Consumer Blog

St. Louis businesses targeted by advertising scam

We just blogged last week about some fraud cases where a small business is the victim.

Well, here's a brand new example from St. Louis. Apparently these scammers were calling businesses to collect on outstanding bills for advertising. But there never was any advertising, and apparently the publication they claimed to work for either was out of business or never existed. One business owner got suspicious, but not until after she paid the bill.

This is a classic example of scammers trying to take advantage of weaknesses in the accounting process of a small business. They call to collect on a bill, saying someone in the office had ordered the product or service. Small business people are often in a hurry, or don't have the time or money to do the record-keeping of a larger company - so they pay the bill just to get it out of the way.

Businesses can file complaints with our office here.

Technorati Tags: advertising scam, fraud, fraud against business, scam, scams against business, moagoconsumer, consumer protection

Posted by Travis on February 26, 2008 12:40 pm :: Comments (2) :: Permalink

2 Responses to "St. Louis businesses targeted by advertising scam"

Suzan says:

February 28, 2008 3:31 am

I received this and another e-mail 2-3 days ago from the same source. Of course it seems like another scam. I just wanted you to be aware of it. I am upset that I received this; how did they obtain my email address? By the way this was sent from: dr.champq@sapo.pt
Should I e-mail them back to tell them to remove my address from their records and tell them never to contact me again? Maybe I should just do nothing? Please let me know. Below is the e-mail:

FROM THE DESK OF DR.MOHAMED IBN CHAMBAS.
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, ECOWAS CONTRACT
AWARDING COMMITTEE ECOWAS FUND HEADQUARTERS,
P.M.B.6058 ACCRA-REPUBLIC OF GHANA.

ACCOUNT PROVISION FOR USD 30 MILLION

I am Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas. The executive secretary, Contract
Awarding Committee of the ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF WEST AFRICAN STATES
(ECOWAS)with its fund Headquarters in Accra-Ghana.

I got your information in a Proffesional database when I was searching
through Internet for a reliable,honest and trustworthy person to
entrust this business with. I was simply inspired and motivated to
pick your contact from the many names in the list of the directory.
After discussing my view and your profile with my colleagues,they were
very much satisfied and decided to contact you immediately for this
mutual business relationship.We wish to transfer the sum of
$30,000,000.00 (thirty millionUnited States Dollars only.)into your
personal or company`s bank account.

This fund was a residue of the over invoiced contract bills awarded by
us intentionally for the supply of hard/soft wares,phamaceauticals/
medical items,light and heavy duty vehicles, apparels and other
administrative/logistics for the ECOMOG in Sierra-Leone and Liberia
during the Peace Keeping Projects.

This deal was deliberately hatched out and carefully protected with
the cooperation and mandate of the Chairman Ecowas Contract Awarding
Committee and the Financial Director of the Organization.We arranged
and over invoiced the contract funds supplied by different companies
from different countries during the crisis. It was our consensus to
seek the assistance of a willing foreigner to provide us with the
facilities to transfer this money out of West Africa. This is borne
out of our belief in the non-stable and porous political nature of
this sub-region.

The original contractors have been duly paid by Ecowas banker through
the Central bank of Ghana and Finance Ministry.The balance is
suspended in the ECOWAS grand Account awaiting claims by any foreign
partner of our choice to receive the fund on our behalf Now Ecowas is
intending to pay all their outstanding balance of their contractors
this year as the organization is winding up its activities since the
aim of returning peace to the countries and the coast has been
achieved. Based on the laws and ethics of employment,we as civil
servants working under this organization, are not allowed to
operate/own a foreign account.This is more reason why we needed your
urgent assistance to provide an account that can sustain this fund for
safe keeping and our future investment with your comprehensive
advise,assistance and partnership in your country.

IT is however agreed,as the account owner in this deal to allow you
30% of the entire sum as compensation, 65% will be held on trust for
us while 5% will be used to defray any incidental charges and cost
during the course of the transaction. This transaction will be
successfully concluded within 14 days if you accord us your unalloyed
and due cooperation. You should provide the followings for immediate
kick of of this deal if it interest you;

YOUR COMPANY`S NAME WITH COMPLETE ADDRESS,TEL AND FAX NUMBERS.(if
available) THE NAME OF YOUR BANK,ITS ADDRESS WITH TEL,FAX AND TELEX
NUMBERS. THE ACCOUNT NUMBER THE COMPLETE MAILING ADDRESS OF THE
BENEFICIARY WITH TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBERS.

Upon the receipt of this informations,application for claim will be
sent to you to fill and return back to the organization in pursuit of
the claim legally and then be forwarded to the organization for
ratification and subsequent payment. As with the case of all organized
(sensitive)and conspired deals,we solicit for your unreserved
confidentiality and utmost secret in this business. We hope to retire
peacefully and lead honorable business life afterwards.

There are no risks involved .Kindly expedite action if you are
interested as we are behind schedule to enable us utilize this golden
opportunity pay out this fund immediately which we might stand to
loose, if we fail to provide a safe account for this transfer on time
at the expiration of this year Ecowas has mapped out for payment of
all their outstanding contractors and the dissolution of our committee.

Please urgency is needed as we do not know the time our organization
will start the payment hence it is necessary to start on time to
forestall any hitch while transferring the fund into your designated
account .

Hope to hear from you.

With best regards,

DR.MOHAMED IBN CHAMBAS.