I don't have the header for this email. It arrived in the spam filter at work and I forwarded it to home. I checked out the website which is a company in India. But understanding a little about spammers I realise they sometimes hijack other sites to send out ther initial spam.
From: Maria mailto:infoevent@fakirgroup.com [we do NOT make these up]
Sent: Monday, 28 June 2010 4:39 AM
Subject: Good day
This is Academy Movie Inc. July 20th, 2010 we will celebrate our years of success in the movie industry, thus we will be given out $530,000.00 to selected individuals in countries we made large sales of our movies. You are selected to attend this event come 20th July, 2010 in Florida USA also you will receive $530,000.00.
You do not need to go through any contest at the event to receive payment; you will receive the amount before the event date. For inquiry email us your Name; country & phone number via email: holdinginfl@movmail.com Sign. Event Announcer.
Good day to you Maria
That's a very interesting proposition. Here are my details:
Name: Harry Ares Butkrak
Country: Australia
Telephone: +61417364618 (calls only during business hours AEST please)
Sincerely
Harry Butkrak
Butkrak Enterprises
Received: from COL111-W18 ([65.55.34.200]) by col0-omc4-s15.col0.hotmail.com
Mon, 28 Jun 2010 06:49:49 -0700
Message-ID: <COL111-W18514934D53FAEFBC03F1BAACA0@phx.gbl>
X-Originating-IP: [196.46.245.21] (Celtel Nigeria Limited t.a ZAIN)
From: Gram Event <holdinginfl@movmail.com>
Harry Ares Butkrak.
This is Academy Movie Production Inc. responding to your received email from us, our management decided to give individuals opportunity to attend this year red carpet occasion unlike previous edition strictly for Artist and Celebrities, Hotel accommodation will be provided and paid by us during this event.
Harry Ares Butkrak; your selection to attend the event and also to receive payment of 530,000.00 US Dollar does not require you to go through any contest at the event, you will receive your payment before the event date which is (20th July, 2010 in Florida, USA). This year red carpet event will be an exciting one.
Get more instruction and register for the event by login on our website. www.21gram.webnode.com/our-team/
Available method for you to receive your payment is stated on our website, indicate your preferred mode when registering for the event.
Note: Complete the event registration not latter than 2 working days.
Kate Wilcox.
Event Information Center. 28 June, 2010.
So I've checked out their appalling website with its plagiarism, bad English and fake photos
Dear Kate
Before I register for your magnificent event I have a few questions. In your email you say 'our management decided to give individuals opportunity to attend this year red carpet occasion unlike previous edition' but on your website you have a photo of a cheque for $530,000 being handed over to a member of the public. So is this year's event really the first for individuals or was it last year? Secondly, because of this photo, I wonder, do I really get my money before the event or do I have to wait to be given a large cheque at the event. And if I am given a large cheque how will I get it home? Does it fold up into something small enough to pack in to a suitcase. Or can I take it to a bank in Florida and deposit it? Will banks in Florida accept oversize cheques. Banks in Australia have a policy of not accepting oversize cheques any more because the bank tellers were getting oversize paper cuts. One of them even lost an arm. So even if I did manage to fold it up and pack it in my suitcase, it would be of no use to me in Australia.
Sincerely
Harry Butkrak
Butkrak Enterprises
Excellent, already I've managed to annoy them. I like the phrase bogus cheque, never was a truer word said in ignorance by a scammer.
Harry,
It started last year, in last year edition people received their money at the event and not before the event we did receive complain as not every selected beneficiary was able to attend due to lack of finance so this year we decided that any selected beneficiary will receive their funds before the event date to enable the beneficiary pay for flight ticket and other expenses that might be incurred during the cause of coming to the event. As for the cheque do not be ridiculous the bogus cheque is printed for every one to see there is a smaller cheque given and accepted by any bank worldwide.
You have only 2 days to register for the event and pay the event registration to enable you get the event confirmation receipt which you need to present before you can receive your payment and also as gate pass for the event.
Sign.
Kate Wilcox
Kate
Thank you for clearing up that misconception between your email and your website. I am pleased to hear that the over size cheque is just for publicity purposes. That is quite a relief. However now I am further confused by another aspect. There are two methods of payment listed on the form on your website. One is bank cheque which seems simple and straightforward. The other is ATM. What is this and how does it work? In Australia and the US, ATM are the machines in the wall outside banks and in shopping centres that you put your card in, punch in your PIN number and it gives you money from your bank account. How will the ATM option of payment of the $530,000 work? Will you give me a bank card and a PIN number that I can use in an ATM here and it will give me the money? Will the ATM machine give me the whole amount at once? My bank in Australia only lets me take $500 a day out of an ATM machine.
