scamToday I received a strange email. The person writing it had poor English and was incapable of capitalization and punctuation, which seems to be a prerequisite for scammers (and cell phone users). The email said “I have lung cancer and need a website designed to sell Kola Nut, Gacillia Nut and Cocoa“.

Then, I remembered that I received the same email in January. I will give this scam a tiny bit of credit as these types of scams usually target people selling cars or business owners who sell a product like “widgets”. This was creatively crafted for web designers and the scammer supposedly needs a website design.

Note: I do not know if agroamerica is in on this or if they are simply a target the scammers chose to use as an example. If I had more time I would look into this further. If you know feel free to comment.

Below are the emails that I received:

i have small scale business which i want to turn into large scale business now it located in FL and the company  is based on importing and exporting of Agriculture products such as Kola Nut, Gacillia Nut and Cocoa so i need a best of the best layout design for it. Can you handle that for me ?. so i need you to check out this site but i need something more perfect than this if its possible .http://www.agroamerica.com…. the site would only be informational, so i need you to give me an estimate based on the site i gave you to check out, the estimate should include hosting and i want the same page as the site i gave you to check out and i have a private project consultant, he has the text content and the logos for the site.

Note:
1. I want the same number of pages with the example site i gave you to check excluding videos and blogs.
2. I want only English language
3. I dont have a domain yet but i want the domain name as freshfarmfruit.net
4. you will be updating the site for me.
5. i will be proving the images, logos and content for the site.
6. i want the site up and running before ending of next month.
7. My budget is $4000 to $8000

– Finn Pownall finnpownall@hotmail.com

Here’s the one I received in August 2015:

Greetings my name is mark moore i have small scale business which i want to turn into large scale business i want you to understand am going through illness situation at the moment because of my diagnosis of lungs cancer which i will be under going surgery soon and the company is based on importing and exporting of Agriculture products such as Kola Nut, Gacillia Nut and Cocoa so i need a best of the best layout design for it. Can you handle that for me ?

Then, after I replied, he sent me this:

Thanks for the propmt respond  i need you to check out this site but i need something more perfect than this if its possible .http://www.agroamerica.com…. the site would only be informational, so i need you to give me an estimate based on the site i gave you to check out, the estimate should include hosting and i want the same page as the site i gave you to check out and i have a private project consultant, he has the text content and the logos for the site.
Note:
1. I want the same number of pages with the example site i gave you to check excluding videos and blogs.
2. I want only English language
3. I don’t have a domain yet but i want the domain name as Farmsproducts.net
4. you will be updating the site for me.
5. i will be proving the images, logos and content for the site.
6. i want the site up and running before ending of next month.
7. My Budget is $3500 to $5000
– Mark Moore markmoore77777@gmail.com

How does this scam work?

So just now I Googled the Finn Pownall email and noticed another web designer posted this on her blog. Classic fake money order scam; at some point they probably try to get you to send some $ somewhere else. If you know anything about scams, you know how the rest of the story goes.
If you are contacted by a scammer delete the email and if you have time report the loser to their email provider.
Report spam from gmail users to Google by forwarding it to abuse@gmail.com or if you are a Gmail user yourself, report spam to Google. You can report hotmail spam here.
 
Have you received this scam?
PS if you work with WordPress feel free to contact me, I am always on the lookout for people who can work with customizing themes and have experience with CSS.
Stay safe, web designers!
Len
Latest posts by Len (see all)
On August 30, 2015   /   Wordpess   /   48 Comments
48 Comments
  1. Justin Flores
    4:05 pm on September 13, 2015

    Thank you for posting about this. Let’s keep this story at the top of Google, page 1 for “agromamerica scam”. It’s a shame because as I’m sure is the case for many of us, we could all use a job like that to just drop in our laps. Here’s the version I received this morning through my website’s contact form:

    —————————————

    Steven Donald

    Phone: (216) 454-9039

    Hello I am Steven Donald and i am hearing impaired i need to know if you can handle website design for a new company and i also need to know if you accept credit cards as form of payment ? i have small scale business which i want to turn into large scale business now and the company is based on importing and exporting of Agriculture products such as Kola Nut, Gacillia Nut and Cocoa so i need a best of the best layout design for it. Can you handle that for me?

