I purchased some health related items from an individual in Cameroon. Sent the money to him via Western Union (1st Mistake). The parcel was to be mailed to the USA using EMS. I received an email from an EMS individual purported to be the head of their insurance department. The cost to ship to the USA would have cost $45.00. The person from the insurance dept is named Mr. Jean Noel Carl and has an email address as follows:
emscameroonconsultant12@hotmail.com
Mr Carl stated that I need to have insurance on the package of $50.00 and a refundable deposit of $1,100.00 for a total of $1,150.00. A PSI report is needed before it is shipped and that is the reason for the insurance and deposit. I should have stopped right there and proceeded no further. In my understanding the Pre Shipping Inspection is to verify that the sender is truly sending the argreed upon products, or to the bank that is financing the transaction that goods are indeed just what the buyer is purchasing. I managed to get the seller to incur 50% of the refundable fee, so I proceeded.
I received another official email from the same EMS official stating that parcel has shipped on 2/23/2012 at 8:25AM and should arive in Houston TX and then arrive at the ultimate destination in the USA on 2/23/2012 at 9:45PM. I live in a time zone that is 10hours behind Cameroon. I atempted to obtain a Tracking Number that identified my parcel and it was not where on the email. I called and left messages that I wanted the Tracking Number, but never received a response...until later that day I received an email from the same Jean Noel Carl. Informing me that the parcel is being held by Customs and that I need to send them a license and that I could be in a perilous position with dire consequences ensuing. The email was vague and didn't identify specifically what the problem was, and in fact asked me to send them another $1,580.00 of which $1,500.00 would be refunded upon delivery of the parcel. I was absolutely livid. No tracking number, no paperwork scanned to a pdf file and emailed to me. All I had was the aforementioned email with EMS logos at the top and at the bottom. I am not sending anymore money, I feel I will never receive my parcel and the refundable deposits. They got me hook, line and sinker...just call me a fool!
I might mention today I receved a pdf of the the itinerary for the Flights on Air France and prospectively on US Air to the ultimate destination here in the USA. It lookded like something I could download from the web, photoshop and bit and send it onto the customer. No Transaction Number, No other corrspondence other than the vague emails I have received on GMail. I am also told that only have 24 hours to provide the documents necessary as well as the $'s, since they cannot guarantee what will happen with my parcel residing in safekeeping with Customs in Houston.
This is obviously a scam, the person sending me emails from EMS has a hotmail email address...that can't be legitimate...correct? Woiuldn't the email address be more formal for an EMS coop company? Is EMS in Cameroon in bed with the scammers.
Your comments are invited and I am not sending another penny toward this bottomless pit of no return. There is more to the story, but I can supply those as needed.
Sincerely,
TurboTA
emscameroonconsultant12@hotmail.com
Mr Carl stated that I need to have insurance on the package of $50.00 and a refundable deposit of $1,100.00 for a total of $1,150.00. A PSI report is needed before it is shipped and that is the reason for the insurance and deposit. I should have stopped right there and proceeded no further. In my understanding the Pre Shipping Inspection is to verify that the sender is truly sending the argreed upon products, or to the bank that is financing the transaction that goods are indeed just what the buyer is purchasing. I managed to get the seller to incur 50% of the refundable fee, so I proceeded.
I received another official email from the same EMS official stating that parcel has shipped on 2/23/2012 at 8:25AM and should arive in Houston TX and then arrive at the ultimate destination in the USA on 2/23/2012 at 9:45PM. I live in a time zone that is 10hours behind Cameroon. I atempted to obtain a Tracking Number that identified my parcel and it was not where on the email. I called and left messages that I wanted the Tracking Number, but never received a response...until later that day I received an email from the same Jean Noel Carl. Informing me that the parcel is being held by Customs and that I need to send them a license and that I could be in a perilous position with dire consequences ensuing. The email was vague and didn't identify specifically what the problem was, and in fact asked me to send them another $1,580.00 of which $1,500.00 would be refunded upon delivery of the parcel. I was absolutely livid. No tracking number, no paperwork scanned to a pdf file and emailed to me. All I had was the aforementioned email with EMS logos at the top and at the bottom. I am not sending anymore money, I feel I will never receive my parcel and the refundable deposits. They got me hook, line and sinker...just call me a fool!
I might mention today I receved a pdf of the the itinerary for the Flights on Air France and prospectively on US Air to the ultimate destination here in the USA. It lookded like something I could download from the web, photoshop and bit and send it onto the customer. No Transaction Number, No other corrspondence other than the vague emails I have received on GMail. I am also told that only have 24 hours to provide the documents necessary as well as the $'s, since they cannot guarantee what will happen with my parcel residing in safekeeping with Customs in Houston.
This is obviously a scam, the person sending me emails from EMS has a hotmail email address...that can't be legitimate...correct? Woiuldn't the email address be more formal for an EMS coop company? Is EMS in Cameroon in bed with the scammers.
Your comments are invited and I am not sending another penny toward this bottomless pit of no return. There is more to the story, but I can supply those as needed.
Sincerely,
TurboTA