Elaborate cheque scam?

JacobWilliams

Hello--sorry if this is in the wrong forum.

I work as a private tutor and recently received an odd enquiry which I suspect might be a scam.

A gentleman calling himself "David King PhD" has been calling (from several numbers, often withheld) and emailing me about working for a "girl from a Qatari family" who has "recently arrived in the UK". He requested thorough documentation, including a scan of my passport, which he initially rejected for not being clear enough, and a referee, whom he called and spoke to briefly. He even asked me to sign a well-written and elaborate contract.

He then said that I need to send him a £25 "registration" fee via Bitcoin, which I did. He then responded by saying that he had made a mistake and needed another £25 for an annual membership fee for his company. After receiving this too, he has now said he needs another £85 for "insurance" in case I cannot fulfil my duties.

He has been very evasive when asked to give details about the girl or about his organisation, and has said he will refund me the money I have already paid if I do not want to go ahead. Unlike in most of these scams, he is articulate and well-spoken and the emails are written in good English.

Is this an elaborate confidence build-up to a sophisticated version of the travellers' cheque scam? It seems like an enormous effort for £135. Or is there a chance this is legit?

This is the last email he sent me:

our Application Reference: EG66200WIL

Dear Mr Williams

Thank you again for your enquiry. We have already explained in full the purpose of the deposit insurance payment in our previous email. We have also confirmed that you will be receiving the Client's contact details once we have received confirmation of your deposit payment. If, on the basis of the information you have received so far, you wish not to proceed further with the Tuition, then please advise us in writing so that we can find a suitable replacement tutor (and that we may contact you regarding the refund of the fees already paid). It is important to note, however, that both the administration fee and the deposit insurance are one-off fees and are therefore paid only once. Additionally, the deposit insurance payment can be refunded at any time after the initial 12-month contract period, as per the conditions stated in our previous email.

Many Thanks

Enquiries Team
(For and on behalf of D King PhD, Head of New Client Accounts)

maninthestreet

Do you really have to ask?

jonesMUFCforever

You have been ripped off - don't entertain any more contact from this person(who probably can't believe his luck that you are so gullible)= forget the money you have sent - it is long gone.
There is no way this is legit.
Nobody that is legit would ask you to pay with bitcoin.

bobblebob

He also now has your passport details which can enable him to commit identity theft. So hes getting more than a few quid

Ben8282

Don't know what so say. Did you really fall for this ….

BoGoF

It was far from elaborate

robatwork

I hope you're not teaching a proper subject like Maths or Science.

My mind has boggled you'd even entertain paying a fee to someone who "wants to pay you money".

Or is this entire post the scam itself?

eskbanker

Could I interest you in some magic beans?

A modest advance fee, payable via a suitably anonymous means, will be enough to secure all 419 of them....

singhini

I'm surprised he called himself David King and not Jo King.
you need to speak to the police about you giving out your passport details to a complete stranger.

soulsaver

:Head shakes:

SnowTiger

JacobWilliams wrote: »

Is this an elaborate confidence build-up to a sophisticated version of the travellers' cheque scam? It seems like an enormous effort for £135. Or is there a chance this is legit?

£50 (plus maybe another £85) and a copy of your passport information page, plus anything else you've given, in exchange for making a few phone calls and sending a few emails seems like a pretty good return on investment.

They'll keep coming back asking for further payments for various things.