    Then, after I responded:

    Thank you very much for the response so i need you to check out this site but i need something more perfect than this if its possible . agroamerica…. the site would only be informational, so i need you to give me an estimate based on the site i gave you to check out the estimate should include hosting and i want the same page as the site i gave you to check out and i have a private project consultant, he has the text content and the logos for the site. Note:
    1. I want the same number of pages with the example site i gave you to check excluding videos and blogs.
    2. I want only English language
    3. I don’t have a domain yet but i want the domain name as Livingfarmproduce.com
    4. you will be updating the site for me.
    5. i will be proving the images, logos and content for the site.
    6. i want the site up and running before ending of next month.
    7. My budget is $10000 to $15000

    Kindly get back to me with an estimate

    Favorable Regards

    —————————————

    P.S. I do work mostly with WordPress and would love to help you with customizing themes and any other web design or programming needs you might have.

    Reply
  2. Kevin King
    2:25 pm on September 23, 2015

    I was contacted with this scam 2 days ago. When he asked me to pay for the project coordinator it confirmed my suspicions. Here are the emails below.

    1st Contact email
    Hi I’m Alex,

    I would like to know if you can handle website design for my company? kindly get back to me so i can send you the job details,

    Thank you

    2nd email
    Thanks for your response,

    here is the job details
    i have small scale business which i want to turn into large scale business now it located in LA and the company is based on importing and exporting of Agriculture products such as Kola Nut, Cacilia Nut and Cocoa so i need a best of the best layout design for it. Can you handle that for me ?.

    So i need you to check out this site but i need something more perfect than this if its possible http://www.agroamerica.com…. the site would only be informational, so i need you to give me an estimate based on the site i gave you to check out, the estimate should include hosting and i want the same page as the site i gave you to check out and i have a private project consultant, he has the text content and the logos for the site.

    Note:
    1. I want the same number of pages with the example site i gave you to check excluding videos and blogs.
    2. I want only English language
    3. I don’t have a domain yet but i want the domain name as
    @brevlyagro.com or @brevlyagro.net
    4. you will be updating the site for me.
    5. i will be proving the images, logos and content for the site.
    6. My budget is $5,000 to $6,000

    Kindly get back to me with:
    (1) an estimate
    (2) your cell phone number with your location
    (3) And will like to know if you are the business owner ??

    Regards

    Reply
  3. A Levesque
    3:48 pm on October 6, 2015

    I received this email hours ago with this:

    Hello,

    I’m Jim, I would like to know if you can handle website design for my company? kindly get back to me so i can send you the job details,

    Thank you

    I responded and received this in return from “Jim Patrick”

    Thanks for your response,

    here is the job details
    i have small scale business which i want to turn into large scale business now it located in LA and the company is based on importing and exporting of Agriculture products such as Kola Nut, Cacilia Nut and Cocoa so i need a best of the best layout design for it. Can you handle that for me ?.

    So i need you to check out this site but i need something more perfect than this if its possible www. agroamerica .com…. the site would only be informational, so i need you to give me an estimate based on the site i gave you to check out, the estimate should include hosting and i want the same page as the site i gave you to check out and i have a private project consultant, he has the text content and the logos for the site.

    Note:
    1. I want the same number of pages with the example site i gave you to check excluding videos and blogs.
    2. I want only English language
    3. I don’t have a domain yet but i want the domain name as
    @brevlyagro.com or @brevlyagro.net
    4. you will be updating the site for me.
    5. i will be proving the images, logos and content for the site.
    6. My budget is $5,000 to $6,000

    Kindly get back to me with:
    (1) an estimate
    (2) your cell phone number with your location
    (3) And will like to know if you are the business owner ??

    Regards

    I’ve had a spam issue years ago and always do background checks through Google search and really glad I came across this!!!

    Reply
  4. Joe Dutch
    7:39 am on October 19, 2015

    Received this same scam from a woman who identified herself as Melissa Smith. Seemed too good to be true for the budget they specified. Plus she didn’t negotiate on the price at all.

    She wanted to pay me the deposit by credit card (probably a stolen card), and then pay me an additional $1,500 to pay a consultant who wouldn’t accept credit cards, plus an additional $100 “tip” for me to facilitate the transaction. This set off alarms all over the place and I realized pretty quickly I was being scammed by the 2nd email. Never the less she emailed me back about a half a dozen more times trying to convince me that she was on the up and up until finally in a last ditch effort she started going on and on about a deaf sister who was dying.

