A few weeks ago, I received the following email request from a potential new client, ‘Jessica Vinset’ (with a gmail address):

Here is the job details, l have small scale business which i want to turn into large scale business now it located in OR and the company is based on importing and exporting of Agriculture products such as Kola Nut, Gacillia Nut and Cocoa so i need a best of the best layout design for it. Can you handle that for me ?. so i need you to check out this site but i need something more perfect than this if its possible http://www.agroamerica.com…. The site would only be informational, so i need you to give me an estimate based on the site i gave you to check out, the estimate should include hosting and i want the same page as the site i gave you to check out and i have a private project consultant, he has the text content and the logos for the site.

Note:

1. I want the same number of pages with the example site i gave you to check excluding videos and blogs.
2. I want only English language
3. I don’t have a domain yet but i want the domain name asbestfarmproduce.com
4. you will be updating the site for me.
5. i will be proving the images, logos and content for the site.
6. i want the site up and running before ending of next month.
7. My budget is $5000 to 10.000

Kindly get back to me with:

1. an estimate
2. your cell phone number
3. And will like to know if you are the owner ??

thank you

Jay

Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone.

I got pretty excited, it was perfect timing for a new project, and I submitted a quote, to which I received this response:

thanks for your response, i am okay with the estimate and i wanna proceed so i will be depositing $3,000 using credit card so work can commence ASAP, i understand the content for this site would be needed so as for the job to commence so regarding the content i will need a Little favor from you and the reason i need this favor from you is because the consultant does not have the facility to charge credit cards and i also am presently in the hospital for surgery so i will be glad if you can help me out with this favor,The favor i need from you is. i would give you my card info’s to charge for $6, 100. so $3,000 would be a deposit payment for my website design and the remaining $3,000 you would help me send it to the project consultant that has the text content and the logo for my website so once he has the $3,000 he would send the text content and logo needed for my website to you also the funds would be sent to him via cash deposit into his account, sending of funds would be after funds clears into your account , and also $100 tip for you stress hope you understand me clearly and i will be looking forward to read back from you.

Do I need to mention that there now is a special IC3 report just for this issue?
But what is even funnier, only yesterday, I received the following email from Tim Lemoine, also a gmail account (but in his email address, he spells his last name with 2 ‘n’s:

Here is the job details, l have small scale business which i want to turn into large scale business now it located in CA, Garden Grrove and the company is based on importing and the xporting of products such as antique, so i need a best of the best layout design for it. Can you handle that for me ?. so i need you to check out this site but i need something more perfect than this if its possible www.bernardisantiques.com…. the site would only be informational, so i need you to give me an estimate based on the site i gave you to check out, the estimate should include hosting and i want the same page as the site i gave you to check out and i have a private project consultant, he has the text content and the logos for the site.

Note:

1. I want the same number of pages with the example site i gave you to check excluding videos and blogs.
2. I want only English and Spanish language
3. I don’t have a domain yet but i want the domain name as worldbestantique
4. you will be updating the site for me.
5. i will be proving the images, logos and content for the site.
6. i want the site up and running before ending of next month.
7. My budget is $5,000 to10,000

Kindly get back to me with:

1. an estimate
2. your cell phone number
3. And will like to know if you are the owner ??

thank you

Tim

I submitted a quote, just for fun, and received the following response:

thanks for your response, i am okay with the estimate and i wanna proceed so i will be depositing $3, 000 using credit card so work can commence ASAP, i understand the content for this site would be needed so as for the job to commence so regarding the content i will need a Little favor from you and the reason i need this favor from you is because the consultant does not have the facility to charge credit cards and i also am presently in the hospital for surgery so i will be glad if you can help me out with this favor,The favor i need from you is. i would give you my card info’s to charge for $6, 100.. so $3,000 would be a deposit payment for my website design and the remaining $3,000 you would help me send it to the project consultant that has the text content and the logo for my website so once he has the $3,000 he would send the text content and logo needed for my website to you also the funds would be sent to him via cash deposit into his account, sending of funds would be after funds clears into your account and also $100 tip for you stress hope you understand me clearly and i will be looking forward to read back from you.

thanks

Tim

Notice how even the typos and punctuation errors are identical?

This effort has its very own IC3 Complaint number.