# Screen printing scams



## brent (Nov 3, 2006)

I get a subscription to Impressions magazine (you should too, it's free) and there was a little article this month about people scamming screen printers, and what to watch out for to spot these scams, such things as shipping overseas, selling people blank shirts, odd payment methods etc.
Has anyone been scammed like this? Do you get many attempts? I had never before, but I've gotten two in the last week. One guy said he was a district manager for K-mart and needed XXXL shirts printed and shipped to Africa. One that I just got wants blank shirts. I replied to that one and asked for sizes and a shipping location, just to see what he'll say.

Be careful. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is, and if it smells fishy, it very well might be.


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## neato (Mar 21, 2006)

Yep, I got that scam. 

Here's how it went:

*GOOD DAY

MY NAME IS REV.SMITH AND I WANT TO MAKE AN INQUIRE OF PLAIN
T-SHIRTS.I NEED THE GILDAN PLAIN WHITE 50/50 % COTTON IN MEDIUM SIZE.THIS IS
GOING TO BE USED FOR THE DONATION TO THE ORPHANAGE HOME CARE AND ITS NEED BY
NEXT WEEK FRIDAY.I WANT YOU TO EMAIL ME BACK WITH THE TOTAL COST FOR THE
2000 PIECES OF THEM PLUS TAX AND ALSO ADVISE WITH THE FORMS OF PAYMENT YOU
DO ACCEPT AS WELL.I WILL BE MUCH HAPPIER IF ALSO YOU EMAILED ME WITH YOUR
CONTACT PHONE NUMBER WHERE I CAN REACH YOU AND DISCUSS MUCH ABOUT THIS
ORDER.ALSO,IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THIS BRAND INSTOCK,FEEL FREE TO EMAIL ME BACK
WITH THE BRANDS THAT YOU DO HAVE CURRENTLY IN INVENTORY.I WILL BE LOOKING
FORWARD TO YOUR EMAIL ANYTIME FROM NOW.HAVE A NICE DAY


RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED,

REV.SMITH.*


Well, I couldn't let the good reverand down. After all, those poor little children in that orphange are going to bed every night without any plain white Gildan tees! What a shame. So this is my reply:


*
Hello Reverand Smith,

I hope all is well in Nigeria.

We have a sale going on this week only on Gildan 2000 white tees. What
great timing!

We're selling them this week only for $22.95 each. (regular price is $3.50
each).

So $22.95 x 2000 comes out to $45,900 plus add in an additional $25 so I
can take my wife to dinner.

And don't forget, we also have a 10% scam tax here in Iowa

So the grand total is $50,517.50

Let me know how you are going to pay. I look forward to doing business
with you!

*Not sure why, but I never heard back...


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## Comin'OutSwingin (Oct 28, 2005)

I like it!!!


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## T-BOT (Jul 24, 2006)

yeah, those are funny.

I don't know why but I had a crazy thought that these email scams were being sent out by your Merchant Account bank to test you.  






:


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## Unik Ink (Nov 21, 2006)

I received one similar to that and I told him I would ship him his shirts when I received a package full of cash for the full amount of the t-shirts.


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## cimarronsp (Nov 21, 2007)

We have had the same scams..want to pay by credit card over the phone and wanting shipping to somewhere in Africa. The theif used the name Rev. Wayne Larry. If I ever answered the phone he would hang up, if a female would answer he would try to place a credit card order. I have also had the same scam attempted a dozen times with "relay calls" with an internet operator. The phone companys know that many of the relay calls are scams because they can not be traced to a location (which is usually in another country) but they could care less. They usually want large quantities of blanks, and seem to keep forgetting they quantites they are asking for quotes on. Be careful.


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## rmsigns (Oct 28, 2007)

wild, i've never heard of scaming for shirts. thanks for the post, we'll be on the look out. love that response phillip..hahaha


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## hiGH (Jan 25, 2007)

lol that was great phillip.. poor fella.