However I shall hurry and finish my registration now. Don't want to miss out on the deadline! This is way too exciting.
Sincerely
Harry Butkrak Butkrak EnterprisesI fill in my information on their website. I nominate that I will be taking my companion, Sheila B Wright with me, but they never ask me about that or want to charge me for her attendance.
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X-RocketYMMF: deanbat@ymail.com
Date: Tue, 29 Jun 2010 10:26:15 -0700 (PDT)
From: Gram Branch <gramenquires@spivs.co.uk>
From: Gram Branch [mailto:gramenquires@spivs.co.uk]
Sent: Wednesday, 30 June 2010 2:56 AM
To: Harry Butkrak
Subject: Re: Reservation Harry Ares Butkrak (b0i)
Harry Ares Butkrak.
Welcome to Florida USA red carpet July 20th, 2010 event booking, your online booking information has been received. For security reason we can not disclose the hotel name at the moment till few days to the event, the hotel will be booked and paid by our company for two nights. There will be lot of holly wood stars. More information about the event will be communicated to you upon completion of your event registration.
In completion of the event registration which makes you eligible to receive your 530,000.00 US Dollars payment also as gate pass at the event; do pay 215 dollars event registration prior to our website as a Non US City Resident.
It is payable to our assigned Malaysia or United State event booking payment outlet.
Liberty Reserve:
Account Name: REDCARPET
Account Number: U6460955
Western Union
Name: Young Andrew
Address: Jalan Pudu, Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia.
E-mail us details of the payment method used.
Your official invitation letter for the event will be sent to you via post.
Sincerely,
Red Carpet Event Booking Team. 29/06/2010.
For urgent inquiry call; Tel: 206-337-4756.
Harry Butkrak,
Responding to your questions the ATM card to be issued to you is a special card with Pin issued by MasterCard having a withdraw limit of $8,500.00 per day and allow transfer of funds from the ATM Card to your Bank account. You can use your ATM Card to withdraw money from any shopping center or in ATM machines outside banks and restaurants any were there is an ATM machine you can use your ATM card the ATM card to be issued to you can be used worldwide on any ATM Machine in any country the ATM card to be issued to you is special designed.
Ensure you complete the event registration on time and do not exceed the completion time frame.
Sign.
Kate Wilcox.
I decide to see if I can annoy them by sending a Moneygram (fake) payment
Dear Booking Team
Attached is the Moneygram receipt for the transfer of the registration fee. One thing puzzles me. If you are not telling us where the event is being held in Florida until a few days before, how is anyone supposed to book flights? Florida has 4 international airports alone. According to Wikipedia there are 130 airports in total just in Florida. So how are we supposed to know where to book a flight to?
Sincerely
Harry Butkrak
Butkrak Enterprises
All further emails from me to them get the following automated reply. They obviously think it makes them appear more professional
Received: (from nobody@localhost) by pop.freeola.net (8.14.3/8.14.3/Submit) ...
Date: Wed, 30 Jun 2010 11:02:06 +0100 (BST)
X-Authentication-Warning: pop.freeola.net: nobody set sender to <> using -f
From: gramenquires@spivs.co.uk (Automatic reply service)
Sent: Wednesday, 30 June 2010 7:32 PM
To: Harry Butkrak
Subject: Automated response
Welcome to 21-Grams office United Kingdom your email will be responded to shortly.
Harry Butkrak.
Welcome to Florida USA red carpet July 20th, 2010 event booking, your payment information of 215 dollars for the event booking has been received. The instruction was that you make the payment via Western Union and not Money Gram ensure you get that fixed Western Union and not Money Gram. Use the same payment information but the payment should be made via Western Union and not Money Gram follow instructions as directed.
Sincerely,
Red Carpet Event Booking Team. 04/06/2010.
For urgent inquiry call; Tel: 206-337-4756.
Oh dear, I have exceeded their 2 day booking period. The emails are flying in, now they can smell the money. But I seem to have annoyed Kate.
Harry Butkrak
Have you completed the event registration payment??? I requested for your file from our event booking section and was informed you are yet to complete the event registration payment as there were some problems with your payment mode.
They informed my office that your payment was made via an unspecified means of receiving payment which was Money Gram and an email has been sent to you to have it changed to Western Union, follow the booking instruction and use their instructed payment method to enable you complete the event registration.
Have that fixed up in time as you have exceeded the two days event booking period.
Sign.
Kate Wilcox. 01.07.2010.
