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Scam Alert!

Joined
May 29, 2021
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Age
43
I started receiving text yesterday about a potential new job. Some aspects of the situation threw up major red flags wile other aspects made it seem like it may just be a very odd person with a legit request. I did google the property and it was listed for sale online. I called the realtor and they said that they did have a potential buyer but that the timeframe that was proposed for construction in the text I received was completely unrealistic as the property had not even gone into escrow yet. They then checked their records and had no idea who this person was. I am also lucky to have a Private Investigator that works in my office. I gave her the business info and they guys name and phone number. The PI ran some checks and could not find anything on the business or the name. They did find information on the phone number and that it was potentially tied to fraud and scams. I am posting images of the entire text chain along with the phone number. Once I started to ask some serious questions the person just disappeared and there has been no response. Hopefully this helps someone else out. I can only assume that at some point there would have been a request for personal info or account info in an attempt to "pay" me.


. Screen Shot 2021-06-23 at 10.01.48 AM.pngScreen Shot 2021-06-23 at 10.02.42 AM.png
 
Bwahaha! I had that EXACT same text come to me on Monday morning and was going to write up a scam alert here. ? Same exact canned responses. Same phone number even.

@SierraAeroRecon, I see that you are a new member here, as am I.

Obviously somebody is trolling the forum and looking for n00bs to scam.

Eyes Up!
 
I've gotten this more than once. Last time, I told the perp that I was happy to go along with him and pay the architect $5K or whatever it was, but first I needed a $500 deposit in bitcoin. Figured I would take a shot at scamming the scammer. The one before that I told to make a $50000 escrow deposit first.
 
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I use to wonder if there was people that would actually fall for these scams? Seems like there must be or there wouldn't be so many scammers.
 
Just an FYI I got one last night.
Came in as a Lead from Drone Pilots Central
Hi,My name is Chris..I want to know if you are available for an aerial photograph? And where are you located , do you accept credit card as a method of payment ?Get back to me ..Regards..
I responded with some basic information and this was the reply

Thanks for your reply,.. I'm hearing impaired due to my services in the US military that's why i prefer here or texting ..I will like you to take an aerial photograph of the whole site including the cardinal directions at 100 and 200 feet for an architecture and landscape use because the images will be used to provide an actual budget for the construction and also I will like you to get back with me on how much it will cost me for you to do a video-graphic site inspection for 20 days because there's going to be a fast-track construction on the site as soon as the blueprint is provided by the architect so I will be needing a drone especially for site inspection afterward and i will like to secure my space with you. I should have been there in person to do this inspections but I'm in the hospital at the moment due to my flue sickness ( don't panic I’m getting better lol ).Please get back to me with the figures as soon as possible so we can get the ball rolling. In other words the breakdown is as follows: 10 still images: Top down 200 and 400 ft Look West 200 and 400 ft Look East 100 and 200 ft Look North 100 and 200 ft Look South 100 and 200 ft and a short video of the site from the top. As soon as we're done with this within a week, the second week the blueprint will be out then we shall proceed with the construction and you will be needed on site for 20 days, overhead drone recording the site for inspection and monitoring. And of course a final image and short video when the project is complete…





The plot at ------------------------------------------

Spidey sense got on alert from the first email. Second one broke the meter!

Emails came from [email protected] , Quick google search turned up drone service scam information Beware - Drone work scam

Be Vigilant. Had a couple of inquiries this week and one would have been lucrative if I had a thermal camera. :(
 
First of all most construction superintendents don't want daily flights, some want weekly, bi weekly, and monthly.
First thing I would say it yes, I accept credit cards and I will need a $1000.00 retainer, then see where it goes.
 
I get these about once a month. Thank you for posting so maybe if someone gets it for the first time they are alerted.

I did a job last week, and for the first time in 6 years in business I may have been hoodwinked. I'll know tomorrow and if I got ripped off I will post it for others. Basically did the job and now the guy is dragging his feet on paying. I have done numerous jobs for realtors and investor from out-of-state and they have always been legit.

I have a name (if it's real), phone number that I have used and he picks up, and a website/business name.

What is making me more suspicious is that the website owner cannot be found on whois, the phone is a mobile phone and I have no address. I may call the property owner of the land I photo'd to alert them. The guy told me the property owner knew I was going there but who knows if that was true.
 
I got the scammy yesterday also. Exact verbiage as your text. They just put a Hawai'i address as the property location. The name was different. Jerry Dale Twigg..even had an email to [email protected]...

I don't know where you guys and gals are located, but to try and scam all the way to Hawai'i....wow

If these goofies spent as much time filling out apps, it would be a cool world. lol
 
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I tend to be a little naive but when I couldn’t find the texter’s name anywhere on the web FB, LinkedIn, etc., my antennae went up. I gave my email for a more “formal conversation” and continued to receive text. Two Google searches landed me here.
 
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