Beware Doodley Dipps

Classified advertisers beware! There are scammers out there who aren't just sending out mass emails claiming to be the Prince of (insert random African Country here) and trying to give you millions of dollars. These new scammers are sending personalized emails to real people who have placed advertisements for things like piano lessons or apartments for rent (mostly on Craigslist). The scam artists will send the advertiser a personal message, asking to take them in, take their daughter in, or someone in their family who really wants to learn piano, rent your apartment, etc.

Recently, two of our classified advertisers brought to our attention some emails they've received from a man claiming to be from London who wanted to send his daughter over to be tutored by them. This is a scam, do not fall for it. The emails can go back and forth for some time, after which they'll eventually ask to send you a money order for $500+ more than you need, and will ask you to send the $500+ back to them as a check from your account. By the time you get to that email, let's hope you realize it's a scam. Below the jump are two examples of emails sent to Baristaville advertisers. Please, be very careful if you receive come-ons like these; block their email address and report them to your email host (gmail, yahoo, etc):

First Incident:

Hello there, How are you today ? I just emailed to confirm if my 15 yrs old daughter can join you in your tutoring classes? Her name is Tiffany and her first language is English and she's a very good child who loves to learn, I hope you can accept her as your student? . Can you kindly assure me you are going to take proper care of her as I'm ready to pay all necessary expenses. I'll want the lessons to hold privately for 3 weeks (2hrs each day), Kindly get back to me with your rates, and exact location plus subjects taught and hopefully we can go from there. Regards Duane

Separate incident:

Hello R**, How's it going? I hope you and your family are having a splendid weekend as i am here with mine. Yes i'm very much interested in having you take my daughter with the lessons and i'm delighted to know we have an agreement here.Well at this point R**, i'm most delighted to say we have a deal! I had talks with my husband and he's just as excited as i am about having you take Tiffany with the lessons and we are most confident in your rates and experience.

I want you to know that Tiffany initially had a teacher whom we had initially hired for her lessons, but the teacher apparently lost his wife, and he decided to quit teaching to take proper care of his Family, after we might have paid him for 2 months, but he has long agreed to have the payment forwarded to any teacher who'll be handling Tiffany for the lessons.

The payment you will be receiving will be in the amount of $1,850,i'll need you to have the total costs for the lessons deducted at($125) and have what's left sent out to my travel agent via Money Gram as they will be handling my daughter's visa procurements, BTA, etc and as that is required by the American embassy and proof of funds also at the airport when she arrives.

If that is ok R**,i'll need you to provide me with your full name as to be written on the payment,your contact address(where the payment will be sent to)and your phone number and i'll have it forwarded and instruct to have the payment sent out to you asap, then i'll be sure provide you with my sister's address where Tiffany will be staying.

Tiffany is scheduled to arrive the states in less than a week from this date and i'm most definite you'd get along pretty well with her as she's polite and loves to learn.Truthfully R**, she cant wait to meet her new tutor!

Thanks again for your email R** and i hope we get things rolling asap.

Regards,
Duane

These emails are coming from doodley_dipps33@yahoo.co.uk. By the way, someone who falls for this kind of scam is called a mugu - a Nigerian word for "fool." Be forewarned.