I send this response to the Event Team and Kate.
Event Booking Team
If you are dealing with people all over the world, then you need to take into account different time zones and different response rates available depending on where someone lives. Western Union or Moneygram what's the difference? You take the receipt along to an agent and get the money. However if I can get a refund from the Moneygram agent tomorrow lunchtime I will go to a Western Union agent and pay it there. I don't know where you are, but I am in Australia. It's 7pm Thursday night now, so it will be 17 hours before I can go to the Moneygram agent and then a Western Union office. Then I have to finish work, get home and scan the receipt and email it to you. There's another 6 to 7 hours delay before my next email. That adds up to around 24 hours or 1 day. There's another day wasted because despite your operation producing films that cost millions of dollars you can't even manage to find a local Moneygram agent to cash a couple of hundred dollars.
Sincerely
Harry Butkrak
Butkrak Enterprises
I understand the content of your email message the event booking team should too, therefore within 24/48 hours as you said the changes should have been made by you.
Sign.
Kate Wilcox.
Harry Butkrak,.
Welcome to Florida USA red carpet July 20th, 2010 event booking, your email has been received. Send us payment details of the Western Union soon as you make the changes.
Sincerely,
Red Carpet Event Booking Team. 01/07/2010.
For urgent inquiry call; Tel: 206-337-4756.
I attach a Western Union payment (fake) but as I have never filled one out before I don't know how many digits the transaction number should have.
Event Team
Western Union payment receipt attached.
Sincerely
Harry Butkrak
Butkrak Enterprises
And I fire off a response to Kate. I wonder why I never hear from her again?
Kate
You understand the content of my email message? That may be right, but you didn't answer my questions. I sincerely hope you are not in charge of customer service there, because you certainly won't win any awards for that.
Sincerely
Harry Butkrak
Butkrak Enterprises
Harry Butkrak.
Welcome to Florida USA red carpet July 20th, 2010 event booking, The Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN) is not correct it is Nine Digit, it should be Ten digit numbers and not Nine Digit numbers as written on the scanned Western Union receipt you attached. You will have to go back to the Western Union office to have that sorted out with the Western Union agent.
Sincerely,
Red Carpet Event Booking Team. 02/07/2010.
For urgent inquiry call; Tel: 206-337-4756.
I send this on Sat 3 July 2010 at 9am
Event Team
In a strange coincidence as I was reading your email this morning the Western Union agent phoned me to say the transaction had not gone through because there was a digit missing. They have asked me to go there this morning and they will check the full MTCN and make sure the transaction is processed before I leave. I should be back in a couple of hours.
Sincerely
Harry Butkrak
Butkrak Enterprises
I send this on Mon 5 July 2010 at 8am. And attach a new Western Union (fake) transaction.
Event Team
My apologies for the delay in getting back to you. After the last email I had gone straight to the Western Union office and the manager fixed the MTCN and transaction for me. The delay in emailing the form to you was because my old friend Toni Collette rang. I did some work on one of her first Australian movies over 15 years ago. She's back in the country to do TV interviews to promote the next series of "Tara" and we just spent the last day catching up. I don't get to see her much these days as she lives in LA full time now. I asked her if she had been invited to your Red Carpet event but she said she hadn't heard of it and hadn't been invited to appear. However, the Western Union receipt is attached.
Sincerely
Harry Butkrak
Butkrak Enterprises
12 hours later
Harry Butkrak.
Welcome to Florida USA red carpet July 20th, 2010 event booking, We have received your scanned slip of the Western Union transfer with the completed 10 digit MTCN, we will get back to you soon as your payment is confirmed.
Sincerely,
Red Carpet Event Booking Team. 05/07/2010.
For urgent inquiry call; Tel: 206-337-4756.
Exactly 24 hours later. This email arrived in my inbox at 4.30am on 6 July. I am beginning to think they are actually in the US which is somewhere between 14-17 hours behind the east coast of Australia.
Harry Butkrak.
Welcome to Florida USA red carpet July 20th, 2010 event booking, Again we are unable to confirm your payment at the Western Union office as they indicate no match found on their system, It is really embarrassing we advice before you send us the MTCN Number which is 10 digit go to www.westernunion.com click on tracking then fill in your 10 digit MTCN number and First Name and Last Name then click on check status to know if the transaction is correct before you email us your payment details as we will not send our staff to Western Union office again to be embarrassed.
If the transaction is correct it will indicate funds available for pick up, if not correct it will indicate match not found.
Confirm your transaction first before you email us the MTCN number to avoid problem of incorrect MTCN.
