Greetings. My name is Crandall Spondular

[Mangetout]

Just got this:

Mr Crandall why are making things going like this l told you to send the western union information through via-email what will only pick up in 5 minute if you know that you are serious go back to the western union office where you send the money to give you the information back that you made some error with the receipt gave to you.

SENDER NAMES, QUESTION & ANSWER , MTCN CONTROL NUMBER finish very simple as soon you send it by western union just send us only this information easy or you scan the receipt forward your private number to call you.

Name: TONY CHARLE.
Address: 22 TRITON SQUARE REGENT’S PLACE LONDON NW1 3AN GBR United Kingdom.

On the receipt of the above requirements the Bank will make a wire transfer into your nominated account within 48 hours.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

I’m going to let him stew for a while, particularly as I’m meant to be that American wrestler dude, so I should probably still be tucked up in bed at this hour.

[Ms.Pumpkin]

@Mangetout

I thought the recipient of a Western Union payment could just walk into a Western Union office and upon satisfying some set of criteria, walk out with the transferred money - do you actually have to have an account with them in order to cash a money order?

The criteria is proper photo ID(non expired driver’s license, state ID card, passport, military ID), OR a satisfactory answer to a “test question” provided by the sender ahead of time. The problem with test questions is that the sending W.U. agent will probably advise against it in lieu of ID, and recommend it in addition to ID, as they have been trained.

Another thing: Just because you are at a W.U. agent receiving a money transfer does not mean you are walking out of there with cash. When funds are not available(I realize in this case we are talking only $10), you would recieve a check to bring to a bank, where your ID would be requested again.

A third thing: Please, for your own good, do NOT mess around with W.U. Virtually all of my training has been on fraud detection/prevention/awareness, and it is taken VERY seriously by W.U. You don’t want yourself in the middle of a W.U./U.S Gov’t. sandwich. It is unlikely due to the small amount of money we are talking about, but it very well could happen.

[Mangetout]

Yeah, I don’t think there’s any way to safely get some money out of this scammer, even if I were able to persuade him of the necessity. It has been done before though (the quite remarkable Tale of the Painted Breast - linked earlier in the thread).

I’ll stick to just messing this one around, for as long as humanly possible, I think.

My next step will be to tell him that the FedEx tracking system shows the envelope as having been delivered, and to stop making such an extraordinary fuss.

[Mangetout]

Too much complaint and whining from such a high-ranking [del]w[/del]banker.

Dear Dr Brunton.

I checked my email over breakfast and saw your message. What the heck do you mean? And why do you have to keep on asking me if I’m serious? This is not the kind of dialog I expect to have with a banking professional such as yourself.

I’ll probably go to the Western Union office again today, just to get a copy for my records - I should have kept one, after all - but I just checked on the FedEx tracking site and it says the envelope was delivered in Camden, London, UK at 09:28 GMT - I assume then that the document will already be on the desk of Mr Charle by now.

So please, just process the payment and get on with filing the tax clearance paperwork.
I do not expect to receive another email of ridiculous, nitpicking complaint from you - this is a shocking way to treat your customers - just please, do the job you are paid for.

Regards
Crandall.

[Mangetout]

Ho hum…

Attention: Mr Crandall Spondular

REMITTANCE ADVICE: US$500,000.00 (Five hundred thousand USD Only)From: DEBT SETTLEMENT ACCOUNT.

Mr Crandall if you understanding what you are doing send us the name you use to send money and the question and answer because you are the one that wrote it by yourself is only the MTCN they will give to you.

SENDER NAMES, QUESTION & ANSWER , MTCN CONTROL NUMBER finish very simple as soon you send it by western union just send us only this information easy or you scan the receipt forward your private number to call you.

Dear Dr Brunton

There wasn’t any question and answer - the Western Union agent strongly advised me against doing it that way, due to the value of the transfer.
And as I said, I don’t have a copy of the MTCN - but of course it’s on the document now in your possession (delivered this morning to your offices via FedEx, as already advised and confirmed).

Please would you stop making repeated requests for information that I have already told you I don’t have - and just get on with processing the payment and tax clearance documentation.

Regards
Crandall

[Desultourist]

@Mangetout

For the record, I do know that these are criminals I’m dealing with, and I do know it’s a scam. There’s no way for them to trace me (as if they’d bother anyway) - the Yahoo account I’m using is completely anonymous.

Excuse me, but… Wha?

You’re posting uniquely identifying correspondence on a public message board. A web search for “Crandall Spondular” leads to this thread. The name “Mangetout” is easily linked to your other personal websites, either through your posting history here, or through another web search as simple as “Mangetout+Straight Dope”. The registration data for these domains lists full name, address, and phone number.

Presumably this means that M.R.G. isn’t your real name and you registered your domains with faked data. And yeah, no one of those scammers is going to bother anyway. But, lest anybody gets the idea from your comment that someone wouldn’t be traceable on the web because “their Yahoo account is completely anonymous” – think again.

[Mangetout]

I think he might be running out of patience…

Mr Crandall you that serious and not playing give us the tracking number the FEDEX gave to you so that l will track it

What is this nonsense? Let me get one thing straight - you’re the governor of this bank, and you’re talking to me about ‘playing’. What is wrong with you Brits?