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## Ken Styles (Mar 16, 2006)

I used to be a member of a website called 419eater and they use to take these scammers on wild goose chases and just make their lives living hells.

It was fun to read on what they made these guys do.


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## bdemon (Sep 19, 2007)

I've gotten these sort of scams with my guitar lessons (my day job). I get some guy saying his son is going to visit for a month and wants lessons. I write back seriously, giving him the cost and fake contact info to send me a check. They write back asking if I got it, then I let the fun begin by pretending I'm beyond clueless in how to wire them the money back (if I say the cost is $200, the checks are supposedly $5000 or whatever...they say they made a mistake and ask for the difference). They give me directions, I tell them I can't find a place, etc. They catch on eventually, but the way I see it, I'm keeping them from scamming a real victim.

Then again, I could be doing more productive things!

Naturally I don't do this with my personal email.


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## Schizm (Nov 1, 2007)

Welcome to the 419 Eater

Go spend a few hours there. It's hilarious. I've been reading that site for years. 

Anyway, Yeah. It's a derivative of the old Nigerian 419 scam. I'm surprised how many of my friends come to me saying they got an offer off of Craigslist for their mower or whatever they're selling, and they tell me that the guy is offering more money etc......

As soon as I read it and see the broken english, I can tell. And yeah, "Reverends" and "Barons", (Shakes head), lol watch out for them.

And guys, PLEASE, inform everyone you know about this, especially the computer illiterate. Don't let the people you care about get scammed by these azz-hats.


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## brent (Nov 3, 2006)

Just got this reply when I responded to a scam email asking him where he was located and what he needed exactly ...

Hello Stuart , i need 1500 pieces of the 2XL plain
WHITE and 1500 pieces of the 2XL plain BLACK T-Shirts.
50% Cotton and 50% Polyester.
Brand: GILDAN or FRUIT OF THE LOOM.
Please get back to me with the total cost with shipping charges
to CA ASAP.


Regards...
Christian Vance


I told him it would be $45,000 :] I'll see what he says ...


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## Schizm (Nov 1, 2007)

brent said:


> Just got this reply when I responded to a scam email asking him where he was located and what he needed exactly ...
> 
> Hello Stuart , i need 1500 pieces of the 2XL plain
> WHITE and 1500 pieces of the 2XL plain BLACK T-Shirts.
> ...


Sounds like a deal!!!!


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## cchampsports (Oct 7, 2007)

I get these scammers all the time. Every once in awhile I respond saying I will take paypal payments only.(verifiable way to except payment) I won't take their credit card because it is probably stolen and I'm not paying the bill on 1500 shirts I didn't use. If they get the shirts they're just going to ebay them and make a nice profit at my expense. Beware of these scammers.


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## jlcanterbury (Jul 26, 2007)

i am not in the contract printing business, I am a fashion label so i deal mostly with retail stores...

what exactly is the scam about? how do they scam you?


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

jlcanterbury said:


> what exactly is the scam about? how do they scam you?


Stolen credit cards, fake bank cheques, etc.

After (apparently) receiving payment you send the goods. They end up with whatever you sent, you get nothing. Sometimes the money will even start to clear (for example your local branch will deposit the cheque to your account when you take it in), but the bank will revoke the money when they realise they've been scammed.


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## ino (Jan 23, 2007)

Ask them to pay you via Western Union, it would only be just round the corner from their internet cafe.


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## EXTouch (Mar 22, 2007)

I think I just got one of these scams...not from an orphanage, but from someone in general...this was the email



> *Good day i'm Larry Johnson and i would like to purchase some blank T-shirts and the following is one of the brands i need:
> 
> Fruit Of The LOOM White Blank Shirts
> 50/50% COTTON
> ...


I pulled one from Phillips playbook and I think I said something like 22k, lol.