Send us the Correct MTCN Number as email since the MTCN number in the attached Western Union slip is not legible. Do ensure you have this problem fixed and checked on the western Union site before you email us the MTCN. You have indeed wasted much time on the event registration remember today is July 5th and the event is 20th of July.
Sincerely,
Red Carpet Event Booking Team. 05/07/2010.
For urgent inquiry call; Tel: 206-337-4756.
Dear Event Team
I have checked online as you suggested and I am shocked and outraged to say that the number seems to be incorrect, a match was not found. I shall be going straight to the Western Union agent this morning and giving him a piece of my mind. Then I will go to another agent in the next town and get them to fix up this dreadful mess. I will also make sure they write the MTCN number clearly on the copy they give me and email it to you straight away.
Never fear, you will see Butkrak on the 20th.
Sincerely
Harry Butkrak
Butkrak Enterprises
Oh dear, they seem to be a little annoyed with me.
Harry Butkrak.
Welcome to Florida USA red carpet July 20th, 2010 event booking."I shall be going straight to the Western Union agent this morning and giving him a piece of my mind. Then I will go to another agent in the next town and get them to fix up this dreadful mess."
There is no point going to Western Union office in another town asking them to fix a problem a western union agent in your town did how do you explain that statement????. Is either you did make the payment or not no other two ways about it, if your payment can not be confirmed within a short while we will have no option than to cancel your registration. Your 215 dollars payment has indeed taking long and also given us much troubles and embarrassment.
Is either the western Union office in your town fix up the problem and give you the correct MTCN and you check it online confirming it is correct before having it sent to us or go to western union office in another town to make a new payment of 215 dollars with the details already given to you but not asking them to fix a problem a different western union agent in your town did that is not logical and is totally out of place.
Fix this problem without any further delay as we will not like to get any more explanation for another wrong MTCN number you have been told how to check a transaction status to know if it is correct.
Sincerely,
Red Carpet Event Booking Team. 06/07/2010.
For urgent inquiry call; Tel: 206-337-4756.
I attach another Western Union payment (fake) this time I have put ten digits.
Dear Event Team
I am so terribly sorry for the trouble and embarrassment Western Union have caused you. The reason I decided to go to a different agent is because the first one I went to stuffed us around so much. First they don't put enough numbers on the form, then the second time they get the number wrong. That seems a straight forward explanation to me.
So I went to another agent this morning in the next main town and told them that I have a very important Red Carpet event to attend in Florida later this month and could they please get the transaction right for me. The nice lady who served me (looked a bit like Meryl Streep in fact) has assured me that the money and payment has been processed correctly now. We did a completely new transaction, as the first payment never went anywhere.
Please find attached the scan of the Western Union payment. I sincerely hope you do not have any more embarrassment when you go to collect the registration fee this time. Please get back to me and let me know that it all went smoothly.
Sincerely
Harry Butkrak
Butkrak Enterprises
Harry Butkrak.
Welcome to Florida USA red carpet July 20th, 2010 event booking,
We believe we did instruct you to check the status of the transaction before sending us the MTCN. For your information the MTCN no match found it means all along you knew what you were doing, you should have saved us the embarrassment of going to Western Union.
Your selection to attend the red carpet event and also to receive your payment of 530,000.00 dollar is real and legitimate to prove this at the end of the event (20th July, 2010) we will send you via post DVD clip of the event to your house address you filled on the online event booking form that is if the address is real and not fake as the MTCN numbers you have been sending.. After watching the DVD clip you will sure realize your mistake of taking the event and your payment as some sort of joke then it will have been to late for you to correct as you can not eat your cake and have it back.
We here by wish to bring to your notice that you have been disqualified from attending the red carpet event also from receiving the 530,000.00 dollars payment; your event registration has been canceled.
Sincerely,
Red Carpet Event Booking Team. 06/07/2010.
For urgent inquiry call; Tel: 206-337-4756.
Don't de ridiculous, of course the red carpet event is fake, the offer of $US530m is fake and the registration fee is what is called advanced fee fraud. It is clearly all fake because for the simple reason you had nothing to do with the movie 21 Grams. It was made by Focus Features and you know that because you plagiarised their website. The blurb about the movie is the only decently worded English on your website. Don't bother sending the DVD, it will be fake too. we both know that.
The bad English on your website was one giveaway. There are a dozen more reasons I know your website is fake that I could tell you about. However you have been reported to Focus Features for plagiarism and to Webnode for breach of terms and conditions.
You are a scammer and I have great delight in telling you that I have scammed you back and made you waste your time. What's even better is I made you go, not once but twice to Western Union. I most certainly have had my cake. It was delicious.