(I thought I’d throw that one in there, as he’s purporting to be the governor of a bank with a British address.

I will probably have to think up some new twist if I want to keep this one going.

[Mangetout]

@Desultourist

Excuse me, but… Wha?

You’re posting uniquely identifying correspondence on a public message board. A web search for “Crandall Spondular” leads to this thread. The name “Mangetout” is easily linked to your other personal websites, either through your posting history here, or through another web search as simple as “Mangetout+Straight Dope”. The registration data for these domains lists full name, address, and phone number.

Presumably this means that M.R.G. isn’t your real name and you registered your domains with faked data. And yeah, no one of those scammers is going to bother anyway. But, lest anybody gets the idea from your comment that someone wouldn’t be traceable on the web because “their Yahoo account is completely anonymous” – think again.

Yipes! Oh well. Not as anonymous as I thought then. I forgot this place is Google indexed now.

[Mighty_Girl]

Mangetout, you are a sick, sick person.

And that’s *so *cool!

[Koxinga]

@Desultourist

And yeah, no one of those scammers is going to bother anyway.

Not unless he makes them really angry?

[Desultourist]

Heh, IF anything, this thread attracted more people knowing where to stand guard.

In the future, remember: “Just because you’re not paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not after you.”

Oh. Not helping with this particular phrasing right now, am I?

[Maastricht]

Hey Mangetout, if you like I can start leaving random messages in internet Guest Books (particularly those in wrestling) signed C.S.

[Mangetout]

That would be great. Don’t forget to mention sporks.

[Mangetout]

I sent this:

Dear Dr Brunton.

I assume from the pause in your communication that you have now located the document I sent you by Fedex. I look forward to hearing from you regarding progress on the tax clearance paperwork.

Kind regards
Crandall Spondular.

and received this:

SEND THE TRACKING NUMBER OF FEDEX BECAUSE I DON’T NO WHAT TO SAY TO YOU

So it looks like the game is almost up - unless I can lay my hands on a FedEx tracking number for a parcel that was delivered in London this morning.

I don’t think he’s going to stand much more dicking around, but I thought I’d try this, just on the offchance:

I’m having real trouble getting a duplicate of the transfer document. They seem really reluctant to accept my identity at the Western Union office. Please can you send a copy of some form of identity documentation for the recipient (mr Tony Charle)?

Thanks.

It’ll be nice if he has to go to the trouble of forging some ID just for this.

[samclem]

@Mangetout

Yipes! Oh well. Not as anonymous as I thought then. I forgot this place is Google indexed now.

Is it? I know that Board Reader picks up on some threads, but Google doesn’t do it.

[Mangetout]

Well, Google indexes Boardreader, so it’s the same thing in practice (from the POV of the user, not the administrator)

[Ice_Wolf]

@Mangetout

Well, Google indexes Boardreader, so it’s the same thing in practice (from the POV of the user, not the administrator)

No mention of Google on their search engine blurb. If it was Google, the SDMB threads would be spread all over that system. Seems to only be BoardReader.

ETA: Ah, sorry. Now I see what you were saying. But no, it isn’t really the same thing entirely.

[Mangetout]

@Ice Wolf

No mention of Google on their search engine blurb. If it was Google, the SDMB threads would be spread all over that system. Seems to only be BoardReader.

ETA: Ah, sorry. Now I see what you were saying. But no, it isn’t really the same thing entirely.

Actually, you must be right, because the name Crandall Spondular has appeared in several other threads here, but only this one appears referenced via boardreader in Google.

[Koxinga]

@Mangetout

I sent this:
and received this:

So it looks like the game is almost up - unless I can lay my hands on a FedEx tracking number for a parcel that was delivered in London this morning.

I don’t think he’s going to stand much more dicking around, but I thought I’d try this, just on the offchance:
It’ll be nice if he has to go to the trouble of forging some ID just for this.

Why not photoshop one of Fedex’s proof of delivery documents? You can put down the signer as “front desk”. Maybe even include a helpful London phone number where Dr. Brunton can call and try to get his package (Scotland Yard or a curry take-out place?)

[Mangetout]

@Koxinga

Why not photoshop one of Fedex’s proof of delivery documents? You can put down the signer as “front desk”. Maybe even include a helpful London phone number where Dr. Brunton can call and try to get his package (Scotland Yard or a curry take-out place?)

He’s looking for a tracking number so that he can confirm it online. I think he’s about 80% sure I’m messing him around, but doesn’t want to drop it in case I’m just hopelessly incompetent and there is real money.

I received this today:

SIR IS NOT MR TONY THAT SEND THE MONEY YOU ARE THE PERSON THAT SEND IT TO SEND MONEY ALL OVER THE WORLD BY WESTERN UNION IS VERY EASY AND SIMPLE SEND THE TRACKING NUMBER NO WAY THERE GAVE YOU FROM FEDEX SEND US THE NAME YOU USE TO SEND THE MONEY WILL CAN VERIFILE HERE NO WAY

He’s gone all shouty again. I think I’ll just ask if I’ve been passed back to Jackson Joseph…