Thread: Fraud/Scam Alert

wow, thats pretty targeted !

It sure is. I don't know if they're trying to ruin me, ruin other businesses or just trying to make a quick buck. Whatever the reason, I'm just a little cranky today!

Paul
I enjoy watching your youtube channel.

kel

Hope they get the bludger.
A assume you have contacted all your usual suppliers to warn them

Hi Paul,

That's out and out fraud - a police matter. Have you reported it to the fraud squad? I know its not likely to involve huge dollars, but it is criminal behavior and the cops should know about it.

You could start with these
Report a scam | Scamwatch

ReportCyber | Cyber.gov.au

Report a scam | Consumer Affairs Victoria

Hi Paul,

Love your work - hope you and the family all the best

If your scammer is doing this to you then you can guarantee he is doing it using other small youtubers or influencers ID's so a police report is a must,

Cheers,

Scott.

This type of scam has been going on for years and years.

I doubt it will be personal, more a reflection that you have penetrated the market and gotten noticed.
If anything it is a recognition of your success, unfortunately there is a lot of crap that comes with success on the internet.

I personally practice being a social media ghost, my presence is very limited and controlled as best as I can.

Originally Posted by rwbuild

Hope they get the bludger.
A assume you have contacted all your usual suppliers to warn them

As nothing of mine has been hacked (to the best to my knowledge), they're just going after random suppliers in the industry - one supplier I only learnt about today, and I've only bought Ubeaut stuff directly at shows years ago or at Pops Shed. That makes it even more frustrating not knowing how many have been swindled!

It's perhaps calculated working off the basis that people I've dealt with have my email so they can verify the legitimacy a bit easier.

Originally Posted by RossM

Hi Paul,
That's out and out fraud - a police matter. Have you reported it to the fraud squad? I know its not likely to involve huge dollars, but it is criminal behavior and the cops should know about it.

Yes and working with at least one of the targets to try and sort it out. I learnt that identity theft is apparently not a federal offence in Australia!

Originally Posted by notevensquare

Hi Paul,

Love your work - hope you and the family all the best

If your scammer is doing this to you then you can guarantee he is doing it using other small youtubers or influencers ID's so a police report is a must,

Thanks. And yeah, thats a concern. I think the person is targetting just Australian businesses at this stage, so I should reach out to other AU youtubers in the same space and clue them in on whats going on.

Originally Posted by BoneInspector

This type of scam has been going on for years and years.

I doubt it will be personal, more a reflection that you have penetrated the market and gotten noticed.
If anything it is a recognition of your success, unfortunately there is a lot of crap that comes with success on the internet.

I personally practice being a social media ghost, my presence is very limited and controlled as best as I can.

I know thats the rational/logical outcome, but its hard not to think with my heart when its my name being abused

I must admit I'm more and more tempted to shut all the social things down, but that would have to include youtube and then the idea kinda falls apart.

i think i recall not that long ago Dave Jones EEVBlog guy had his name dropped as well but the suppliers in question knew him enough to know something was up. And even more recently he had someone use his name to get commercially confidential info from a manufacturer (so exposing their info to someone without an actual NDA).

As was said earlier, its a good and bad sign. Good that you're known enough to have "weight", even if you haven't tried it on; but bad because someone else is just doing it to screw people over.

(and hi, good to see you here, I don't think I knew you were here until this thread!)

Originally Posted by VikingCode

I learnt that identity theft is apparently not a federal offence in Australia!

But obtaining goods by deception is definitely a criminal offence.

While this may not stop this scum, you could add some information to your YouTube channel "About me" page - along the lines of "To any suppliers out there - beware of scammers. I occasionally do product reviews and in this case I will only contact you directly - I have no manager, business partner or middle man. The best way to check it's really me that you are dealing with is to use the contact page on my website for initial communications."

This is likely to be better than asking them to use your email address on the YouTube channel - scammers can very easily spoof your email address so it looks like its coming from you but reply emails actually go back to them.

Why not speak to the supplier that contacted you and get them to send an empty box of freebies to him. If to a PO box, then wait and see who picks it up!! "The wood knight does Secret squirrel", would make a great little vid of "Woody scams scammers!!" This guys sounds like a nasty piece of work, just make sure that your cat didn't really do it first!! hahahaha,

Wish you all the bet at catching however it may be.

Sort of related as it happened on YT, a channel had years of video deleted recently. I forget who it was but they hacked or otherwise obtained his log in and did the deed and YT can't/won't do anything and do not hold back ups either. Years of work down the slot. I guess it is a good heads up to contributers to hold back up's of all uploads.

Originally Posted by VikingCode

..... I run a youtube channel, so occasionally I do product reviews/etc). Last night I was alerted that somebody has been using my name ("Paul Jenkins" aka "The Wood Knight") to request freebies for review from a few companies and having them sent to my "middle man"/manager.......

Hi Paul

Its annoying, frustrating, worrying, .... but untimately a storm in a teacup. It is so common that it is no longer an issue! Contrary to your feelings of violation, it is nothing personal; you were just an available target.

I discussed your situation with the owner of a small local restaurant. He just shrugged: We get requests for freebies from "reviewers" almost daily. Usually with the veiled threat that you do not want us to post a bad review.

For peace of mind, if nothing else, I suggest that you do the following:

• formally complain to Police, as already suggested, both verbally and in writing,
• report cyber crime as per RossM's advice, but copy to Consumer Affairs in every state,
• advise everyone in your address book as to what has happened. Let them talk about it.
• put an explanation on your website. Nay, a warning.

Stop worrying. Business contacts will simply see that you had aproblem and that you have dealt with it. Nothing more.


Cheers

Graeme