Bizarre boarding request -- calling all amateur detectives

[Lulu]

My friend who operates a barn in Maryland has gotten two strange boarding requests. Clearly, something's very weird here and I wonder if somebody else has received anything similar or can figure out the angle.


Email 1 sent 10/11/2009 7:33:40 P.M.

Hello There,
I'm Thomas,i need to board my gelding away from home for three months as i will be traveling for vacation with my family, I have the coggin and health certificate,i will need a full stall boarding or a pasture for the three months .. Let me know the price and any other requirement ... Intending Date for Boarding: 11/07/09 Let me know if you have a space available and get back to me with the details required to reserved a space for her i.e cost for boarding for each months either PASTURE,FULL STALL OR PADDOCK
Looking forward to read from you

Regards
Thomas

Email #2, sent 10/12/2009 2:29:13 A.M

Hello ,
Am really happy to have the breakdown and requirement for the boarding,i will be traveling for my vacation,am having less time to check the place out as my time is limited and have to meet up with my flight arrangement and other issues here before leaving ...am intending to move down to your area after the boarding expires ,that is why am having my horse moved down from CA

About my horse:
NAME: Willie
Year of birth:1997
Age:12
Sex: gelding
Height : 15.0 hands
Base Color : Bay
Breed:Thoroughbred
Feed:Hay and Grains
Registration Not registered
De worming due:2nd week of every

Description:
Good mannered and very sweet. Has been started under saddle with no problems. Up to date on everything. Very easy going and smart. Gentle and willing. Will be a very nice horse. No bad habits. Leads loads ties bathes and stands for vet and farrier.He is very smart and a very fast learner. He is not a spooky horse but very inquisitive. He is a smaller type and well balanced. He would be a perfect prospect for High School Rodeo; Goat tying, Barrels or poles. He loads and hauls great, doesn't become stressed. He also is easy to have shod. He loves people. I don't have much time as am busy preparing for my vacation but will have my hauler bring him..i would love to have the following info to make payment ahead to reserved a pasture or full stall boarding at you ranch,email the following info

Your Name
Address
City
State
Zip Code
Phone number

The boarding start immediately you have the payment with you and it will include the hauler's fee and as soon as you get the payment,i will email you necessary info on how to manage the funds ...I will be looking forward to have the
contract for boarding for filling and signature.

I'll be glad to read from you

soon

Thomas..

Email #3 11/13/2009 7:10:19 A.M.

Hello There,
I'm Brian XXXX from Los Angeles CA,I am moving down to your state and i will like to board my horse willie for four months before they get my barn done,i am a news reporter and i got busy schedules with travelling to gather news information, I have the coggin and health certificate,i will need a full stall boarding or a pasture for the four months,Let me know the price and any other requirement ... Boarding Date: 12/05/09 Let me know if you will be able to accomodate my horse with any available space.pls get back to me with price per month..
Looking forward to read from you

Regards
Brian

[TBjumper103]

It is just a scammer, best thing to do is completely ignore them.

[NeedsAdvil]

Umm. Yeah, it's called a scam.

[Lulu]

I know it's a scam, but what's the angle?

[Quin]

Scam. If you give them any encouragement, they'll send you a 'certified' check. OOPS! The check is for too much money. Just send the excess back to them, or to some funky third party.

AFTER they cash YOUR check, THEIR check will bounce. You're out your money, plus the bad check charge from their deposit.

Ignoring them is the best policy. Don't respond at all; just delete any future contact from them.

[goldponies]

I had this same thing happen last month. Lady asking for vacation board etc. Weird.

[jenm]

Quin nailed it. It's a different spin on the guy "selling" a gorgeous LQ trailer for next to nothing.

[GoForAGallop]

I had this same thing happen last month. Lady asking for vacation board etc. Weird.

It's not "weird." It's fake, and a scam. It's quite obvious.

[Cloverbarley]

Hello There,
I'm Thomas,i need to board my gelding away from home for three months as i will be traveling for vacation with my family, I have the coggin and health certificate,i will need a full stall boarding or a pasture for the three months .. Let me know the price and any other requirement ... Intending Date for Boarding: 11/07/09 Let me know if you have a space available and get back to me with the details required to reserved a space for her i.e cost for boarding for each months either PASTURE,FULL STALL OR PADDOCK
Looking forward to read from you

Regards
Thomas

I was sent the exact same email about 2 months ago, except my person was named Ernest. I replied that I was full and never heard from them again.

[Go Fish]

Saw this same Email/request with almost the exact same wording on another board several months ago (September?). The BO was asking if the Email could be a scam.

Do these dumb asses think that barn owners live in a vacuum and don't talk to each other/share stories?

[trinityhill]

Yup scam... just got another one this morning. I have gotten them asking for setting their son up for a year's worth of lessons too... so keep an eye out for that one also...

[Sugarbrook]

I had just about the same email about a month ago. I just deleted it.

[Bluehorsesjp]

and doesn't the description of the horse sound like a sale ad?
Too funny.
And yes it is a scam

[TalkIsCheap]

My question is....a 12 year old TB that's just started under saddle? Ha ha. Be a bit more convincing with your description dude.

[Anselcat]

The boarding start immediately you have the payment with you and it will include the hauler's fee and as soon as you get the payment,i will email you necessary info on how to manage the funds ...

This is the tip-off (as if the whole thing wasn't as fishy as tuna already). He sends a fake check, as Quin said, for the board and hauler's fee. Then asks you to send the 'hauler' his money -- but you'll just be sending money back to the scammer. And since his check is fake, you'll be out the 'hauler's' fee.

No hauler will ever show up, no horse, no way, no how.

[KBEquine]

We get a similarly worded email a couple times a day in response to ads for Canadian Kid - AT STUD.

But the email sender's 1st language isn't English & the think the horse is advertised for sale, so are doing "give me your lowest price & i'll send you a check larger than asking price - and you must send part of it elsewhere."

It's all the same scam, worded slightly differently to match whatever you are advertising for sale.

Unfortunately, I probably miss some legit requests for information on Canadian Kid because there are so many people-of-various-names who want to buy him at my lowest price . . .

[twobays]

and doesn't the description of the horse sound like a sale ad?
Too funny.
And yes it is a scam

hahaha, I noticed that too. It's like, why does a BO care what kind of Rodeo events your prospect is going to do after it's done with vacation board? :lol:

[Jumperprincess]

Can you say scam? I get one of these at least once a month

[gottagrey]

I've gotten practically the same email as well - sometimes in the header where it says TO: it will say "undisclosed recipients". thats a good clue its a scam. What's amazing is they never say, I am moving to <City,State> and need to board my horse. It's just a random email to whoever/whatever country to board horse.

I run a vacation tour business and I get these all the time - Mark has 6 people coming to "my country" for 4 weeks, we need 10 rooms (for 6 people) and a "logistics" person who will handle all the logistics of the trip but Logistics person doesn't have credit card- so Mark will send me his CC where I'm supposed to charge $20,000 keep 1/2 for myself and send the balance to the "Logistics person" Are you kidding me? I either delete or sometimes if I'm bored I play around w/ them. yes we can accommodate you. How many days fox hunting do you wish? and what is your riding ability? :lol:

[kealea31]

"He would be a perfect prospect for High School Rodeo; Goat tying, Barrels or poles"


Come on, scam or not, who wouldn't want a goat tying horse boarded at thier barn. LOL