    Reply
  5. HR
    1:57 pm on November 3, 2015

    I got this same exact request too from a Scott Hollan (who did not remember that he sent me this same scam request twice already in the past year). Weird!! Thank you for this post!

    Reply
  6. Mike
    5:13 pm on November 6, 2015

    I was contacted this morning by text message, seemed routine, then he sent me the email which was exactly what you guys posted, I googled and found all this crap, difference is he contact me through phone, his numbers (702) 744-3497. I posted a copy of the email below. I already tried to track number, it just goes to boulder city, nv and registered under ‘I Mediafriends’. . .

    i have small scale business which i want to turn into large scale business now it located in CA and the company is based on importing and exporting of Agriculture products such as Kola Nut, Gacillia Nut and Cocoa so i need a best of the best layout design for it. Can you handle that for me ?. so i need you to check out this site but i need something more perfect than this if its possible .http://www.agroamerica.com…. the site would only be informational, so i need you to give me an estimate based on the site i gave you to check out, the estimate should include hosting and i want the same page as the site i gave you to check out and i have a private project consultant, he has the text content and the logos for the site.
    Note:
    1. I want the same number of pages with the example site i gave you to check excluding videos and blogs.
    2. I want only English language
    3. I don’t have a domain yet but i want the domain name as nafarmproduce.com
    4. you will be updating the site for me.
    5. i will be proving the images, logos and content for the site.
    6. i want the site up and running before ending of next month.
    7. My budget is $4000 to $8000

    Kindly get back to me with:
    (1) an estimate
    (2) your cell phone number
    (3) And will like to know if you are the owner ??

    Reply
  7. Chad
    4:49 pm on November 12, 2015

    Hey Len,

    I’ve gotten a few of these in the past so I knew right away it was a scam, but did a quick search since they always switch up the business name a bit.

    I own my own design company so just letting you know as you mentioned if we work on WordPress. If you want to chat get in touch.

    Reply
  8. Chesley
    8:23 pm on November 14, 2015

    Same email.. this one from Panny Kay. She also texted me. Somehow she found my cell #.

    From: pannykey03@gmail.com
    I have small scale business which i want to turn into large scale business now. its located in FL and the company is based on importation and exportation of Agricultural produce such as Kola Nut, Gacillia Nut, and Cocoa so i need the best layout design for it. Can you handle that for me ?

    Reply
  9. empjahan
    12:58 pm on November 18, 2015

    Got exact same email yesterday. It’s good that I did a google search and found this blog. thanks.

    Reply
  10. Peta Thorniley
    1:19 am on December 7, 2015

    Yep – got this email today. The email address looked dodgy and the budget too good to be true!

    Email 1

    From: James Martin
    Subject: Web Design

    Message Body:
    Hello I am James, i need to know if you can handle website design for a new company and i also need to know if you accept credit cards as form of payment ?
    I have small scale business which i want to turn into large scale business now and the company is based on importing and exporting of Agriculture products such as Kola Nut, Gacillia Nut and Cocoa so i need a best of the best layout design for it. Can you handle that for me?

    Regards

    Email 2

    Thank you very much for the response so i need you to check out this site but i need something more perfect than this if its possible .http://www.agroamerica.com…. the site would only be informational, so i need you to give me an estimate based on the site i gave you to check out the estimate should include hosting and i want the same page as the site i gave you to check out and i have a private project consultant, he has the text content and the logos for the site. Note:
    1. I want the same number of pages with the example site i gave you to check excluding videos and blogs.
    2. I want only English language
    3. I don’t have a domain yet but i want the domain name as Livingfarmproduce.com.au
    4. you will be updating the site for me.
    5. i will be proving the images, logos and content for the site.
    6. i want the site up and running before ending of next month.
    7. My budget is $10000 to $15000

    Kindly get back to me with an estimate

    Favorable Regards

    Reply
  11. Scott
    12:37 pm on December 10, 2015

    I had the same thing happen to me this morning.

    Reply
  12. Gurdeep
    4:54 pm on December 15, 2015

    Hi,

    I got the same email too few days ago and initially I didn’t notice that this could be scam because I am new to web designing. So initially I fell for this and started conversation with the guy about the site he needs similar to agroamerica.com. Then I gave him my estimate and he agreed. So to double check I asked if he can provide me some legal document to verify his identity. So he then sent me a copy of US passport, drivers license and army ID card. He asked mine too so I gave my drivers license copy too (only front page). But later when he mentioned in another email that he is going to transfer huge amount of money to my account then I found it fishy and figure out that this is a some kind of scam. Looks like he might have someone’s stolen ID’s.
    I worried about that I gave my personal information? Any suggestions what I should do? a police complaint or something else?

