© https://www.europol.europa.eu

I don’t normally report on these money mule scams, but this one is slightly believable and doesn’t quite fit the usual pattern of a money mule scam, which generally say that you will be employed as a representative of some financial company that involves billing & paying customers.

This one pretends to be a non existent small business in UK who sells to USA and Canada and needs cheques cashed & money transferred home

Remember many email clients, especially on a mobile phone or tablet, only show the Name in the From: and not the bit in <domain.com >. That is why these scams and phishes work so well.

The email looks like:

From: Yenge Arts & Crafts <kuronoir@par.odn.ne.jp>

Date: Sun 21/05/2017 06:41

Subject:  Part Time Job Opportunity

Body content:

YENGE ARTS & CRAFTS
16, Lion Retail Park,
151 Oriental Rd,
Woking GU22 8BD, UK
+44-704-570-4310

Dear Sir/Madam,

My name is Mr. Alex Nadal. I’m a 55 years old widower. I own YENGE ARTS & CRAFTS in London, Woking (United Kingdom). I live in England,United Kingdom, with my two kids, four cats, and one dog.

I have recently added designing and creating artwork on the computer, I have been selling my art for the past 8 years and have had my work featured on trading cards, prints and in magazines. I have sold in galleries and to private collectors from all around the world. I am always facing serious difficulties when it comes to selling my art works to Americans and Canadians as they are always offering to pay with money orders,cashier’s cheque or American Express Traveler’s cheques, which is difficult for me to cash here in the United Kingdom.

I am looking for a Representative in the United States Of America and Canada who will be working for me as a part-time worker and I will be willing to pay 10% for every transaction, which wouldn’t affect your present state of work, someone who would help me receive payments from my customers in the United states and Canada, I mean someone that is responsible and reliable, because the cost of coming to the United states,Canada and getting payments is very expensive. I am working on setting up a branch in the United states and Canada in a few months but for now, I need a Representative in the United States Of America and Canada who will be handling the payment aspect for our company.

NB: PLEASE I WANT TO MAKE YOU UNDERSTAND THAT THIS TRANSACTION DOES NOT REQUIRE ANY FEES FROM YOU AND YOUR 10% SHOULD BE DEDUCTED IMMEDIATELY THE PAYMENT HAS BEEN MADE. YOU SHOULD ALWAYS KEEP THE COMPANY INFORMED IF ANY OF OUR CUSTOMERS CONTACTED YOU IN RESPECT OF PAYMENT OR ANY OTHER ISSUES.YOU ARE EXPECTED TO ALWAYS GIVE REPLY TO EVERY SINGLE MAIL YOU RECEIVED FROM THIS COMPANY

If  You are interested, Kindly provide me with:

Your Full Name:

Your Address (NOT P.O Box):

City, State, Zip

Occupation:

Phone Number(s):

Age:
Regards
Mr. Alex Nadal

Email Headers:

Now lets just look at the email and see the warning signs

1. Comes from some foreign email address that doesn’t match the alleged company name
2. Phone number is a premium rate phone number that costs ( in UK ) up to £1.50 per minute to phone. It might belong to the scammer or might be totally chosen at random
3. Shop doesn’t exist at that address. Lion Retail Park does exist at the address but there is no number 16 and no YENGE ARTS & CRAFTS inside the complex
4. No website details. Any UK business selling in USA or any other country would use a website to sell & would take PayPal or credit cards.
5. Reply to: address is different to from address  yengecrafts@gmail.com
6. Who cares that he is a 55 year old widower who lives in England, United Kingdom, with  two kids, four cats, and one dog. That is a typical “tear at the heartstrings” from a Nigerian 419 scammer

Don’t ever reply to any scams like this. You won’t make any money and are very likely to be arrested and imprisoned for money laundering, drugs, firearms or terrorist offences.