The Mysterious Kane
Scam or prank? You tell me.
Yesterday I received an email simply from a prospect named “Kane” through one of our online directories, inquiring if our band Kaju’s Off the Hook would be available to perform at his wedding.
His question simply was “Hello do you accept credit cards?”
So I replied back via the directory to this “Kane” answering “Yes, we do take credit cards.” and then continued asking standard relevant questions: What is the date? Where is the venue? What is the name of the venue? What is the start time and end time? What is his budget?
At the end of the reply, I left my contact number and wrote, “Feel free to call me, I would love to speak to you about how we can make your event incredible!”
Most people are legitimate, but whenever booking private events especially if the client wasn’t directly recommended to us I require that I speak directly to a new prospect over the phone. Not only does this establish a more personalized rapport, but it also helps me to vet out who are the “real” clients from the potential scammers.
Instead of calling me, he answered back via text message only with vague responses, “Yes, I probably need your service on me wedding day hope you’re available on the 26 of this month.’
When I asked him again to provide more details, he then ONLY gave me an address of a building located in New York City. And he gave me his budget in two words. No venue name, no start time and end time as I had asked.
Also keep in mind most weddings are booked by the client well over one year in advance. Even the ones booked on “short notice” are reserved at least 3 months in advance. This was a wedding he was calling about scheduled in 10 days.
He then texted, “You there?” and six hours later two consecutive texts “Hello” and “Hey.”
After that “hey” text I attempted calling only to receive an anonymous vmail greeting message. Two minutes later I receive a text, “Okay you can call me now.”
Stranger things will soon happen. I then call the phone number and a man picks up saying “Uhh!”, and I say, “Hi this is Kaju, who am I speaking to?”
He then says much indecipherable gibberish
“Ahh, oo, ee, yezzz.”
I say, “Where is your event, what is the time?”
He then says “Yezzz, event. Me, no? III, ahhh, ehh”
I reply, “Do you speak English?”
And he says, “Ohhh, English? Ahhhh!!”
Finally frustrated, and convinced this person I’m “speaking” to is either totally feigning lack of English speaking skills or is just plain INSANE (“Insane Kane” ha!) I hang up the phone.
The next day, I called the property management of the building where the so-called wedding event was supposed to be happening on August 26, and discovered there was only one venue that could host such a wedding reception in the entire building. It was an upscale restaurant, and a famous one.
She told me she would call the event manager to confirm and placed me on hold.
When the property manager returned on the call a few minutes later, she confirmed that the event manager from the restaurant informed her that no such event was scheduled for August 26.
So my suspicions were indeed correct. I followed my gut instinct, did my due diligence and found out in the process that this so called “hot” prospect was a fraud.
But why? Why carry this bizarre charade out?
What would there be for this so-called “prospect” and possible scammer to gain?
What was his angle? What was he trying to accomplish?
Any of your ideas would be GREATLY appreciated.
This time I am calling out to “The SCAM Police!!”
Thank you for reading and PLEASE provide your comments.
Cheers,
Kaju
Recent Comments
48
Fun reading this Kaju, but I really don't know what this dude wanted. If you charged his card but never provided the services of your band because the date was phony, then you would simply run a credit for his card. No harm done to either party unless he made you and the band show up at the venue. Then he would owe you something. NYC- more nuts per square mile! Bob
Hi Kaju, glad you never met up with this nutter and it was definitely strange to ask you if you take credit cards and then talk gibberish. I would give his number to the police and let them give him a visit to see what he was attempting to do. xx
There is no such identification for the police for this "nutter" but just today I reported him to the directory and they are red flagging his account and investigating into this as we speak, Cheryl.
Thanks for your concern and looking after me!
Good for you Kaju, you did the right thing.
You are very welcome. I always look after my friends. xx
That would be expected C, that's why I never give me rates out unless they are properly "vetted" with a personalized phone call.
But I'm thinking there could be a more sinister intetion here.
So let me ask you the same question I asked Darlene:
He first asked "Do we take credit cards". Let's make believe I went along with him, and HE gave me HIS credit card information.
Could HE as a scammer some how ENTRAP me to hold me liable by taking his credit card - if that was indeed HIS intention?
You might be right, the scanners are getting more creative.
I still shake my head about a company 1 floor above our Company in Toronto a few years back. They started small, we had met the owners, told us they were telemarketers, seemed like good young legit businessmen. 10 months later, a raid busted all of them ( 75 by then). Turns out they were scamming credit card owners over the phone from the US from there Canadian office. They had reached over 5,000 victims by the time they got nailed.
Silly me, I used to ask my partner what we were doing wrong because we sure as heck weren't growing at the rate they were.
Wow, what a story C! This unfortunately is nothing new. Back in around 2006 -2007, I had an interior design site hosted by a company I thought was totally legit.
Turns out they were shut down by the government or the BBB for fraudulent and deceptive practices toward their customers.
As you say, if something such as a business grows too quickly compared to others in their sector, then something must be fishy!
I don't underestimate their creativity, or put anything past anyone suspect these days!
Fishing for information - wants to know what you charge so they can figure out a rate for their own band or something like that.
That is one of the reasons I never give my rates out Darlene. This very well could be, but this is benign compared to another possibility.
He first asked "Do we take credit cards". Let's make believe I went along with him, and HE gave me HIS credit card information.
Could HE as a scammer some how entrap me to hold me liable by taking his credit card - if that was indeed HIS intention?
IMO - If you charged an item or service on the card, and that person never received the service it would be handled by the dispute department, not the fraud department, since he willingly gave you his card number. However if it were a disgruntled boyfriend using someone else's card number to rack up charges for revenge, then that would be fraud and the person that was frauded would call the bank & the fraud department would handle that. And if it were a real wedding I would think you would have them sign a contract first before charging them.
I think it's some guy just messing with you for his own amusement. Too much time on his hands
It certainly could be that P, or it could be someone phishing for financial info in a roundabout way, don't you think?
There are so many insane people.. Good you didn't meet.Though maybe really credit card details?
I sometimes here get messages that my credit card is blocked. I don't even pay attention.:)
Yeah Vera, he could have been phishing for credit card details or trying to breach my security. Who knows!
You might have gotten a follow up angle asking for YOUR credit card information. Definitely seems foreign! You did well!
Thanks Mike, I can smell a scammer an urban mile away!
I might've, the question is could he have somehow gotten my credit card information if I took his credit card information first?
Or if he were that sinister, could he have turned the tables and held me liable if I took HIS credit card information in an ostensible business transaction?
Perhaps he was hoping I would take his credit card info without requiring a contract (which I always do, and duly signed), then he could say I stole his information and hold that against me.
Is it possible that the person is a kid and just fooling around. When I was young kids would make prank phone calls. I would just look at it as somebody very bored and a little off. Good luck in try to figure it out.
John
I doubt this John, he would have to have a directory account himself to make the request in the first place, and I believe to open an account one must be 18 years of age or over.
Your story bizarre. I cannot imagine what that guy's angle would be, other than to waste your time.
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Maybe he was fraudulently using a stolen card and wanted to see if he could use it. I think it is getting harder for thieves to use stolen credit cards because more of us are aware and know exactly what to do when our cards get stolen. So if he booked your service within 10 days he might just get away with it so he thinks. but you did the right thing to check it out first.
Interesting G, I didn't think of that. Sure it's possible.
It was too bizarre, I think he was up to something.
The directory people are checking him out.
Thanks,
Kaju