Fraud Alert PLEASE READ!

[lovemyarbonne]

I just wanted to share an email that I received this weekend.  It is a man trying to get you to charge "shipping for a shipping agent" through your credit card system.  This is the email that I received that started it all off

From: John Carter [mailto:[e-mail]]
Sent: Saturday, January 05, 2008 7:21 PM
To: [e-mail]
Subject: ORDER INQUIRY

Hello,
 I want to place an order in your store,and i will like to know if you ship
to Australia and my method of payment will be credit card.so please let me
know if you can assist me with the order ,And please do not forget to
include your web page in your replying back to my mail.I will await your
prompt response as soon as you receive this mail,i will be be very glad if
you treat this email with good concern
Warmes Regards
John

We respond to see if it was legit or not this is the last email that I received:

From: John Carter [mailto: [e-mail]]
Sent: Monday, January 07, 2008 9:03 AM
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Shipping Agent - Pick Up

Hello,
 Thanks for the total quote of my order.The total cost of my order is quite correct and okay by me and I'm ready to pay the bills . Also want you to help  me Charge another $800 USD to a shipping agent who is going to pick up my ordered items from you.
     The $800 US that will be sent to the shipping agent is for the shipping of my order plus other items i ordered from different countries which will be deduct from my credit card.Also, I'm compensating you with the sum of $250 US for the transfer fee and for your efforts. Please note that i should have given the shipping agency my credit card for him to deduct the shipping funds but he told me that he doesn't have the facilities to charge or debit credit card , so that's why i bring my vote of confidence in you and i don't want you to betray the vote of confidence i put in you, so i want you to transfer the funds to him after you have make the charges and the money charged from my credit card is in your account,then you can now make the transfer to the agent via western union.i will have love to do this my self but there no western union here around me,So the charges you'll make on my credit card will be:
Order Fee ($412.50)
Agent fee with shipping fare  ($800 US)
Transfer Fee plus Your Compensation ($250 US)
Total:($1462.50)
 
  Note that my credit card will be charged for the amounts above . Please do get back to me if you are in the office right now so that i can forward my credit card details to you , then you can charge full amount and transfer the agent funds to him via western union.
Warmest Regards

John

After doing a little digging, he has done this to at least 3 other Small businesses/women owned companies.

Please beware.

I hope no one else has had an incounter with him.  We have not heard from him since we sent this email:

John,

 We have spoken with Western Union and we are very aware that you can go to there website (westernunion.com) and process your payment to shipping agent via that way.  This is not the type of transaction that our company wants to be involved in.  We are more than happy to sell you the candles and charge your card for the candles.  But at this time we would need a copy of the front and back of the card.  Please understand we are doing this due to scams and fraud by so many people.  Thanks,

Pepper Flanagan ~ Owner770.720.6915www.southerncharmsoycandle.com