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How to Spot a Scam

Thursday, October 23, 2008

"Cynthia" the tutor scam artist

CL Scambuster would like to thank the craigslist user that sent in this intel.

Scam Artist: Cynthia
Email Used: mscynthia19881@yahoo.com
CL Listing: Buffalo, NY

Hello, thanks for making this information available.

My girlfriend just received the following email after responding to a "tutor wanted" ad on the Buffalo Craigslist. The message immediately raised flags, but thanks to your site, we were able to confirm our suspicion. Notice the "$50.00/hr(which i have in mind)" phrasing is identical. Return address is mscynthia19881@yahoo.com

Hello Diana ,Thank you for the email,i want my girl (Betty) for the tutorial. A girl of 7 yrs, more so for accepting the offer and its okay by me,I have made contacts with my child concerning the arrangement of the tutoring which she told me is ok by her and i want you to know that i am going to pay for 1 month,which should be $50.00/hr(which i have in mind) And am planning that you will be teaching her 3 times a week,which is 1hr per day,so get back to me with the total fee for the subject which is English and when you will be available to teach her during the week So my child will be coming down for summer by ending of November 2008 and i want her to study more about what she need to know while she is in the states and she speaks a little bit english... So i want you to inform you that i will be sending you the payment inform of Check for the tutorial while i will also pay the Nanny that will be taking care of her and the nanny would bring her down to whereever you believe it will be comfortable for you to have the tutorial, so as soon as you get the payment cash you will deduct cost of tutoring of the leschild and send the remaining balance to the nanny that will be taking care of the jachild which the information will be giving to you later after you have recive the payment.

Regarding the payment,kindly send your full information to made the payment out to, So it can be made out on-time. So hope i can trust you that you will teach my child good academics and some moral respects so that they can be good to their self in the future, i hope i can count on you for the tutorial and the money to be sent to the Guardian my child would be coming down to stay with the nanny that would bring her down anytime you have a class with her and the tutor would start by middle of November.....my child (Betty) speaks a little bit english and she is in grade one....i would await the information... so i can proceed on the payment as soon as possible.

FULL NAME:
MAILING ADDRESS (no P.O.Box please):
CITY:
STATE:
ZIP CODE:
CELL PHONE:
HOME PHONE:
GENDER:
D.O.B:
MARITAL STATUS:
BEST TIME TO CALL:

I will be looking forward to hear back from you soon with the information to made the payment and your contact phone number.
Thanks,Cynthia.

Note how the information requested by the scammer is enough to begin a preliminary identity theft operation against you.

6 comments:

carriel said...

This scam is also run under the name of Mary Goupil. Email address marygoupil@yahoo.com. I received the same exact email, word for word. The child's name was even Betty.

Monika said...

I got a similar e-mail, with a kid named Mary from an e-mail address stacyking09@gmail.com. Thanks for the heads up!

Tamara said...

I received a similar e-mail after replying to an SAT tutoring ad. The name was Christine Williams from the Phillipines but her "dad" said he was currently in Cuba. E-mail address is brownmarbry@aol.com.

Lucas Spivey said...

I received the email from Mary Goupil as well. I refused to give any information that was not in my attached resume.

Anonymous said...

Wow. I just barely avoided this scam under the name Mary Goupil. She said she was from Sweden and her daughter's name was still Betty. She wanted to have me wire the money to Florida...um no thanks Mary. It's easier to prey on people that are out of work and desperate for jobs.

Anonymous said...

She is also using the name Mary Goupil and her daughter's name is "Betty" She ended up sending me a check and told me to send a chunk of the sum to Florida. Ummm. NO THANKS!