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## cmyk (Dec 3, 2007)

oh my god! 

i have also sent quit a few messages to different us companies (sign warehouse, for example), trying to find out the best deal, way, method etc for purchaising equipment.
i was asking for the price and the accepted payment methods.

once i also bought a few items similar to thise E_Z screen sheets using my visa card and it was ok.

my english is also broken, but, please believe me, i am a honest person 

and now i think a lot of my mesages may appear scam attempts


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## ino (Jan 23, 2007)

Hi CMYK,
Dont worry, I TRUST YOU.
cheers.


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## cmyk (Dec 3, 2007)

hi, ino!
thanks!


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## scatter55 (Aug 9, 2009)

Just got an email today from [email protected] and thought it was strange. so I asked how they found me. they said a friend Michael. I asked for a last name. still waiting for a reply. knew it was a scam. I like neato's reply. can I use it?

here is the original email:

Hello Sales,
My Name is Alfred and i will like to make an urgently Order of T-Shirts and below is the Type of T-Shirts that i will like to Order.... Blank White T-Shirts 100% Cotton Heavy Weight T-Shirt,brand Gildan and the Size should be SMALL for youth and i will need 2000 pieces of those t shirts.Am donating this to the Royal Orphanages Home..So Kindly go ahead and quote me the total price of the 2000 pieces plus tax and i would send for a pick up after payment.Also tell me what form of payment do you accept.Let me know immediately if you can get them for me ....I sincerely solicit your quick response in this regard.Thanks and Stay Bless.

Regards
Alfred White​


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

scatter55 said:


> Just got an email today from [email protected] and thought it was strange. so I asked how they found me. they said a friend Michael. I asked for a last name. still waiting for a reply. knew it was a scam. I like neato's reply. can I use it?
> 
> here is the original email:
> 
> ...


It's probably not even worth the time to reply to it. Just lets them know that it's a valid email address to keep trying.

In my opinion, best way to deal with them is to delete it or spam filter it.

I receive dozens of those emails a week.


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## PositiveDave (Dec 1, 2008)

cchampsports said:


> I get these scammers all the time. Every once in awhile I respond saying I will take paypal payments only.(verifiable way to except payment) I won't take their credit card because it is probably stolen and I'm not paying the bill on 1500 shirts I didn't use. If they get the shirts they're just going to ebay them and make a nice profit at my expense. Beware of these scammers.


Paypal accounts get hacked, you accept the money and send the goods, the real owner complains and Paypal do a chargeback.
Paypal is as secure as a credit card in the name of the Rev. Goerge W Bushh.
Sorry


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## BillyV (May 8, 2009)

I just feel sorry for the people that fall for these scams!

I have a friend that his mother answered one of these emails while he was on vacation and was going trying to order the shirts from the vendors and the vendor saved her by explaining what was going and stopped her from ordering the shirts.


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## BroJames (Jul 8, 2008)

jlcanterbury said:


> i am not in the contract printing business, I am a fashion label so i deal mostly with retail stores...
> 
> what exactly is the scam about? how do they scam you?


These are simple scam variations. My name used to be in investment/financial lists and their scams are aimed to trick you into making some easy money. However, sooner or later, one way or another, they will try to convince you that you must go to nigeria. They're even willing to send to a round trip plane ticket with free accommodations. So, what do you have to lose? 

Well, firstly, your passport. As I learned later, the ones I received are kidnap for ransom scams.


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## nappen (Dec 12, 2010)

Schizm said:


> Welcome to the 419 Eater
> 
> Go spend a few hours there. It's hilarious. I've been reading that site for years.
> 
> ...


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## jirdi (May 5, 2011)

owh, we must be carefully to choose Screen Printing for print out our T Shirt Designs ideas. thanks for info..


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## BroJames (Jul 8, 2008)

jirdi, is that one of those link that leads to nowhere? Or one of those sites that bombard you with other downloads?


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## smarttees (Jun 26, 2010)

*I got this weird call asking me for blank gildan tees, and i am a DTG printer not a blank reseller, Here is the email conversation for you Guys to judge if this is a scam:* 
_"Hello,
I just spoke with you over the phone regarding Blank White t-shirts, see bellow the details.

