Official Luthiers Forum!

I laughed when I first read this email that was sent to me, then I thought....is it possibly real....wonder how you guys would handle this email inquiry.

Cheers,

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Gwaltney Guitars

Ooops, here is the email..

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Gwaltney Guitars

Uhhh let me see...... YES!!!

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Bill Hodge


One does not simply, own enough guitars!

Lance and I got the same email on the same day last week.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

From one Monica Lin? I got the same email on Tuesday...

I responded to outline the strict terms under which I'll sell a guitar to someone in Singapore. Surprisingly I never heard back from her... I guess she's just not that keen for a "costum guitars product" afterall.

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Richard
http://www.guitarmaker.com

I just got that one too! This madam or sir must be getting ready to buy a whole bunch of guitars. (or maybe it's a scam)

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Jordan Aceto
Ithaca, NY

I got one too. In my reply I told them I only make guitars for people who can play really well. If they want one they'll have to come to North Carolina and audition so I can see if they're good enough to have one of my guitars.

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I didn't mean to say it, but I meant what I said.
http://www.brackettinstruments.com/

This is a scam. Any Ccard or Debit card from Singapore or Belgium is most likely a fake. They often will even give you card numbers for up to 4 Ccards. The cards will go through but 10 to 14 days later the money will be yanked back from your account.

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

I just told them that I'll only accept payment in the form of and international bank draft
against an American based bank, preferably in New York. It's the way I've always taken my
deposits and balances from Singapore and surrounding areas. I've sold almost a dozen guitars
to people in Malaysia and all have been great to deal with. I have one standing in the shop
now that will go to Kuala Lumpur sometime late next year and its funds were pulled against
Chase Bank/NYC.

Don't ever take a debit/credit card from there, especially when it is connected for direct
deposit to an account that you're responsible for here.

Regards,
Kevin Gallagher/Omega Guitars

I think their way of writing sounds like one of those nigerian scam. Don't you guys at least require a deposit or something?

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

When I take a commission I collect 1/3rd down. That way I know the buyer is serious. That third is non returnable unless I am able to sell the instrument to someone else for the same amount. Any loss is absorbed out of that 1/3rd.

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

My up front payment requirement is 60%.

Definitely a scam. I've gotten emails like this one on a fairly regular basis - maybe 5 or 6 times a year. I got one identical to this one a couple of days ago. I deleted it without responding.

--Steve

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---Steve

Scam it is......I too have a guitar going to Singapore this year, the customer is vey much a gentleman and a pleasure to deal with......looks like "Monica" is going to keep trying until someone falls for it, hopefully a thread like this will help prevent it from happening.

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Gwaltney Guitars

Check http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?sched=1260 the first act is about folks who string along nigerian scammers for sometimes weeks at a time.

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http://www.birkonium.com CNC Products for Luthiers
http://banduramaker.blogspot.com

Check this link to read the "Nigerian Scam" played in reverse.

viewtopic.php?f=10102&t=1181&hilit=Nigerian+scam

Have a good laugh and feel free to adapt it to whomever you wish to "wind up in anticipation"!

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Hank Mauel

Hank;

I had a blast reading your story concerning Nurat (did I get the name right?).

I found a story online afew years ago written by a guy in the UK who sold a computer to one of these guys, after stringing them along for several weeks. The computer he shipped consisted of a flat cardboard box (like the ones StewMac ships stuff in) with the keyboard drawn on the inside and a monitor drawn on the inside of the lid.

The scam in this case was a bogus cashier's check written for quite a bit more than the transaction amount - he was supposed to refund the difference. He didn't, of course.

--Steve Cyr

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---Steve

It would be soooo much fun to in some way get to know where there real adress is so one could make a visit so to speak !!! grrrr. I truly hate these kind of people !!! I am ok with them bankrobbers that make the "perfekt" robbery of the insured bank so to speak, when noone gets hurt etc. but these guys are stealing from honest hardworking people. Someone oughto poor some epoxy down their mouths.

Lars.

I heard the Nigerian president is exiled in Russia and after the Iraq war inherited 60 Billion dollars in a fund set aside for the purchase of hand made guitars for each disadvantaged former suicide bomber in China. Would you please list your name address and social security number so I can deposit into your acount the amount? I will then want every guitar you can make.

Sorry about that.

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"Preoccupation with an effect gives it power and enhances the error"
from "Your Owner's Manual" by Burt Hotchkiss.

Please be careful if/when responding to any of these scams with the intention of "stringing them along". Apparently, there have been physical acts of retaliation against those who make the scammers look foolish publicly. The best thing to, so I am told, is to simply ignore them.

Regards,
Dave F.

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Cambrian Guitars

"There goes Mister Tic-Tac out the back with some bric-brac from the knick-knack rack"

You know about the guy who sent a fake powerbook and falsely declared higher than actual amount it's technically mail fraud and that's a Federal offense. That's basically like shooting someone on the street from your house because he looks like a burglar.

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com