# Banner scam?



## GHEENEE1 (Jan 8, 2007)

I got this e mail, thought it's a scam. Has anyone else received this? Dear sir/madam
i will like to place an order with your company for some vinyl banners
below is the information i need on the banners .

Lettering words on banner::FEAR NOT,FOR I AM THY LORD THY GOD,I WOULD
STRENGTHEN THEE(it should be in CAPS)
Banner Size:3x8
Art Work:No Art Work
Banner Location:Outdoor
i need grommets also for them .
TURNAROUND TIME :ONE AND HALF WEEK

Please send me the total I will need 30 pieces of them so i want you
to go ahead and email me back with the total cost of it also the type
of credit cards you take because am a deaf and only make all my
payment by my credit card .I will pick it up at your store when is
ready for Shipping.I will need the background color should be white
and the Text Color also be Red on the banners. Mike


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## veedub3 (Mar 29, 2007)

I got it a few weeks or so ago. I knew it was a scam right off because when I got the email my company didn't offer vinyl banners.


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## Wildekarde (Mar 4, 2010)

He must have left some contact information that you can check up on. I would treat him like any other client. If that means verifying payment or partial payment before you start work.

Here is my take on this. There are competitors out there that are not sure what the going rate is for a project. So rather than hitting the books and figuring out how much they should charge, they contact other shops through email with a similar project. This has happened on more than a few occasions at the print shop and to my mother daycare.

Hope that helps.


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## EGS (Apr 20, 2010)

Let me understand this. You thought it was a scam because your company does not offer banners? I don't get that. I agree...treat like any other customer. Give them a quote and collect good funds before you start. I don't understand how this could be a scam? Let us know how it turns out. Also it's a good idea to have a vendor to meet the needs of "similar" products that you may not offer. I just do screen printing but I can sell banners, business cards, etc.


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## Pwear (Mar 7, 2008)

Yes it's a scam, I posted about this a few weeks ago. Got the same email, word for word almost. I responded by saying we don't process cards via email and asked for cashiers check by mail - and never heard from them again.


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## veedub3 (Mar 29, 2007)

EGS said:


> Let me understand this. You thought it was a scam because your company does not offer banners? I don't get that.


 If I emailed you and wanted 1000 hoodies and you don't sell them what would you think? I don't sell banners so what is the point of emailing me asking me to quote you on 30 banners? Right off the bat i no it's a scam how can you not get that?


> I agree...treat like any other customer. Give them a quote and collect good funds before you start.


Good funds...what is good funds other than cash in hand? The guy said he is paying with a credit card...do you know that the credit card company has 60 days to reverse that transaction in the event it is fraudulent. Sure it may go through when it is charged but it can still be reversed. 


> I don't understand how this could be a scam?


 Obviously you haven't seen a lot of these scam emails floating around. I have been in this business 10 years and have received my fair share of them and I think it is a scam which is why I just deleted it. 


> Also it's a good idea to have a vendor to meet the needs of "similar" products that you may not offer. I just do screen printing but I can sell banners, business cards, etc.


 I can understand that but I don't have to do that. My clients are under contract so i no how much money I will be making until the contract expires, so no need to add services my client don't use. I don't even sell to the general public and have no idea how he even got my business email address which was another clue it was a scam.


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## taricp35 (Dec 10, 2008)

EGS said:


> Let me understand this. You thought it was a scam because your company does not offer banners? I don't get that.


EGS can you quote me for 300 embroidered bags? I will pay you with credit card, let me know the price?

What's not to get? If someone sends you an email and asks you to quote something you don't sell you don't think something is suspicious with that? You wouldn't ask yourself why did they send the email to you when you are just a screen printer? I mean why not go to an embroidery company......why you?
I have only been in the business just under 5 years and I have gotten tons of those scam emails. Usually the verbiage makes me look closer at it. Especially the emails that start by saying "Sirs I want to buy your goods" and they want 5000 pcs but never tell you what it is they want and they mailed the check already. Dead giveaway

I haven't gotten this one but I am sure it is on it's way. When I get it I am going to do as pwear did but I will tell him to deliver the money in cash and I bet I will never hear from him again either. I wouldn't take a cashiers check because they are forging those too just like money orders. At least with cash I can use the pen to check that it is real.


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## JAF (Oct 12, 2008)

My scams artists work via TTY/TTD phone calls. The first time I received one of these calls I was excited about someone wanting to buy 1000 white, XL shirts with no decoration. All I had to do was drop ship them overseas. LOL Was I green or what? The deal breaker was that I didn't take credit cards. I've received many more calls and emails since that first call. Be careful, don't be too trusting and if it sounds to good to be true it probably isn't.


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## American logoZ (Sep 16, 2009)

I've been in biz less than a year and I've see all the above already. 

1. In order to do business with _anyone_ I require their name, address, and telephone number. 

2. For new customers, and for sure for unknown customers, I require artwork approval (including signature) - even for text only - and 1/2 total paid up front and in cash. For the turnarounds usually requested in scammers' requests, getting approved artwork and cash payment in time to order blanks and get the final product out -- this usually means they have about 48 hours to get into my shop with their cash-filled wallets.

3. I don't sell blank t-shirts. Anyone can get them off the internet. I'm not a distributor.

With those simple rules, I hope to avoid 99.9% of all scams. The other .1%? I keep my fingers crossed.


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## EGS (Apr 20, 2010)

I understand the dear sir or madam being a scam. I have received those. As I said in the first post I don't get how you assumed it was a scam based on the fact that they were trying to buy something your don't sell. I get that all the time. That's why I contracted another vendor so now when I get a request for business cards I can make an extra $50. It all adds up. Anyway, I didn't join this forum to argue with people so I will make this my last post on the subject. All the best to you!


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## BRC (Mar 27, 2007)

At least they didn't want you to use a specific shipping company to send them to Nigeria. That way even if you get the money from the credit card company (on occasion they will take the hit) you still have to pay the ridiculous shipping charges from a bogus company. Usually you are stuck with the bill and the shipping.


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## GHEENEE1 (Jan 8, 2007)

I was pretty sure it is a scam. Gut instinct. Also, the e mail did not address me personally, and my website does not mention banners, I have done banners as side jobs for customers I know. I deleted the email, without responding. Mike


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## taricp35 (Dec 10, 2008)

EGS said:


> As I said in the first post I don't get how you assumed it was a scam based on the fact that they were trying to buy something your don't sell.


For a person to even think the posted email is real is why they are still floating around. Why would a person ask to buy somehintg from a shop that they don't sell? I can understand a repeat customer asking for those services and connecting to another vendor to help them out but this has scam written all over it.

Gheenee1.....you did the right thing. Your website does not sell banners but he wants to order 30...why not just go to a shop that sells banners? Scam!


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## ChiefP (Aug 19, 2015)

I have been in the sign business for over 30 years. Not specializing in banners but can do them - I get one of these multi banner requests about every few months or so for the last several years now - typically has some sort of religious saying in the body and comes from an individual with no phone number or contact info. other then the email and no company name, etc. - In talking to other guru's in the industry it appears they want a response and then would request what bank account you have to "transfer" their funds for you into it or will send you a downloadable file that can execute naughty actions by them! , possibly some sort of initial or ellaborate scheme to get some personal info on you - also seems they use the religious theme to maybe get you to think they are god fearing people. 

The standard modus operanda for these schemers seems to be around 3' x 8' for the banner, quantity on or around 100, turnover time around 2 weeks, religious rather then commercial copy, and no real contact info. other then some sort of name and email address they probably made up. Good luck if you give them any info.

Chief out.


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