(1).
BRAND: Gildan
Size: Small
Color: Blank white
Size: 1000pcs


(2)
BRAND: Gildan
Size: Medium 
Color: Blank white
Size: 1000pcs


Kindly get back to me with the total cost for all the 2000pcs t-shirts including Gst... and i would proceed with payment.... Moreover i would arrange for the pickup.... once the order is placed and ready... So let me know the cost and i would proceed, also wants to know the form of payment that you accept and i would proceed with payment.. Thank you and looking forward to your responds.

Regards
Mark"_

*and after sending him the cost for local shipping or pickup, he responded:
*_"Thank you for getting back to me with the price.. However i would like to proceed with payment, using my Visa Card... let me know and i would call and provide you with the details... also wants to know how soon can you get the t-shirts ready for pickup after i pay for the Order? 

Thank you"_

How is he gonna scam me if he was asking for a local order? i am not sure i understand the method they use?


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## brent (Nov 3, 2006)

I get one or two emails like this a month. Sometimes I quote a ridiculous price and they're okay with it. I don't know how that specific scam works, but a few months ago I had this guy talking to me about 300 real easy shirts. I'd make good money on it, but he wanted to pay me more than the order was worth, then have me give a money order for the difference to the guy who picks up the shirts. I said See ya later.


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## kriscad (Dec 18, 2006)

We make them do funny photos to prove to us they are legit!


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## tpitman (Jul 30, 2007)

Even that is no guarantee of legitimacy, especially the overseas crap. A photo of "Father" Sam holding a funny sign as proof of his need for 500 blank white XL shirts for Zimbabwean orphans just means that the scammer is holding a funny sign. Browse around this link for some stories posted by a dedicated scambaiter who make his "marks" post funny photos, get tattoos, and whatnot, from mostly Nigerians who are notorious for email hustling unsuspecting people.

Welcome to 419Eater


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## tpitman (Jul 30, 2007)

brent said:


> I get one or two emails like this a month. Sometimes I quote a ridiculous price and they're okay with it. I don't know how that specific scam works, but a few months ago I had this guy talking to me about 300 real easy shirts. I'd make good money on it, *but he wanted to pay me more than the order was worth, then have me give a money order for the difference to the guy who picks up the shirts.* I said See ya later.


Craigslist is notorious for this, and they have a disclaimer warning people about it. Happens when people try to buy your stuff. I had a Fender Mexican Strat in a Fender hardshell case for sale, $425 for both, which is what the guitar alone sells for new, that I'd bought off eBay. Anyhoo, some guy in Georgia emails me that he's buying it, and gets all nervous that I hadn't taken the listing down immediately. FedEx shows up a couple of days later with an overnight envelope. In it was a check for $5,432, to be cashed at my bank, the money for the guitar to be kept, plus my cost of having the balance wired to someone in Texas via Western Union. I called the cops, and the first thing the detective says is, "You didn't cash the check, did you?" And the thing of it is, the check was "drawn" on a legitimate business in Illinois. People buy blank safety paper and print the checks on their home printer. They look real.
The detective told be that they wouldn't pursue it because there was so much of it going on that they didn't have the resources to investigate every instance, even though I had an address in Georgia and a name in Texas. Both could have been fake, and once the money is received in Texas, it's gone. If you *cash* that check, you're up the creek for passing a bad check. It's not like depositing a bad check that is declined.


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## BroJames (Jul 8, 2008)

smarttees said:


> *I got this weird call asking me for blank gildan tees, and i am a DTG printer not a blank reseller, Here is the email conversation for you Guys to judge if this is a scam:*
> _"Hello,
> I just spoke with you over the phone regarding Blank White t-shirts, see bellow the details.
> 
> ...



If he use a stolen credit card, and the card owner later complain with his/her credit card company(that the card is stolen), the amount of the transaction will be deducted from your account leaving you with a zero dollar sales and 2000 shirts to pay.


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## drdeath19134 (Mar 23, 2009)

Be safe tell them cash on pickup!