    Thanks
    Gurdeep

    Reply
  13. Lisa
    9:56 am on December 19, 2015

    I received similar emails from a ‘Scott Hollan’ in bad English – I fell for it because I work with international companies and they do not always have the best English. However, when I responded to Scott, his response was written so poorly and it was so outrageous that it set off a red flag. I emailed my partner and thankfully, he found this website. Thank you James and Len!

    Reply
  14. Chris Perez
    9:34 pm on December 22, 2015

    Set off a warning alert in my head when I saw this email for a second time. The first time, I didn’t think anything of it because I didn’t have time to take on any new projects. This time I inquired about the project the person was looking for wand got the same text everyone else got. Something was super fushy about it so I googled it… and bam! Scam!

    Text received:
    “I have small scale business which i want to turn into large scale business now and the company is based on importing and exporting of Agriculture products such as Kola Nut, Gacillia Nut and Cocoa so i need a best of the best layout design for it. Can you handle that for me ?. so i need you to check out this site but i need something more perfect than this if its possible .http://www.agroamerica.com…. the site would only be informational, so i need you to give me an estimate based on the site i gave you to check out, the estimate should include hosting and i want the same page as the site i gave you to check out and i have a private project consultant, he has the text content and the logos for the site.
    Note:
    1. I want the same number of pages with the example site i gave you to check excluding videos and blogs.
    2. I want only English language
    3. I don’t have a domain yet but i want the domain name as Naturesfarmproduce.com
    4. you will be updating the site for me.
    5. i will be proving the images, logos and content for the site.
    6. i want the site up and running before ending of next month.
    7. My budget is $3000 to $6000

    Kindly get back to me with:
    (1) an estimate
    (2) your cell phone number
    (3) And will like to know if you are the owner ??

    Best Regards.
    john”

    Reply
  15. Rich Wright
    11:12 am on January 5, 2016

    My “client” calls himself Porter Justin. Otherwise nearly identical.

    Sad.

    Reply
  16. Mark
    5:09 pm on January 5, 2016

    Same email from Scott Hollan for http://www.agroamerica.com. Almost got sucked in. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  17. Paulo Polaco
    10:03 am on January 8, 2016

    I received this scam yesterday as a SMS only. I also got a call from somebody else that same day asking me if I processed credit cards and if I was the business owner.

    What initially tipped me off was that I haven’t done web design in over three years and build software products. I had some fun interacting with the scammer for a while until they gave up on me. For future reference, the scammer’s Google subscriber # was (702) 721-9489.

    Reply
  18. WD
    4:42 pm on January 14, 2016

    Wow, word for word, except a different name…

    > Hello I am Belinda Alex and i am hearing impaired i need to know if you
    > can
    > handle website design for a new company and i also need to know if you
    > accept credit cards as form of payment ?

    ———————————————

    I have small scale business which i want to turn into large scale business now it located in IL and the company is based on importing and exporting of Agriculture products such as Kola Nut, Gacillia Nut and Cocoa so i need a best of the best layout design for it. Can you handle that for me so i need you to check out this site but i need something more perfect than this if its possible .http://www.agroamerica.com…. the site would only be informational, so i need you to give me an estimate based on the site i gave you to check out, the estimate should include hosting and i want the same page as the site i gave you to check out and i have a private project consultant, he has

    the text content and the logos for the site. Note:
    1. I want the same number of pages with the example site i gave you to check excluding videos and blogs.
    2. I want only English language
    3. I don’t have a domain yet but i want the domain name as bafarms.us
    4. you will be updating the site for me.
    5. i will be proving the images, logos and content for the site.
    6. i want the site up and running before ending of next month.
    7. My budget is $4000 to $5000
    Kindly get back to me with:
    (1) an estimate
    Favorable Regards,
    Belinda Alex

    Reply
  19. Justin Regis
    11:35 am on January 24, 2016

    I also have a boutique WordPress web design agency and was so glad to discover this post! Looks like this scam picked up around the holidays last year and going strong for the new year. The email exchange I received is nearly word-for-word the exact same text, just with a different name (Tami J Benson) and location (Metarie, LA). Reported the email to Google and forwarded to the FTC.