Sincerely
Harry Butkrak
Butkrak Enterprises
... my correspondence with Webnode on this matter ... It doesn't give you the feeling that they care about even the slightest bit about a complaint over a site they host.
7 July 2010 7am
Dear Webnode
The following website hosted by your company is in my opinion, an advance fee fraud enterprise. As you can see from the emails below, they are making rather large claims. They claim that if you pay them a registration fee you will attend an event and receive a personal payment of US$530m. There is also content on the website that is plagiarized from another site, focusfeatures.com who actually did make the movie they claim to. This is in contravention of sections 2.1, 2.2 and 2.6 of your terms and conditions.
I have been in scam-baiting correspondence with them and am happy to provide the complete email trail. This includes the very funny one where they tell me off for sending them to a Western Union agent to collect a registration fee payment that I have not actually made.
http://21gram.webnode.com/
Sincerely
XXXXX (aka Harry)
(Copies of first two emails from them included)
Hi Harry,
You mentioned that you have been engaging in scam baiting, are you part of an organization targeting such sites? If so, please ensure that all future correspondence regarding fraudulent websites are sent via your organization's email account.
Webnode policy doesn't really allow us to block the mentioned website immediately from such a complaint, our procedure for dealing with websites is to give the user a limited time to respond to complaints from private people, as you may be able to appreciate that sometimes not all claims of abusive or fraudulent websites are genuine, and if this is the case, the user is entitled to respond to accusations leveled against them. Usually such disputes can be resolved between the two parties. However, in the cases that you have brought to our attention actual scammers will not, and there sites will therefore be blocked.
Complaints from the actual people or companies affected, legal authorities or organizations, such as fraudwatchers.org are a different manner entirely.
We sincerely appreciate people bringing these sites to our attention, and we are constantly evaluating our process for dealing with these issues and creating a better structure for shutting down abusive or fraudulent websites.
Best regards, [Webnode Guy], Webnode
-- If you reply to this message, please
don't change the subject
Hi [Webnode Guy]
No I am not part of an organisation. My complaint about the website and the
business they are attempting to conduct from it, is a personal complaint. If
that is what you need in order to launch an investigation, then please
regard this as a complaint.
Harry
Hi Harry,
Thank you for your notice about possible inappropriate content on the website 21gram.webnode.com. We have sent your claim to the contact registered as that website owner. We believe that the website operator will take action, progressively and without undue delay, to correct the website state or start to communicate with you.
Our company is not the operator of 21gram.webnode.com, therefore we can't interfere with the content of these Web sites, with the exception of infringement or conduct contrary to our terms and conditions.
Likewise, we are not allowed to provide information on entities that operate their Web sites at our facilities.
Best regards, [Webnode Guy], Webnode
-- If you reply to this message, please
don't change the subject Ticket History
Hi [Webnode Guy]
I appreciate the position you take in your response and the manner in which it is expressed. I understand that the next step is for the website owner to dispute the complaint.
I would like to draw your attention to the following. On the website
21gram.webnode.com hosted by your company, specifically on the
21gram.webnode.com/about-us/ page, the second paragraph on this page that
begins "21 Grams is a film from our Academy Award-nominated director of
Amores perros, Alejandro González Iñárritu..." and the complete body of text
that follows is directly taken from
www.focusfeatures.com/focusfeatures/film/21_grams/synopsis
which is in
direct contravention of sections 2.1, 2.2 and 2.6 of your website's terms
and conditions.
Regards
Harry
Hi Harry,
When it comes to things such as infringement, it really is up to the
authority having jurisdiction, or the holder of the copyright to request the
change be made to the content. I know this probably isn't what your looking
to hear but now that the process has been started, please allow us the time
to work through our process and we will deal with the situation if the user
doesn't respond, or if he makes the changes.
I appreciate your patience in this Harry, and I know that while our method
isn't perfect, it does have its merits and we are always trying to improve
it.
Best regards, [Webnode Guy], Webnode
After a week had passed, I would test the waters and see if anything had changed. So I wrote to the 'Red Carpet' team again using my other persona. I have had the same response, but they are now directing us to a different site. Most of the same stuff but now with added delusions of grandeur. They are offering themselves as movie production facilities as well.
15/7/10
Dear Sir or Madam
I have only just returned from vacation and have come across your email. Is it too late to register for your event? I really hope not, it sounds like fun.
Name: Sheila Wright
Country: New Zealand
Ph no: +649 xxxx xxxx
Warmest regards
Sheila B Wright
Same people, same spin, but a new website. It seems my complaint may have had some effect.