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## tpitman (Jul 30, 2007)

drdeath19134 said:


> Be safe tell them cash on pickup!


Yup. And you'll never hear from them again, proving that they were scamming you all along.

The thing that frosts me is the credit card company will confirm the card for the transaction, THEN later decline it as stolen. Seems to me that if that say the card is legit at the time of the transaction, they should eat it, even if you're taking the card info over the phone without having the card in your hand to swipe. I understand there's a period between the card being stolen and the owner reporting it, but it isn't right for the card vendor to say it's good, then a couple of days later saying it isn't, after the merchandise is long gone. The seller has no way of determining whether the card is good or bad except by the card company saying it is. It should be on them.


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## BroJames (Jul 8, 2008)

Even if the card is good and if the card owner complained about not making the transaction or other stuff, there is a very good chance that the transaction will also be cancelled or invalidated. I am not sure how it goes but I used to have a credit card facility and wanted to be able to accept credit card transactions that does not require physical swiping. I was adviced by friends not to go ahead as the inconvenience is just not worth it.


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## binki (Jul 16, 2006)

we get them in spirts. nearly all of our customers are local and 99.9% come in to pick their stuff up. we just don't ship to anyone unless we know them.


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## ScreenFoo (Aug 9, 2011)

They're getting some work ethic, last scammer I heard from years and years ago wanted twelve thousand blanks, shipped to South Africa. 
Now they're picking up in person? Now THAT sounds like fun.

"Oh, I'm sorry, we don't accept American Express. Do you have a Diners Club card?"


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## gerryppg (Jan 29, 2010)

I had a call from a TTD operator. Come on acting like you are deaf to scam? Whats the world coming to. Or maybe it really was a deaf scam artist.


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## martinwoods (Jul 20, 2006)

too funny, I see I am not the only one that just deletes them, I love messing with those people. One that I got was for a lottery win and I kept emailing the guy and he thought I had really fallen for it and then I finally burst his little bubble
I get the shirt ones all the time and love messing with them as well. I may have to steal your reply though that one was really good.



neato said:


> Yep, I got that scam.
> 
> Here's how it went:
> 
> ...


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## Dkenzie1 (Sep 22, 2011)

We get them also. What forms of payment do we accept for these. CASH, CHECK or MONEY ORDER order will be picked up AFTER the funds have cleared.


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## ScreenFoo (Aug 9, 2011)

I'd even watch that--what if they stole checks from a dead guy? I bet his kids will notice that five grand for shirts-post mortem.


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## Fodder4UAll (Mar 11, 2017)

I just got an email from someone asking if I've ever done large orders. I'm thinking they want 200-500 shirts for whatever. So I tell them I need information and then I can help. They say they want 25,000 printed shirts a month (front and back) and they might double the order. Who the ****? I don't even think American Eagle sells 25,000 shirts a month! I searched the name she gave me and only 1 person with that name lives in the state and she is 85!


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## KelceyW (Dec 1, 2016)

I like it when they keep it simple.

The 'customer' calls in a rush needing a large volume of blank shirts to be shipped across country, can you help them out please. Your sales rep does some quick calculations adds a mark-up to your cost and gives the guy a qoute which he readily agrees to (he doesn't care since he's paying with a stolen or bogus credit card). 
Your sales guy (blinded by dollar signs) brings in the product for a quick turn-around to ship to the customer fast. fast. fast! 

Option one: they make it out the door and no payment is ever received leaving you poorer but hopefully a bit wiser, with neither profit or product in hand for your efforts.

Option two: your attentive warehouse manager doesn't let them out the door with out payment confirmation, at which time all cards presented turn out to be bogus, leaving you poorer but hopefully a bit wiser but with product STILL in hand.

On a persoanl note if anyone is looking for 50/50 poly/cotton Port and Co. tees (PC55 white), I have 1440 available (720 Sm / 720 Med) that I can sell you at cost or better, presuming you will pay for them.

The Warehouse Manager


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