A client reports an interesting scam where the scammer makes contact and tries to purchase genuine products.

In this case the client spoke with their bank and they were aware of the type of scam.

In one case the scammer sent a cheque to the business, which the bank said could be banked, but which was worthless.

The trick is that they overpay, or for some other reason request a small refund - possibly the idea is to get the refund before the cheque is cleared.

• The scammer was evasive about their shipping details or who they were actually purchasing for - though they did say the client was in Ethiopia.
• A search for the company found no live website or genuine details.
• Questions about their last business address, how many years in business seemed to end the conversation with no further replies recieved.
• Scammer's email was a Gmail address, not a genuine, traceable domain email.

If you get a business enquiry that seems improbable - we'd suggest the following.

• If it seems too good to be true - then very likely it isn't true!
• Do not reply to any suspicious email until you have checked it out.  Replying to a scammer can give them confirmed contact details and possibly provide more identity details.
• Try finding the business online directly, searching for their company name and details.
• Be aware that there are plenty of scam business websites, so confirm by some other source - like 'Yellow Pages'
• If you think the business and enquiry is genuine, call the business directly from a contact number on their website.
• Better to miss an improbable sale than to get scammed.

For more info see - General Spam Email Recommendations