    Reply
  20. Janis K
    8:58 am on February 12, 2016

    Yesterday, I received a text message asking me for web design help. Upon getting an email from the person with details about the work, I began to research both the person and the business. Then I found this website, along with another one, with the same request nearly word-for-word.

    Who can tell me where to report this person for attempting to scam me?

    THANK YOU for posting this scam on your website!!

    Reply
    • Len
      12:05 pm on February 12, 2016

      Glad it helped!

      Where to report it? Nowhere really. Well if you’re a Gmail user you could flag it as spam. But otherwise there isn’t really anything that can be done; I get scams via email a couple of times each hour. 🙂

      Reply
  21. Hector
    5:33 pm on February 18, 2016

    Same scam the 15th of Feb. Belinda Alex@gmail. Via email and then we started texting. +1 (410) 656-9470
    Thanks everyone. But guess what?? She paid the invoice today and I am not going to pay anyone. I am going to call the cops.

    Reply
  22. Edma
    12:09 pm on February 24, 2016

    Mine is named Tom! lol Same thing. I wasn’t 100% sure it was a scam since I often receive wrongly worded emails all the time since I cater to french and english customers and they try to contact me in their second language. But I was a little suspiscious, so I answered with a vague message asking him to fill out my free quote questionnaire to continue the process and got back some even more vague answers. SCAM ALERT!!

    For information purposes, here’s the 1rst and 2nd email :

    1rst :

    Hello this is Tom Steiner, I will like you to handle website design for a new company I have small scale business which i want to turn into large scale business now it located in QC and the company is based on importing and exporting of Agriculture products. kindly bear with me I just had an ear surgery and I have been advised to stay off the phone till I’m fully recovered. That is why I am contacting you via email for now. But we can text each other if you are okay with that. And do you also accept credit card and what type?

    I will need your Company address, name and Cell Number also asap.

    Regards,
    Tom.

    —

    2nd :

    Thanks for the mail I have small scale business which i want to turn into large scale business now like i said, it’s located in QC and the company is based on importing and exporting of Agriculture products such as Kola Nut, Gacillia Nut and Cocoa so i need a best of the best layout design for it. Can you handle that for me? So i need you to check out this site but i need something more perfect than this if its possible {http://www.agroamerica.com} the site would only be informational, so i need you to give me an estimate based on the site i gave you to check out, the estimate should include hosting and i want the same page as the site i gave you to check out and i have a private project consultant, he has the text content and the logos for the site.

    Note:

    1. I want the same number of pages with the example site i gave you to check excluding videos and blogs.
    2. I want only English language
    3. I don’t have a domain yet but i want the domain name as bestfarmproduct.com
    4. you will be updating the site for me.
    5. i will be providing the images, logos and content for the site.
    6. i want the site up and running before 04th of April, 2016.
    7. My budget is $2,000 to $5,000
    8. Do you accept credit cards?

    Kindly get back to me with:
    (1) An estimate
    (2) Your full name

    Best Regards,
    Tom.

    Reply
  23. MJ
    1:56 pm on March 14, 2016

    I HAVE RECEIVED THE SAME EMAIL THROUGH TEXT FROM THE NUMBER 202-709-3513..NOT SURE HOW THIS PERSON RECEIVED MY DIRECT NUMBER. PROVIDING THE SAME INFORMATION POSTED.WHAT EXACTLY DOES THIS PERSON GAIN BY DOING THIS SCAM?

    Reply
  24. Cameron Arksey
    11:31 pm on March 14, 2016

    This is still going on! New names and email addresses to add to the list of scammers (hoping some potential victim will Google the names +scam or Agroamerica scam):

    Carolyn Morgan scam
    carolynm369@gmail.com

    Tracy Flummer scam aka Tracy Moore scam
    tracyjmoore3@gmail.com

    Velma V Felicia scam

    Trust your instincts, people!

