AVON E-mail Order Scam

When an unsolicited person signed up for my Avon website's mailing list and requested information on placing an order, I knew it was too good to be true. Scammers are out there. Here's how to protect yourself.


I received an information request from Harrisson Gilbert (harrissongilbert@yahoo.com). since I had no clue who this person was, I Googled his e-mail address and it brought search results related to some type of commission-based job opportunity. I Googled his name and it brought up a bunch of results related to a British lottery scam. Needless to say, I figured right away that Harrison Gilbert wasn't serious about buying Avon.

Anyway, I responded to his request for Avon order assistance just to see what he was all about. I suppose, in a sense, I was phishing. Here's what he wrote...

Hello,

Good to hear from you.I am from BALTIMORE, MD. but will be coming to you for a showbiz.We have prefer to order online but for now all purchases in our company are done with paper payment so i would love you to place the order for me.Below is the list of items needed:

7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential

796-418.......(Qty 2)

BOND GIRL 007™ Body Lotion

137-737......(Qty 2)

AVON BASICS Rich Moisture Face Cream - 6.7 fl. oz.

212-341........(Qty 2)

Wear Your Way Convertible Dress

990-420 .......(Qty 2)

BOND GIRL 007™ FOREVER™ Eau de Parfum Spray

215-651.......(Qty 2)

BOND GIRL 007™ Eau de Parfum Spray

865-858 ......(Qty 2)

I would need to know the total of all the products i requested for and also the name and address you want the payment sent to and also a phone number i can reach you on.After you send me this information the Manager of our company will mail you a check for the payment,which you can cash instantly at your bank because we need these items here  before the date of the event and they will be picked up at your location Upon my Arrival.....I hope to read from you soon with all details required.

1- Name to be written on the payment

2- Mailing address , No p.o.box

3- Phone Number

4- City

5- Zip Code

6- State

Thank you and enjoy your day

There are so many red flags in this response that it isn't even funny. From the weird word choices of "showbiz" and "paper payment" to his blatent request for all my personal information (address, phone number etc.) to the lack of any dates for his "showbiz." If you were ordering something for a sales conference, wouldn't the first thing you mention be the dates of the conference so you could be sure the product would be there in time? I'm leery of accepting checks from local people I don't know. Why on Earth would I take an out-of-state check!?

When you get an email like that one, think for a second: Why would a company in Baltimore (or wherever) want to order Avon from me? Wouldn't they order from a local representative? Wouldn't a company have a name? And wouldn't someone interested in a serious order include their own contact information instead of only asking for yours?

How this one gets you, whether you sell Avon or something else, is that the check is no good and you've already ordered the product. So, you get stuck with the bill. It's unfortunate that so many people fall for these kind of traps. If it's too good to be true, it probably isn't. 

If you receive suspicious spam or scam emails, forward the email message to the FTC at spam@uce.gov and the Anti-Phishing Working Group at reportphishing@antiphishing.org.