I had a prospective client contact me via my business email asking about pricing on 2 Bose 650's. I emailed him back with pricing and shipping to which he replied that he would call me with his CC number after he spoke to his bank to get his CC pre approved. I just started taking CC and am not sure that I like the sound of this. Not a great time to be out that kind of money if it is a scam. What protections might I have against CC fraud? I use PayPal CC capture.

"he would call me with his CC number after he spoke to his bank to get his CC pre approved. "

Who does this in real life?

I have never encountered anyone legit that ever said this.

When you are issued the card, you are approved.

Sounds like the classic scam. Ive been having fun with them over the years:

For you special price! $18,240.41 each. Freight s $2,36.92 (we use VERY special magic tape!). Small unmarked bills, in a brown paper bag marked with ONLY purple magic marker clearly stating "Hair growth pills inside!". Once the cash is received, please allow up to 16 weeks for delivery. When can we meet at the corner of Penelope and Hippo Road?

A lot, if not all banks have limits on their debit cards. If his limit is less than what 2 of those systems cost (somewhere ~8k) then he needs to call them beforehand to temporarily raise the limit. Often they will ask what amount is needed so it's good to have that info handy.

Oh me too....It seems like these guys hone in on Bose....I just act like I miss every other e-mail and waste as much of their time as I can.

Next he'll say that he MUST use the whole balance on the card because it is a promotion that expires tomorrow. Unfortunately, the balance is greater than the cost of the merchandise. He'll want you to charge the full card balance and issue a check for the overage -- plus -- it's a gift and needs to be shipped overnight -- possibly to an offshore location.

Once you accommodate these requirements, your phone number will be entered onto a (sucker) network and his friends will be calling to use your excellent service -- with similar requests. You'll be doing a lot of business with these guys.

In a few weeks that card will bounce and you'll be out the merchandise, overnight shipping expenses, and the cash.

Scam. Guaranteed.

Sorry, but a pet peeve here:
HONE means sharpen. A barber who shaves with a straight razor will make the last few steps of sharpening by drawing the razor across a hone or a leather honing strap.
I can see how this meaning might be associated with the idea of setting a price, but it means sharpen, not arrive at.

HOME means come to the exact right position, as in coming home. Homing pigeons home in on a location. They are not honing pigeons, sharpening their claws in the barber shop....

So these jerks home in on Bose.

Talked to this guy on the phone and he does not sound like his name would be Allan Smith.

So your probaly liking the Bose for it's discreet commands to.

No, don't!

Do not sell them anything

BTW ask them for a scan of their drivers license and credit card.. see what they say :)

They'll probably send it.

I too almost fell for a scam last month. It was for renting a room out at my house. This girl sent me a check for the rent and such. After depositing it, she exposed her true colors... "can you wire $1,100 of the check to my movers?" Instant red flag.

Then the next day my bank called me and informed me of the fraud check. Luckily the only negative impact is that they turned off my ability to do mobile deposits.

Haven't heard from this chick since I told her she's a scammer.

Just before sending me the check. She sent me pictures of her, her DL and what not. After the whole check deal, I did some googling of her pictures... let's just say this. Scammers have been using her pictures for years. Google "see Julie" and look in the images section. Some of those pics the scammer sent me are on websites from 2006... the scammer said she is 26 currently. I highly doubt she looked like that when she was 16 for one. Two, all of the pics she sent me had a date stamp of this year of sorts... WTF does that any more? Lol

KOT

Generally if you have ask, then yes, it's a scam.

BTW, we are using the same template :)
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