    Reply
  25. Nina Lempicka
    10:08 pm on March 28, 2016

    These scammers are ALL from Nigeria or Ghana. Scamming is the national business there. Only call the police if you actually run a credit card/send$/etc
    Even than there is nothing they can do, BUT you will be protected from prosecution at least
    NEVER tell a scammer you know they are a scammer
    Never report them to google etc
    ALWAYS
    post on sites like this
    FULL COPY OF EMAILS/INCLUDING SCAMMERS EMAIL ADDRESS/PHONE #
    That way potential victims are warned
    http://WWW.SCAMWARNERS.COM can help you further if needed/good to looka t

    Reply
  26. Tim
    6:01 pm on April 5, 2016

    I received this same scam a few days ago. It sounded weird at first, but I thought I’d play it out. The emails I received were exactly the same as the others I’ve seen in this thread. Except they came from belindaalex218@gmail.com. Thanks for posting this thread here and I’m really glad I searched it out before going further!

    Thanks

    Reply
  27. Brian
    9:15 am on May 5, 2016

    Yep…same email my scammers name is: Mike Palmer (mikepalmer263@gmail.com)
    Too good to be true? Yeah it probably is…do your research!

    thanks all for posting!

    Reply
  28. RadHaus
    2:28 pm on June 23, 2016

    We received the same Agroamerica web design request a few months back, and now “Belinda Alex” is back, this time asking for recording studio services. The language was so familiar (“I’m hearing impaired and scheduled for surgery soon…”) from the previous message that I smelled it right away. I played along for a few minutes, telling the person that we only accept certified funds for new artists with whom we haven’t worked before, but this person of course ignored all that and asked what credit cards we accept.

    That goes in the NOPE pile!

    Reply
  29. Francis
    10:53 pm on August 16, 2016

    Same happened to me. Only they texted my cell phone number that I posed on my business site…

    Reply
  30. Daniel Lacasse
    2:43 pm on December 7, 2016

    Got this SCAM today! thanks for the heads up!

    Reply
  31. Alex
    9:52 am on March 22, 2017

    Hello, I received same web design request. I suspected something for the bad English and the questions, then I found this site. Thanks for heads up!

    For information purposes, here’s the 1rst and 2nd email:

    Firts email
    Hello.I’m Morin .i wanna know if you can handle website design for a new company and also if you do you accept credit cards ?

    Regard
    Morin

    Second email
    Hello
    Thanks for your response i have small scale business which i want to turn into large scale business now it located in city and the company is based on importing and exporting of Agriculture products such as Kola Nut, Gacillia Nut and Cocoa so i need a best of the best layout design for it. Can you handle that for me ?. so i need you to check out this site but i need something more perfect than this if its possible .http://www.agroamerica .com…. the site would only be informational, so i need you to give me an estimate based on the site i gave you to check out, the estimate should include hosting and i want the same page as the site i gave you to check out and i have a private project consultant, he has the text content and the logos for the site.
    Note:
    1. I want the same number of pages with the example site i gave you to check excluding videos and blogs.
    2. I want only English language
    3. I don’t have a domain yet but i want the domain name as http://www.Premiumfarmproduce .org
    4. you will be updating the site for me.
    5. i will be proving the images, logos and content for the site.
    6. i want the site up and running before ending of next month.
    7. My budget is $4000 to $7000
    Kindly get back to me with:
    (1) An estimate
    (2) And will like to know if you are the owner ?
    (3) Your cell number

    Regard
    Morin

    Reply
  32. Kim Butler
    1:10 am on June 13, 2017

    Just wanted to let everyone know they are also in Thumbtack. I just started using Thumbtack and two out of eight quotes were this scam. The only reason I knew it was a scam was because I had gotten the deaf person email two years before. As soon as I saw the AgroAmerica.com site, I knew it was a scam. So be on the lookout! They’re moving up in the world and not sticking to email.

    Reply
  33. Mindy Brown
    10:04 am on June 28, 2017

    Sadly, this scam is still alive and well. Thank you, thank you for making us aware. After ignoring my simple question of “How did you hear about me?” I got skeptical.

    Mindy

    Second email from Martin Rodwell:

    Here is the job details

    I have a small scale business which i want to turn into large scale business now it located in NY and the company is based on importing and exporting of Agriculture products such as Kola Nut, Gacillia Nut and Cocoa so i need a best of the best layout design for it. Can you handle that for me ?. so i need you to check out this site but i need something more perfect than this if its possible .www.agroamerica.com. The site would only be informational, so i need you to give me an estimate based on the site i gave you to check out, the estimate should include hosting and i want the same page as the site i gave you to check out and i have a private project consultant, he has the text content and the logos for the site.

