477
502 Pike Street
Marietta, OH 45750
740-374-8019
You don't need to have an account,swift
codes or any bank codes but
you will have to pay Western
Union fees which you can deduct from the
difference. I will like you
to get back with the following
information as soon as you are
back from the Western Union office.
1. Name and address of
sender.
2. Total Amount sent after
deducting transfer charges.
3. Money Transfer Control
Number ( MTCN)
I deeply regret any inconvenience
but i will like you to handle this
as soon as possible. Thanks and
I'll await your response.
Julia.
I'm cackling now. Gotcha, Julia Simpson! I'ma make you wait a day or so before I get back to you.
On 4/2/14, Julie Zickefoose wrote:
Dear Julia,
Thank you for supplying me with
the wire transfer locations.
I have a friend visiting today
(she arrived last night) and we'll be
busy here so I won't be able to get
into town today. I have to go into town
to send the painting so I'll just wait
and do all this the next time I can get there.
It's all packed up and
ready to go. Sorry to make you wait! but
life intervenes. I'll get to it
as soon as I can.
Best wishes,
Julie
I can smell the nervous sweat all the way from Dubai, or wherever you are. BTW, your English is falling apart.
On Apr 2, 2014, at 6:53 PM, Julia
Simpson wrote:
Hi Julie,
I got your email this morning and
I will really appreciate if you can
go to town tomorrow morning and
ship the painting and take care of the
wire transfer. Try and keep
me updates as soon as possible.
Best ,
Julia.,
I let out some more line for the thrashing shark. Can't resist a smiley face at the bottom. Still friends, right?? I let Julia stew for three more days.
On 4/2/14, Julie Zickefoose wrote:
Dear Julia,
Well, it won't happen tomorrow
morning, because I have to prepare a
talk, pack the car then drive 2 1/2
hours to deliver it.
Realistically, it'll be Friday at
the earliest. Spring is my busy time.
:)
Julie
At this point Scammy is probably thinking he's never going to get his money or the painting, because the bank will have notified me that his check is bogus by now. So I throw out a little more chum.
April 5, 2014 7:55:49 AM EDT (Saturday)
Dear Julia,
Good news! I am on my way to town
this morning with the painting. I plan to ship it, get the cost of shipping,
subtract that from the $3450, then go to one of the wire locations you supplied
and wire you the difference. I am so sorry it has taken me this long to get
around to it, but I was so tired yesterday after my long drive I couldn't make
the detour into town. But soon you will have both the painting and the
money.
Very best, and thanks for your patience,
Julie
Scammy's waiting for that wire transfer. He waits all day. Finally he can't stand it any longer and emails me after 5 pm.
April 5, 2014 5:15:22 PM EDT, Julia Simpson wrote:
Any updates ? Try and get
back as soon as possible. Thanks.
Julia.
I don't answer right away. What happens next takes me completely by surprise...yiiikes.
16 comments:
I cannot wait to read the rest of this and I thank you for taking time to take care of one of these rats.
OOOooooOOOOOO!!! I'm stamping my little feet and squirming in my chair now! I MUST know what happens next!
Can't hold my breath much longer--Julie, you are the Master!!! (deep bow to you) Has he figured you out??? Is he threatening to sue you??? Keeping tuned to read what happens next--------Anita.
Now I know how Doyle's readers felt back in the beginning of the last century, anxiously waiting for the new issue of The Strand for the next Sherlock Holmes story! :-D
this is better than a Mystery Movie! Unbelievable. I chuckle when I get emails from my "best friends" in Africa and other places offering to make me rich. Sadly, there are too many people who fall for this - usually people who can't afford to lose any money. They aren't all old or uneducated either. I work in a law firm and several of us spent 15 minutes trying to get through to a college-educated secretary that she was responding to a scam. I think she thought we were jealous. She lost thousands of dollars and was furious with us!
Can't wait for the next episode of your tale!
What a hoot - can't wait for the other boot to drop.
Good stuff! Can you just drop everything and write the next post NOW?! ;-)
I can't wait to read what happens next!
Hi Julie I just got a check for $11,000 from a bank in san diego---for no reason at all. I checked with my son (a CPA) who said the check would bounce and yet the sender would get all my banking info and then some how pull money from my account. a real fraudulent scammer. since we are such good friends I will be glad to send you the check--with a name change-for the warbler painting Bill R
Julie, I suggest you go to NPR with a proposal for a new show and blog named "Serial"... er, uhhh, wait, nevermind, apparently it's been done.
Julie, you have us all holding our breath for the next installment of your story!
I googled the husband's name--the one return was that was the name of a 16 year old boy who died at his school. That just happened in early May, this year.
As for the address--it is an apartment building so that any address for the street has an APARTMENT number also. Huh!
Sounds as though your scammy "friend" is even scammier...trying to con you out of money, AND preying on other people. Of course Scammy would--you are not alone.
This is a bit of a twist on Julie and Julia! Haha.
What!! You are making us wait too? You
ve definitely have my attention. Glad to see one of these guys scammed back.
All of your readers are in a state of anticipation. This reminds me of elementary school days, when the teacher would read one, and ONLY one chapter of a book each day after lunch. We would beg for just one more paragraph after she reached the chapter-ending-cliff-hanger, but......Noooooo, we had to wait. Great story, and hopefully an education for future recipients of scamming attempts.
Julie,
Enjoying your story...on an unrelated note--my milkweed has bloomed and I am ready to whack it down in preparation for my monarch ranch as you wrote about several years ago. Question--should I cut down all plants or just the big ones that flowered?
Thanks,
Erica
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