Interested Buyer Scam. 

The attempted scam cames from a "Dr.Donald White" with an email address " This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ". 

The name or email address can vary slightly but it is always the same scam where he offers to buy the property and to send a substantial deposit personally to the vendor. 

At this point it opens up two possible scams as he asks for the vendor's bank account details in order to wire the deposit.   

SCAM 1.  Obviously, someone not too familiar with internet banking might be unwise enough to reveal their password believing it to be needed to deposit funds.  This would give immediate access to their funds.  This naturally failed with me as I simply said that I didn't do internet banking. 

SCAM 2.  He then offered, in my case, to send €50,000  advance payment by cheque including €20,000 to be payed to his "lawyer" who would arrive to draw up the contract.  Needless to say, the lawyer would arrive before the funds had cleared.  Again he relies on a degree of naivety hoping that the vendor would hand over the €20.000 to the suposed lawyer. 

He also suggested that I might let his lawyer stay with me whilst he carried out checks on the property which opens up even more potential ways of losing funds or property. 

This actual attempt was childish in its execution but it does highlight the importance of only dealing through a Notaire.  The next one might be much more convincing...especially if the takes English lessons! 
 

Investigation 

My suspicions were aroused by a number of things, not least the grammar which was very poor, so I decided to investigate and found many attempted scams with the name White but using numerous christian name both male and female.  In addition the digits in the email address change from scam to scam. 

His most recent seems to be making advanced bookings for up to 50 people at hotels for an evangelical Christian conference, again trying to obtain the banking details or, if that fails,  money or services before the deposit arrived. 

I await his next attempt to progress the con with interest! 
 

Keith Huggett. 

P.S.  I once had another Nigerian scammer contact me so gave him the name and direct telephone number of a serving police officer at New Scotland Yard.  I wish I could have listened in.