    Note:
    1. I want the same number of pages with the example site i gave you to check excluding videos and blogs.
    2. I want only English language
    3. I don’t have a domain yet but i want the domain name as makefarmproduce.com
    4. you will be updating the site for me.
    5. i will be proving the images, logos and content for the site.
    6. i want the site up and running before ending of next month.
    7. My budget is $4000 to $6000

    Kindly get back to me with:
    (1) An estimate
    (2) your cell phone number
    (3) I will like to know if you are the owner ??

    Reply
  34. Jemmyn Buchanan
    11:25 am on July 5, 2017

    Same details here with a different email address this time: baggiowilson55@gmail.com under the name: Baggio Wilson
    I chatted on Google Chat. I emailed him. This time he used thumbtack and sent me a message with his email address and thumbtack pulled his request. As soon as I asked him/her why his request was pulled on thumbtack he said: “I’m comfortable with your quote that’s why i cancelled my request on thumbtack”

    Unfortunately I don’t have time to play this game and get to the bottom of it or I would play it out until the end.

    Reply
  35. Tameron Green-Garrity
    10:41 pm on November 16, 2017

    Unfortunately this is still going on. I just had this happen to me today.

    I was not familiar with the scam so I played into it for most of the day and even spent hours putting a custom estimate together. He was very convincing, he accepted and digitally signed my contract and everything. He was going by the name of Robert Villareal.

    Then as the day went on it got strange when I told him I would invoice him through PayPal. At that point he asked what other merchant I could use and this immediately threw the red flags up to the point where I went and googled it to see if there were any reports of an agroamerica.com scam. And sure enough here I am…

    What a waste of time and disappointment. Sure would’ve been nice if it were real and especially right before Christmas. Ugh…

    Reply
  36. Catherine
    9:58 pm on January 17, 2018

    Yep… this scam is very alive & well unfortunately. I just got a text on my phone and replied “How did you hear about me?” (which they did not answer) instead they gave me the same reply, word for word, that is noted here above by other users. It definitely seemed fishy, and I’m glad I checked it out before clicking any of their links. Thank you all for reporting! Blocked!! Bye- Bye!

    Reply
  37. Anne Y
    9:21 pm on January 28, 2018

    So glad a google search brought me to this page.

    I received this email a couple of days ago.

    On 26 Jan 2018, at 6:48 am, Loots Hanri wrote:

    Hello

    i would like to know if you can handle website design for my new company and also if you do you accept credit cards ?? if so kindly get back to me,so i can send you the job details

    Thanks hope to read from you soon

    After replying, this is what I received.

    Hello ,

    Thanks for getting back to me Here is the job details,

    I would appreciate if you understand that i am hearing impaired and I am at the hospital right now will undergo a surgery soon, i can’t talk on phone ‘could have called in’, this is the best way we can communicate

    I have small scale business which i want to turn into large scale business now it located in…. and the company is based on importing and exporting of Red Wine products such as Kola Nut, Gacillia Nut and Cocoa so i need a best of the best layout design for it. Can you handle that for me ?. so i need you to check out this site but i need something more perfect than this if its possible . http://www.agroamerica.com…. the site would only be informational, so i need you to give me an estimate based on the site i gave you to check out, the estimate should include hosting and i want the same page as the site i gave you to check out and i have a private project consultant, he has the text content and the logos for the site.
    Note:
    1. I want the same number of pages with the example site i gave you to check excluding videos and blogs.
    2. I want only English language
    3. I don’t have a domain yet but i want the domain name as TNtopfarmproduce.net
    4. you will be updating the site for me.
    5. i will be proving the images, logos and content for the site.
    6. i want the site up and running before ending of next month.
    7. what type of card do you accept for payment.

    Kindly get back to me with:
    (1) an estimate
    (2) And will like to know if you are the owner ??

    waiting to read from you soon.

    Regards

    It is also worth noting, that I did a good search of agroamerica and it looks like a legit site, but my antivirus detected threats when I visited it. Hence my search to see if it was a scam..

    Thanks everyone for the heads up.

    Reply
  38. Ariel
    9:09 pm on August 10, 2020

    Got this scam today. Again. I received it a few years ago. Same url and same exact directions. I played it out last time to see how far it would go. But they never provided a phone number until I told them I’d only process the credit card if I spoke with someone. I was given 4 different credit cards all from various cities in the united states.