Received: from COL111-W48 ([65.55.34.73]) by col0-omc2-s5.col0.hotmail.com...
X-Originating-IP: [196.46.246.21]
From: Gram Event <holdinginfl@movmail.com>
Date: Fri, 16 Jul 2010 07:23:01 +0000
From: Gram Event [mailto:holdinginfl@movmail.com]
Sent: Friday, 16 July 2010 4:53 PM
To: Sheila B. Wright
Subject: RE: Good day
Sheila Wright.
This is Academy Movie Production Inc. responding to your received email from
us, our management decided to give individuals opportunity to attend this
year red carpet occasion unlike previous edition strictly for Artist and
Celebrities, Hotel accommodation will be provided and paid by us during this
event. Is not too late to register for the event.
Sheila Wright; your selection to attend the event and also to receive payment of 530,000.00 US Dollar does not require you to go through any contest at the event, you will receive your payment before the event date which is (20th July, 2010 in Miami Florida, USA). This year movie red carpet event will be an exciting one.
Get more instruction and register for the event by login on our website.
http://moviefocus.webnode.com/upcoming-event/
Here is your selection code for the event "26f4b9" you will be required to
provide it when filling the online event registration form.
Available method for you to receive your payment is stated on our website;
indicate your preferred mode when registering for the event.
Note: Complete the event registration not latter than 2 working days.
Kate Wilcox.
Event Information Center. 16 July, 2010.
I fill out the information on their website. When it asks me for Occupation and Next of Kin, I write none of your business.
Return-Path: <noreply@server.mailjol.net>
Received: from smtp.mailjol.net (smtp.mailjol.net [70.33.244.64])...
From: "Event Booking Team" <info.reservation@spivs.co.uk>
Subject: Booking Received
Reply-To: info.reservation@spivs.co.uk
Date: Fri, 16 Jul 2010 13:21:49 +0000
Message-ID: afm.2722448@server.mailjol.net
Attn Guest,
Your event registration details have been received by us; to complete your event registration shortly we shall send you an email with instruction on how to make payment for the event registration.
Sincerely,
Event Booking Team.
Their website also claims that you can purchase tickets for the event at Hollywood Theater and Kerasotes Showplace Theatres chains. Obviously this is not true but I will use this bit of information. One of the movies they claim to have produced is Twilight. The jpeg of the lobby poster they use on their site is named twinlight.
Dear Kate
I have submitted my registration via your site. However I declined to answer a couple of questions as they were far too personal in nature for a lady and quite frankly nobody's business but mine.
Your website says that people can also purchase tickets for the event at
Hollywood or Kerasotes Showplace theaters. I have just returned from
visiting my sister in Denver CO. I would like her to be able to purchase a
ticket to attend the event with me in Florida. There is a local Hollywood
megaplex near her (we saw the latest Twilight film there two weeks ago
<
Thank you for your time.
Warmest regards
Sheila B Wright
Follow up email to Webnode...
Dear [Webnode Guy]
As it has now been a week I thought I would follow up and see if there was any response from the website owner over the issue I raised.
Kind regards
XXXXX
The new website has obviously cost them more time and money, so the registration fee has gone up
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X-RocketYMMF: deanbat@ymail.com
Date: Fri, 16 Jul 2010 09:51:33 -0700 (PDT)
From: Academy Movie <info.reservation@spivs.co.uk>
Subject: Re: Reservation 26f4b9 Sheila B Wright.
Sheila B Wright,
Welcome to Florida USA red carpet July 20th, 2010 event booking, your online booking information has been received.
In completion of the event registration which makes you eligible to receive your 530,000.00 US Dollars payment also as gate pass at the event; do pay 315 dollars event registration prior to our website as a Non US City Resident.
It is payable to our assigned Malaysia or United State event booking payment outlet.
Liberty Reserve:
Account Name: REDCARPET
Account Number: U6460955
Western Union
Name: Young Andrew
Address: Jalan Pudu, Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia.
Dear Sir or Madam
It may be difficult for me to make a Western Union payment in New Zealand. Recent legislation in my country requires me to produce a copy of the ID of the person who will be receiving the payment. Are you able to provide this please?
Warmest regards
Sheila B Wright
Sheila B Wright,
Welcome to Florida USA red carpet July 20th, 2010 event booking.
There were two payment methods stated not only Western Union; you can use the alternative payment method as we can not submit any member of our staff ID. Identification of receiver is only requested at Western Union when they money is to be received and not during the sending process.
