Comments on: They’re still out there http://www.smallbizpod.co.uk/blog/2008/03/26/theyre-still-out-there/ The small business blog of SmallBizPod - inspiration and practical advice for entrepreneurs Tue, 02 Dec 2008 01:33:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Will - ArenaFlowers.com http://www.smallbizpod.co.uk/blog/2008/03/26/theyre-still-out-there/#comment-124454 Will - ArenaFlowers.com Thu, 27 Mar 2008 23:48:29 +0000 http://www.smallbizpod.co.uk/blog/2008/03/26/theyre-still-out-there/#comment-124454 Hi Guy/Benjamin When I referred to ingenuity, I meant in the flower cleverness that I described after rather than their misspelling of shipment. Although, I bet you felt the weird thing where, for a few seconds, even though it was clearly misspelt and wrong, you still thought "hang on, am I getting this wrong or is this spoof." It's weird the way that subtly obvious spoof can still be strangely convincing, to even people who are pretty well informed and web savvy. Ref seeing the aftermath of fraud, Benjamin - it's grim. One lady lost £1.5k within 7 days of first contact. Not our fault but truly tragic seeing someone's desire for love being so cruelly exploited. :( Fortunately, we've built a number of proprietary filters (and encourage PayPal use (fraud very very low with PP)) so that such fraudy instances are now exceedingly low. Whenever we catch one, we always let the recipient know they're being had. Can't help with Mrs C, I'm afraid, Guy. :) Hi Guy/Benjamin

When I referred to ingenuity, I meant in the flower cleverness that I described after rather than their misspelling of shipment. Although, I bet you felt the weird thing where, for a few seconds, even though it was clearly misspelt and wrong, you still thought “hang on, am I getting this wrong or is this spoof.” It’s weird the way that subtly obvious spoof can still be strangely convincing, to even people who are pretty well informed and web savvy.

Ref seeing the aftermath of fraud, Benjamin - it’s grim. One lady lost £1.5k within 7 days of first contact. Not our fault but truly tragic seeing someone’s desire for love being so cruelly exploited.
:(

Fortunately, we’ve built a number of proprietary filters (and encourage PayPal use (fraud very very low with PP)) so that such fraudy instances are now exceedingly low. Whenever we catch one, we always let the recipient know they’re being had.

Can’t help with Mrs C, I’m afraid, Guy.
:)

]]> By: Benjamin http://www.smallbizpod.co.uk/blog/2008/03/26/theyre-still-out-there/#comment-124439 Benjamin Thu, 27 Mar 2008 22:16:05 +0000 http://www.smallbizpod.co.uk/blog/2008/03/26/theyre-still-out-there/#comment-124439 Oh no! You mean that e-mail I got from that nice former general isn't legit? More seriously... It comes to something when we have to rely on a spelling error to spot a scam. The benefits of a good education perhaps? Since I've been a small business owner, I have been amazed at the volume of scams that come my way. There's got to be a way to crack this stuff. Will, what you describe is even more worrying - ending up with your business being part of a scam. For now, keep your eyes wide open I guess! Oh no! You mean that e-mail I got from that nice former general isn’t legit? More seriously… It comes to something when we have to rely on a spelling error to spot a scam. The benefits of a good education perhaps?

Since I’ve been a small business owner, I have been amazed at the volume of scams that come my way. There’s got to be a way to crack this stuff. Will, what you describe is even more worrying - ending up with your business being part of a scam.

For now, keep your eyes wide open I guess!

]]> By: Guy Clapperton http://www.smallbizpod.co.uk/blog/2008/03/26/theyre-still-out-there/#comment-124416 Guy Clapperton Thu, 27 Mar 2008 19:26:17 +0000 http://www.smallbizpod.co.uk/blog/2008/03/26/theyre-still-out-there/#comment-124416 Ingenuity, when they mis-spell 'shipment' and fail to notice Amazon has changed its confirmation e-mails? I thought it was pretty daft myself. As to the flowers thing, I've been buying my wife pretty blooms for 15 years and still haven't summoned up the courage to ask her for any money, Western Union or otherwise... Ingenuity, when they mis-spell ’shipment’ and fail to notice Amazon has changed its confirmation e-mails? I thought it was pretty daft myself.

As to the flowers thing, I’ve been buying my wife pretty blooms for 15 years and still haven’t summoned up the courage to ask her for any money, Western Union or otherwise…

]]> By: Will - ArenaFlowers.com http://www.smallbizpod.co.uk/blog/2008/03/26/theyre-still-out-there/#comment-124404 Will - ArenaFlowers.com Thu, 27 Mar 2008 18:16:20 +0000 http://www.smallbizpod.co.uk/blog/2008/03/26/theyre-still-out-there/#comment-124404 One does have to take one's hat off to the level of ingenuity that scammers have now reached. Before setting up ArenaFlowers.com, I worked at eBay so saw quite a lot of fun and games going on both in eBay and eBay Inc owned PayPal. I didn't expect anything like that in flowers but, sure enough, there is an angle. In short - use stolen credit cards to help you woo women on line by sending them lots of gifts, then, once you've won their trust, get them to send you money via western union. Clever stuff. We've even got a category on our blog covering the various fraudy moves that we've seen. Definitely something I never expected in this market. Still, you live and learn! One does have to take one’s hat off to the level of ingenuity that scammers have now reached. Before setting up ArenaFlowers.com, I worked at eBay so saw quite a lot of fun and games going on both in eBay and eBay Inc owned PayPal. I didn’t expect anything like that in flowers but, sure enough, there is an angle. In short - use stolen credit cards to help you woo women on line by sending them lots of gifts, then, once you’ve won their trust, get them to send you money via western union. Clever stuff.
We’ve even got a category on our blog covering the various fraudy moves that we’ve seen. Definitely something I never expected in this market. Still, you live and learn!

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