    So when they actually did call, it sounded like I was speaking with 4-5 different Nigerians in a shed or something.

    It sounds pretty legit for the first few emails. And they are verbatim from all the other samples in the comment section.

    How does one find these poeple?

    Reply
  39. WonderWrks IT Services
    2:30 pm on June 24, 2021

    Simone Charlie
    3:26 PM (3 minutes ago)
    to

    Hi, I need you to check out this site but i need something more perfect than this if its possible http://www.agroamerica.com…. the site would only be informational, so i need you to give me an estimate based on the site i gave you to check out, the estimate should include hosting and i want the same page as the site i gave you to check out and i have a private project consultant, he has the text content and the logos for the site.
    *I want the same number of pages with the example site i gave you to check excluding videos and blogs.
    *I want only English language
    *I don’t have a domain yet but i want the domain name as Naturesfarmproduce.com
    *you will be updating the site for me.
    *i will be proving the images, logos and content for the site.

    Reply
  40. Mike Harris
    2:34 pm on July 28, 2021

    I felt suspicious too, when the person was doing all his best not to jump on a call with me.then when he called . I can see why, it sounds so shady.

    so I sent him a “proposal” which was a trackable link and , they are using a VPN service
    ============

    Hello

    I need you to check out this site but i need something more perfect than this if its possible http://www.agroamerica.com.

    The site would only be informational, so i need you to give me an estimate based on the site i gave you to check out, the estimate should include hosting. i have a private project consultant, he has the text content and the logos for the site.

    Note:

    1. I want the same number of pages with the example site I gave you to check excluding videos and blogs.

    2. I want only English language

    3. I don’t have a domain yet but i want the domain name as FREDNATUREFARMS.NET

    4. You will be updating the site for me.

    5. I will be providing the images, logos and content for the site.

    6. My budget is $3000 to $6000

    Kindly get back to me with:

    (1) Total estimated cost

    (2) Do you own the company

    (3) Payment option

    Thanks

    Best Regards,

    Reply
  41. ANNA
    5:52 pm on November 17, 2021

    I need you to check out this site but I need something more perfect than this if it’s possible http://www.agroamerica.com.

    The site would only be informational, so i need you to give me an estimate based on the site i gave you to check out, the estimate should include hosting. I have a private project consultant, he has the text content and the logos for the site.

    Note:

    1. I want the same number of pages with the example site I gave you to check excluding videos and blogs.

    2. I want only English language

    3. I don’t have a domain yet but i want the domain name as STWFARMS.NET

    4. You will be updating the site for me.

    5. I will be providing the images, logos and content for the site.

    6. My budget is $3000 to $6000

    Kindly get back to me with:

    (1) Total estimated cost

    (2) Do you own the company

    (3) Payment option

    Reply
  42. ANNA
    5:53 pm on November 17, 2021

    just received this today. I received a text first. I knew it was suspect with contacting me on non work hours

    Reply
  43. Nicole Hackney
    6:53 am on June 26, 2022

    This is really sad it’s 2022 and this is still happening. I just got the same scripted email from agro American

    Reply
  44. George Lauinger
    11:17 am on September 2, 2022

    I also got it, text first which was sketchy. Happened 3 days ago. He said he was CEO of agroamerica and using gmail lol. He wants to send me a check for 3500… is that so bad? Still not sure how I’m getting scammed.

    Reply
  45. Celeste
    8:15 pm on November 20, 2023

    I just was contacted with this scam. They texted me and then sent this email:

    Hi

    I need you to check out this site as an example website but you’ll create something similar to this http://www.agroamerica.com
    I want it to be only be informational site
    so i need you to give me an estimate based on the site i gave you to check out, the estimate should include hosting. I have a private project consultant, he has the text content and the logos for the site.

    Note:
    1. I want the same number of pages with the example site I gave you to check excluding videos and blogs.
    2. I want just English language
    3. I don’t have a domain yet but i want the domain name as RyanfarmsUS.COM
    4. You will be updating the site for me.
    5. I have a project consultant that will be providing the images, logos and content for the site
    6 My budget is $4000 to $5000

    Kindly get back to me with:
    (1) Total estimated cost
    (2) Do you own the company
    (3) Payment option

    Thanks
    Best Regards,
    Ryan (owner).

    Reply

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