This one has more red flags than a drunken football game. Definately a scam at this point.
(better yet, More Red Flags than the Beijing Olympics)
The so called "Customer" replied and wanted to purchase one piece of equipment but did not consider the features options well, he just asked for a standard unit. Then supplied me with 2 credit card numbers without names and asked to make consecutive less than $1000 charges until the total was reached (big fat red flag there). Not only that but the order was sloppy, did not list what they wanted, totalled the amounts incorrectly and failed to provide a bill to/ ship to address, It wasn't even a PO but a casual email. Sorry but that smells fishy too.
In parallel, I contact this preferred shipper and they provide me with a quote more than twice FedEx rates but no physical address and the request that we pay with Western Union (another RED flag). Furthermore the shipper couldn't be found in a google search and his phone number showed up on a BBB website associated with a Haiti relief scam false phone number for the British Red Cross (the real BRC had a different number when I checked) (RED RED RED)
We called MasterCard and found out the credit card numbers were registered to a bank in the USA and not to the name of this so called customer or the company he reportedly was working for (More Red)
I think the way this works is that they make a purchase with the stolen CC and meanwhile we remit payment to a shipper who then disappears never to recieve the merchandise for shipping. Meanwhile the CC charges get reversed when the true owner reports the fraudulant charges later.
Next Step, Tell Mastercard to notify the owners of the cards that they may be a victim and maybe report the attempted fraud to
http://www.ic3.gov. I may also contact the company this person said they were working for. Since they did not succeed, it may stop there, I'm not sure
