This is an update (and conclusion) to the web design scam tactic article that I wrote a few weeks ago.  It’s been pretty busy around here, and I haven’t had a chance to update everyone on the scammer until today.  If you haven’t read the first article about the scammer, you can read it here.

 

Web Design Scam

In a nutshell, there’s a new web design scam tactic that is being used by scammers in Nigeria that targets web designers.  They tell you they want you to design a web site, then try to get you to charge a stolen credit card, and wire a portion of the money back to them.  A scammer contacted us a few weeks ago, and I kept fishing for more information.

Let’s pick up where we left off, shall we?  After the scammer requested that I deposit money into a bank account, I told him that I would go in the morning.  He was anxious, and e-mailed again asking for the deposit receipt.  I responded…

 

Jeffrey,

So sorry for the delay in responding.  I woke up this morning sick, and was unable to make the deposit.  I’ll be sending my money keeper to the bank tomorrow, and then I will forward you the deposit slip for your records.

Thanks,
Tony Danza
The Boss

 

The scammer responds, several times.  I had been too busy to answer him so he kept sending e-mails:

 

May 28, 2015 at 3:11 PM:  Okay so how you doing now hope everything is okay right now so make sure it wire transfer so that they can confirm the payment same day and i will be waiting for the receipt…make sure you take very good care of your self and have a nice day

May 29, 2015 at 5:27 AM: Hello Good morning and how was your night been ? hope you are fine … i will be waiting for the receipt of the wire transfer to confirm the payment today
 
May 29, 2015 at 12:57 PM: I want everything set so that the consultant can release the content text and logos so i want the receipt so that i can forward it to the consultant so that they can release it on time and you start with the design

May 29, 2015 at 8:14 PM: Mr Tony Danza please i want to make sure everything before my surgery…Please i beg you i want you to send the funds to the consultant so that they can confirm the payment so that i can be rest assure that everything is set before my surgery and also i want you to start the project so that you can finish on time please Mr tony help me out

 

I was curious if he would continue to provide us with account information…

 

Jeffrey,
The bank would not allow us to make the deposit.  They said that account was no longer active.  Do you have another account you would like us to use?  Please let us know right away, we would like to have our money keeper deposit the funds ASAP.

Thanks,
Tony Danza
The Boss

 

 

Here’s where it got interesting.  We received ANOTHER scam e-mail from a woman named “Victoria Marris” with the same fake business!  It was literally copied and pasted.  Of course, this is most likely the same scammer or another scammer in the same organization usign the same web design scam tactic. We responded to the new scammer with the same information, until she asked for the “favor” of paying the consultant.

The original scammer then responds with a NEW “money keeper”!

 

May 30, 2015 at 3:47 AM : The consultant said you should go to nearest chase bank near you and deposit the funds via cash deposit  ..Here is the info and get back to me with the chase bank  cash deposit receipt

Account number : *********
Account name : shawn lindsey
Bank name : Chase
May 30, 2015 at 9:03 AM : Hope you get my previous text ,i will be waiting on you for the cash deposit receipt so that i can forward it to the consultant to confirm the payment
This is the 3rd or 4th name that was involved in this web design scam, so I figured I’d call him out and see what his response was…
Jeffrey,
Who is Shawn Lindsey?  You said the consultant was Jeffrey Edwin Young, and the money keeper was Ashley Antwine.  Not sure why we would be sending the money to a different person.  Please advise.
Thanks,
Tony Danza
The Boss!
The scammer responded within minutes…
May 30, 2015 at 9:014 AM: Shawn is the consultant assistant .Go ahead send the funds and get back to me with receipt today so that they can release the content text and logo thanks for the understanding

 

 

It got pretty overwhelming, and we had to make a choice between talking to ACTUAL clients and fake scammers.  Of course, we chose to help the REAL clients.  This was the end of our contact with the scammers, and we haven’t heard from them since.
It was a good run.  Overall, we were able to report a stolen credit card number and 2 compromised bank account numbers to the appropriate authorities.  We also filed a case with the Internet Crime Complaint Center of the FBI.  While we know that the scammers aren’t affected by our actions directly, and probably have hundreds of other stolen credit card numbers and bank accounts, we hope that by writing this article we raise awareness for this web design scam tactic.  They aren’t just targeting designers.

Let us know in the comments if you or anyone you know has been contacted by a scammer, and what industry you’re in.  Spread the word and help other small business owners!