[Hidden-tech] SCAM: "Web designer needed"

[Michael Muller]

Hey all web people on the HT list...

Over the years I've received an innumerable number of spam emails -- 
mostly people asking me if I need help building a website for a domain I 
just purchased. I used to ask them if they knew what I did for a living, 
and of course they don't. It's just a robo-script emailing anyone with a 
email address attached to a domain name.

On occasion I get a text from someone asking if I could build them a 
website. The exact working typically never changes, and the scam is 
always the same. This is how they usually contact me:

"Hello how are you doing,I will like to know if you would be able to 
handle a website design for me ?"

The punctuation and referral to "handle a website design for me" leads 
me to believe this isn't quite legit.

The first time I got a text like this the follow-up was that the person 
was both deaf and blind, so I couldn't call nor send an email. The whole 
thing had to be done over text. Hmmm...

They want specifically 5 pages, because they can't afford more, and it's 
already been designed. All I have to do is take the designed pages and 
put them on a web server, linking the pages to each other. Seems to be 
quick money, right?

The kicker is -- and this is where the klaxons start going off -- the 
scammer wants to pay me $5000 by credit card, but I have to pay their 
designer $3000 by check, since they don't take credit cards.

*If you are ever contacted by anyone with a similar request, just say no.*

I am passing this info along because not only did I get such a text from 
this guy, but also an email (below). The third screen shot has some 
harsh expletives, so be forewarned.

Thanks,

Mik



-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: 	Re: Web designer needed
Date: 	Thu, 4 Jun 2020 14:30:49 -0700
From: 	Sarmento Alves Domingos <sarmentoalves940 at gmail.com>
To: 	Michael Muller <tech at montaguewebworks.com>



Here is the job details, well i have a small clothing business for both 
male and female which i run here in state,now am trying to expand the 
business and i want you to build an informational website for it for 
advertisement and to increase my sales rate..so i need you to check out 
this site but i need something more perfect than this if its possible

http://www.missrebel.co.uk.

The  site would only be informational, so i need you to give me an 
estimate .The estimate should include hosting and i want the site to 
have not more than 5 pages ,since it is informational. I have a private 
project consultant who has the text content, images and the logos for 
the site.


On Thu, Jun 4, 2020 at 11:57 AM Michael Muller 
<tech at montaguewebworks.com <mailto:tech at montaguewebworks.com>> wrote:

    Hi Sarmento,

    Can you provide more information?

    Thanks,

    Mik

    ---
    Mik Muller, president
    Montague WebWorks
    239-R Main Street, Greenfield, MA
    413-320-5336
    http://MontagueWebWorks.com
    Powered by ROCKETFUSION

    On 6/4/2020 11:41 AM, Sarmento Alves Domingos wrote:
>     Hello how are you doing,I will like to know if you would be able
>     to handle a website design for me ?

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