Remember the event date is 20th July which is just a few days from now if you do not complete the event registration payment before the event date you will be disqualified from receiving your payment. After completing the event registration payment if you can not attend the event you can send us an official email informing us that you can not attend the event and you will still receive your payment the timing is really short we doubt if you can meet up.
You have to complete the event registration to enable you receive your payment and also attend the event. Make the event registration payment via Liberty Reserve or Western Union as instructed.
Sincerely,
Red Carpet Event Booking Team. 17/07/2010.
For urgent inquiry call; Tel: 206-337-4756.
This one is from Kate, sour old cow.
The event ticket is not available in all film theaters, I requested for your file from our event registration team and it indicates that you are yet to complete your event registration payment why? Follow the event registration instructions.
Sign.
Kate Wilcox.
Having carefully read their website Sheila is making a valid request
Dear Event Team
Well you didn't read what I wrote. The law in my country now stipulates that I can not make a Western Union payment without evidence of who is going to receive the payment. I have never used Liberty Reserve and don't have an account with them.
Of course I can be there in time. I can fly from Auckland and be on the US west coast time-wise before I even left NZ. That is why I have decided to forgo any claim to $530,000 and attend the event anyway. My flights are booked, I depart Auckland at 12 noon tomorrow 19 July. At LAX I will connect and fly to Miami. I arrive at Miami International on American Airlines flight 1520 at 20.10 on Monday 19 July. Please have someone meet me at the airport to take me to the hotel you are providing. Please make the arrangements for this transport which I will happily pay for at the time. I will require a single persons room with a double bed at the hotel.
Looking forward to this exciting event and meeting with you. I will have my iPad with me so can be contacted by email at any time including during the flight.
Warmest regards
Sheila B Wright
Dear Kate
Your website clearly states Ticket to this event will be made available for purchase at Hollywood Theaters and Kerasotes Showplace Theatres. Nowhere does it say tickets are available only in certain theaters. I am quite sure that under the Federal Trade Commission laws in the US, you are required to state that fact on your website. For someone who is working in event management you are not projecting an image of competency Kate.
If you really did request my file from your event registration team you would have seen that I was trying to make alternative payment arrangements as the law in New Zealand prevents me from making a Western Union payment without evidence of who the payment is going to. I am not comfortable flouting the law. However I am now arranging to attend the event and will forgo any claim to the $530,000 as stated on your website.
Please be a dear and make sure the event registration team make the airport pick up arrangements I requested of them.
Warmest regards
Sheila B Wright
"Clown messages" ROFL
Sheila B Wright,
Haven read your email it shows you are just writing for fun and not serious, this event booking mail box is not a mail box for receiving clown messages. If you have your flight booked for the event you will know that it is important first that you complete the event registration payment. That makes you eligible to attend the event. Will you just get on the flight without booking for the flight and paying your flight ticket fee?? If no then why do you think you can just come to the event when your detail is not on the guest list??? You will not be allowed entrance into the event venue no authorized person will be allowed entrance into the event you must have registered online or purchase ticket for the event.
If you have actually booked a flight you will have been able to set up an account with Liberty Reserve and made payment via Liberty Reserve or use Western Union online payment via their website with a credit card. Note any further emails from you will not be responded to you have been instructed on how to make payment for the event registration either via Liberty Reserve or Western Union send us the payment details depending on the method you use till then stop sending us funny emails.
Sincerely,
Event Booking Team.
Dear Sir or Madam
I am most definitely not being funny. Your website clearly states Guest selected to attend this event with no cash prize benefits will not pay the event registration amount. As I have received a conformation email from you stating that I have registered for the event and therefore been selected for attendance, I shall expect you to honour that by emailing me a gate pass. As I have elected to not receive the cash payment of $530,000 I am not required to pay the registration fee. You put that on your website and are now legally required to honour it. You are even offering tickets for sale at various cinema outlets for any member of the public to buy and attend your event.
All I asked from you was to arrange a pick up at Miami International which I even said I would reimburse the cost of. Please abide by the promises on your website. We don't want to have to involve lawyers in this do we?
Warmest regards
Sheila B Wright
I think I have managed to really annoy them! And make them write to me again despite them saying they won't respond any more
Sheila B Wright,
You were not selected in category of guest with no cash prize benefit so you can not just automatically get your self into that category. The online event registration ends 19th July 2010. If after this time you fail to complete the event registration it means you are no more eligible to attend the event or receive payments.
