After a Tiffany Fan Club member attempted to make a sale on
half.com only to have the buyer's account suspended by half.com, the Fan Club marshalled its members to provide assistance.
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From: Tiffany Fan Club
To: cincinatti41977@gmail.com
Date: Fri, Jul 25, 2008 at 11:07 AM
The Tiffany Fan Club is handling this transaction. The only way you will get this book is if you pay for it directly. Your account on half.com has been suspended. You can pay directly, but it can only be a direct transfer. Meaning the funds have to be in your paypal account. Let me know ASAP what you want to do. I had this book packed up 2 days ago.
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From: <cincinatti41977@gmail.com>
To: Tiffany Fan Club
Date: Fri, Jul 25, 2008 at 3:45 PM
I can pay for the book via Money Order. Let me know if I can proceed since am buying the book for my duaghter's exam in August. She's currently ill now but recovering. If Money order is okay by you, try to send the mailing info so that I can overnight it to you today.
Thank you
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From: Tiffany Fan Club
To: <cincinatti41977@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Jul 25, 2008 at 4:26 PM
$134.99
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From: <cincinatti41977@gmail.com>
To: Tiffany Fan Club
Date: Fri, Jul 25, 2008 at 4:44 PM
Thanks, I'll try to mail it out today so that you can receive it tomorrow morning. I'll send you the tracking# once it has been sent.
Thank you.
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From: Tiffany Fan Club
To: <cincinatti41977@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Jul 25, 2008 at 5:06 PM
Sounds great!
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From: Tiffany Fan Club
To: <cincinatti41977@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, Jul 26, 2008 at 11:25 AM
At this point it will go out monday if you overnighted it. Post office closes in 30 minutes here and my mail won't arrive til 3 or so. It's not open on sunday.
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From: Tiffany Fan Club
To: <cincinatti41977@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Jul 28, 2008 at 3:25 PM
I'm just trying to follow up on this. Are you still interested? It's monday and I have not received in money order in the mail.
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From: <cincinatti41977@gmail.com>
To: Tiffany Fan Club
Date: Tue, Jul 29, 2008 at 8:00 AM
Hello, sorry I couldnt get back to you asap. My duaghter was due for surgery today and I had to be everywhere for her. She is yet to receive the book and I was not happy that your payment was delayed. Goodnews is that my boss issued out the Money Order payment yesterday since he's helping me with part of my duaghter's hospital bills. Here's the FedEx tracking# ..798486238931 . The money order is for $500, so you will recieve it this morning .Deduct $140 for the book and send the rest to the doctor in charge of my daughter's operation.
Please its important that you send it via Western union so he can pick it up at his convenience. My daughter's been placed on a machine for some weeks now and they need to start the operation as soon as possible today or tomorrow once the doctor gets it .
Here's the Western union info on how to send it .
[Name 1]
919 washington street
Port Townsend, WA 98368
Pls make sure you get the spellings right at the western union office, you can just go their nearest office . pick up a form and fill it appropriately with the above information correctly. You will be given the 10 Digit MTCN Number which you'll forward to me once it has been sent alongside the sender's information used. Or you can just attach the western union reciept and forward it.
Am aware that western union will also deduct some charges about $10 - $30 when sending it. You can deduct it from the amount as well as your $140 and send the remaining .
Kindly get back to me immediately you have recieved it. I'll send the mailing address for the book afterwards.
Thanks
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From: Tiffany Fan Club
To: <cincinatti41977@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Jul 29, 2008 at 12:22 PM
This sounds to much like a scam and one that I am well aware of. You send me a money order. I cash it and send part of it to this person. It turns out to be fake and you have money and I get charged by my bank and I am out a book as well. None of the names are mathcing up. The return address on the fedex package is to a
[Name 2]
919 Washington St.
Port Townsend, WA. 98368
You want me to send it to a
[Name 1]
919 washington street
Port Townsend, WA 98368
That right there is a tip off. You want me to send it to a doctor. But the adress you want me to send it to is the same as where it came from.
Now the address that half.com gave me to send the book to is in California. None of this makes sense.
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From: <cincinatti41977@gmail.com>
To: Tiffany Fan Club
Date: Tue, Jul 29, 2008 at 1:46 PM
Its not a scam, I know my lilfe is complicated right now because am just trying to gather up money for my daughter's medical bills, she's at a specialist hospital in WA and thats why i wanted to send the money down so that the doc can pick it up .. I know its sound complicated but i dont want to stress the details ... cos am on about 4 jobs right now and need to meet up with my work. if you will not help me out..ii'll understand.
Thanks
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From: Tiffany Fan Club Member M
To: Tiffany Fan Club Member A
Date: Tue, Jul 29, 2008 at 6:40 PM
An odd situation that a Tiffany Fan Club member is going through on half.com that we want your input on. I have been handling this situation so any input should be directed towards me as well.
Personally I think it sounds like a scam that I am well aware of and heard so much about.
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From: Tiffany Fan Club Member A
To: Tiffany Fan Club Member M
Date: Tue, Jul 29, 2008 at 7:03 PM
M,
Agreed.
The whole thing sounds too unlikely. While it's true truth is stranger than fiction, this sounds too weird. Her daughter is on a machine and needs an operation as soon as possible, but will be going to school in August. I don't like how "rushed" the emails sound.
Who is the check made out to?
Can we contact "her" bank and verify that there are funds before we attempt to cash it?
If we must, we should cash it and wait for the funds to clear before sending out the book.
There's no reason she should be so impatient that she can't wait 3-4 business days for the check to clear. Especially since she wants you to withdraw the difference and send that to her "doctor".
I would proceed with extreme caution.
I tried google-ing this scam, but I haven't found it yet.
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From: Tiffany Fan Club Member M
To: Tiffany Fan Club Member A
Date: Tue, Jul 29, 2008 at 7:10 PM
It's a money order. It could be fake though. The scam that I know of goes like this. You get this money order for more then it is supposed to be for. The person who sent requests part of it be sent to whoever for whatever purpose. You cash this money order and it turns out to be fake. Your bank charges you a fee and takes the money out of your account. Meanwhile the other person that you sent some some of the original money order back to gets to keep their money. I've heard it to many times and seen it happen to others. Too risky.
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Later it was confirmed that the money order was a conterfeit. Thanks to the keen minds at Tiffany Fan Club a scam attempt was thwarted.
The accounts of the attempted scam is posted here in the hopes of preventing someone else from suffering a worse fate.