Mind your statements "We don't want to have to involve lawyers in this do we?" we have every email sent to you documented if you can afford the service of an attorney you should as well have been able to pay your event registration fee. You were selected to attend the event and receive cash prize benefits you can not just decide to change from this category and be on the category of guest selected to attend the event with no cash prize benefit just because you have decline the cash payment, what legal documentation have you submitted to us to certify that you are declining the amount? Did you request from us if we have process for that? You have no right to push us around you are only a selected guest and not a board member or among the event organizing committee if you feel you have concise knowledge of the law then you should have followed instruction given to you which is paying the event registration fee if after completion of the registration payment we do not meet up then you could do what so ever legally.
Do not try to be smart this is not your home affairs that you can run in any manner you wish.
Sincerely,
Event Booking Team
Dear Sir or Madam
I clearly told you in my email yesterday morning that was I was happy to forgo my claim to the $530,000 and as I had already registered all you needed to do was the decent and honourable thing and provide me with a pass. Do you understand that the word forgo means 'decline to take something'?
However I am already in the air on my way to the US. After I land in Miami I shall go to the nearest outlet of Hollywood Theaters in Estero and purchase a ticket to the event. It does say on your website that tickets to the event are being sold by this cinema chain. Or is that just another line of bullshit on your website?
Warmest regards
Sheila B Wright
I hear from Webnode 3pm 19 July 2010 (Aust Central Time)
Hi Harry,
The website owner did contact us and said they would take steps to resolve the issue, and said that the event was no longer being offered.
If there is anything you feel we should know, please do.
Best regards, [Webnode Guy], Webnode
Dear [Webnode Guy]
Thanks for getting back to me. The operator of the website is still offering
tickets to the event and the promise of $530,000 for paying a registration
fee. I wrote to them again under a different name to see if they were still
operating the apparent scam. I have pasted below their latest email
responses received since last Friday. They have moved their operation to
another
Wednode site
moviefocus.webnode.com/upcoming-event
The plagiarized
content is included on their new website but they do not now claim to be the
producers of the particular movie.
The new fake site:
Sheila B Wright,
You do have an attitude problem. The event registration is closed.
Sincerely,
Event Booking Team. 19/07/2010.
Sheila is on her way to sunny Florida
Dear Sir or Madam
I am currently cruising at an altitude of 35,000 feet above the Pacific, lounging back in business class having enjoyed an exquisite four course meal and a deeply tantalising merlot. My only attitude is one of bliss at this moment in time.
The charming gentleman in the seat next to me has put me in touch with a Mr Frank A Rubino in Miami. I have instructed him to send someone to purchase a ticket on my behalf at one of the outlets listed on your website. Your online registration may have closed, but Mr Rubino has advised me that over the counter ticket sales in Florida are by law obliged to continue up until 2 minutes before any event starts. I am so looking forward to being at your red carpet event.
The shades have been lowered so it is time to get some sleep before we land at LAX and I make my connection.
Warmest regards
Sheila B Wright
Bingo! The following arrived 4pm 20 July 2010 (Aust. Central Time). Both their websites have gone.
Dear Harry,
Thank you for your warning about possible illegal content on the website moviefocus.webnode.com
We want to inform you that our company is not the operator of this website. We only offer them with the environment for the technical operation of it.
In cases of infringement or conduct contrary to the terms and conditions, we have the right to block such sites. The above-mentioned website is now inaccessible.
We informed the operator of the project about this fact and gave him the contents of your complaint and your contact in case he wants to resolve the case in another way. However, we are not allowed to provide information on entities that operate their web sites at our facilities.
Best regards, [Webnode Guy], Webnode
Sheila has one last dig
Dear Sir or Madam
It is a glorious morning and promises to be a hot day in Miami. I am fully refreshed after the long flights to get here and was all set to get hair and make up done this morning in the hotel salon in preparation for the big red carpet event today. Then I had a disappointing phone call from my attorney Mr Frank Rubino. It seems that his staff had not been able to purchase a ticket to your event at any of the outlets listed on your website. Further enquiries to the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau revealed they had absolutely no knowledge of your event. And if anyone knows what is going on in Miami, I have been assured they do.
Then we decided to check online. Good heavens, both of your websites have disappeared off the face of the earth. I asked Mr Rubino what could possibly be going on with these good people who have spent $2 and 3 brain cells designing a website and spamming thousands of people around the world with the promise of half a million dollars for the outlay of a mere couple of hundred bucks.
"Quite frankly my dear," Mr Rubino said to me, "I think these people are no better than a hog-dog rodeo family." I had to Google that and it was not a pretty sight.
I shall still keep my hair and make up appointment and after that it will be time for morning tea. I think I will eat cake and lots of it.
Warmest regards
Sheila B Wright
... and another scam bites the dust!