Hello all,

Thank you for your good response to my previous article. Again I got many contacts after that. But if you want to find me and keep in touch with my articles, please try www.unoconsulting.biz.

Just about an hour ago, I got an inquiry that made me smile. It was an inquiry sent by an African company. I don't know if the sender is aware that I am actively writing in this forum giving people advise on safe trading, and that I once wrote about this kind of fishy inquiry. You may check my article Watch Out Mineral Water Inquiry from Benin.

Why was I smiling on the inquiry? Here are the reasons why, and I suggest you to smile at it in case you got yourself a same kind of inquiry.

1. It was a first email inquiry by this African company to me. Instead of asking product details, the subject of the email was : I NEED REPLY. . It was sent under my fresh coconut selling lead but there was no single word within the email mentioning something about or asking about detail of the product.

2. A very typical fake inquiry from African countries is asking for Proforma Invoice from the very beginning of correspondence. Is it wrong? Not at all! But it is unusual. Real buyer would spend several emails on product details. Of course the very important part is to ask for the price. No real buyer would ask for Proforma Invoice unless they aggree on product specification and more importantly the price. Asking for Proforma Invoice is a very strong indication that a buyer is realizing order from a seller. So, by asking me to send the Proforma Invoice, this fake African buyer is trying to convince me that they are in a real hurry to close a deal. Another typical mistakes made by them, they do not show any seriousness in seeing sample. All they want to do is to get into finalization.

3. The sender of the email write his full name by the end of the email. It is usual. But what is unusual was that he wrote his full name including his academic title "Dr". You can check the whole buying leads available in most trading portals, real buyers will not care to write their academic titles. This is very typical fake companies from Africa do. They are trying to impress their prospective victims to believe that they are capable and respectfull people to deal with.

I hope this help.

Happy safe trading

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Are there any GENUINE businesses operating on Alibaba? Virtually every posting regarding bottled water appears to be a scam. It's fascinating that Benin, Nigeria, South Africa and Cameroon need so much of it. Likewise when a 'company' in Germany wants water for the U.K. the the text reads like the classic African scam. Or a 'company' in England wanting water for Africa?

There is a posting this morning by a 'company' in Ireland wanting leading brand alcoholic and no alcoholic drinks. Why don't they just contact their local wholesaler?

Every 'inquiry' we have received to date has been a scam. Every one.

Paul Larkin.

Quoting from [democrats001]:

noun
1.	a fraudulent business scheme
verb
1.	deprive of by deceit; "He swindled me out of my inheritance"; "She defrauded the customers who trusted her"; "the cashier gypped me when he gave me too little change"

Now, because someone made an enquiry from you, you label him a scammer? THIS IS VERY FUNNY in the sense that you do not expect everyone who asks for your price list to buy from you. The person would have asked for quotations from several dealers in your field and maybe your own price is too high or your products do not meet up with his requirements.

 I resent calling people names just because they do not buy from your company or whatever.

So my advice to all in this forum is to watch what we write and say as we do not want this site to become another of those unreliable sites as postings or comments such as these could drive away serious buyers.

 Ok Mr Democrats001,  tell me this is not a scam or con artist. You are a Nigerian and you should know better

Subject Inquire about Football Boots (HXSC 002Y)

From Federal Ministry Of Sports

Photo Reference 

Recipient Mr. Daniel Chan

Date 2008-12-23

Content Kindly let me introduce myself as Damisa Sango, The new sport minister in Nigeria. My ministry is currently looking for suppliers of football boots and other sport shoes to be used at the forth comming National Sport Festival, tagged KADUNA 2009. We would be needing 320,000pairs of this product and your best price would be appreciated. If your price is acceptable, we would award your company the contract for this supply and subsiquent supplies. Awaiting your response.

Yours Faithfully,

Damisa Sango.

Sender

Name Mr. Damisa Sango  

Email sportminister_ng@yahoo.com

Telephone 234-70-25115885

Fax 234-70-25115885

Country/Region Nigeria

Website

 Sender's IP Address 41.219.*.*

Sender's IP Location Nigeria

 

Below is my reply

Dear Mr Sango,

 

Thank you very much for your inquiry.  We are very honored to have such an inquiry from the Sport Minister of Nigeria himself.

 

There are a few things I would like for you to clarify.

 

You stated that your phone number is as follows:

Telephone 234-70-25115885

Fax 234-70-25115885

 

As I know your ministry is located in Abuja and for the area code... I find it very weird

 

I thought Mr Sani Ndanusa  was confirmed as the new sport minister on December 18. Did he leave his post as Nigeria's Sport Minister after 5 days?

 

Quoting from [Merlion]:

Quoting from [democrats001]:

noun
1.	a fraudulent business scheme
verb
1.	deprive of by deceit; "He swindled me out of my inheritance"; "She defrauded the customers who trusted her"; "the cashier gypped me when he gave me too little change"

Now, because someone made an enquiry from you, you label him a scammer? THIS IS VERY FUNNY in the sense that you do not expect everyone who asks for your price list to buy from you. The person would have asked for quotations from several dealers in your field and maybe your own price is too high or your products do not meet up with his requirements.

 I resent calling people names just because they do not buy from your company or whatever.

So my advice to all in this forum is to watch what we write and say as we do not want this site to become another of those unreliable sites as postings or comments such as these could drive away serious buyers.

 Ok Mr Democrats001,  tell me this is not a scam or con artist. You are a Nigerian and you should know better

Subject Inquire about Football Boots (HXSC 002Y)


From Federal Ministry Of Sports


Photo Reference 


Recipient Mr. Daniel Chan


Date 2008-12-23

Content Kindly let me introduce myself as Damisa Sango, The new sport minister in Nigeria. My ministry is currently looking for suppliers of football boots and other sport shoes to be used at the forth comming National Sport Festival, tagged KADUNA 2009. We would be needing 320,000pairs of this product and your best price would be appreciated. If your price is acceptable, we would award your company the contract for this supply and subsiquent supplies. Awaiting your response.


Yours Faithfully,


Damisa Sango.

Sender


Name Mr. Damisa Sango  


Email sportminister_ng@yahoo.com


Telephone 234-70-25115885


Fax 234-70-25115885


Country/Region Nigeria


Website


 Sender's IP Address 41.219.*.*


Sender's IP Location Nigeria

 

Below is my reply

Dear Mr Sango,


 


Thank you very much for your inquiry.  We are very honored to have such an inquiry from the Sport Minister of Nigeria himself.


 


There are a few things I would like for you to clarify.


 


You stated that your phone number is as follows:


Telephone 234-70-25115885


Fax 234-70-25115885

 


As I know your ministry is located in Abuja and for the area code... I find it very weird


 


I thought Mr Sani Ndanusa  was confirmed as the new sport minister on December 18. Did he leave his post as Nigeria's Sport Minister after 5 days?

 

Quoting from [Merlion]:

Quoting from [democrats001]:

noun
1.	a fraudulent business scheme
verb
1.	deprive of by deceit; "He swindled me out of my inheritance"; "She defrauded the customers who trusted her"; "the cashier gypped me when he gave me too little change"

Now, because someone made an enquiry from you, you label him a scammer? THIS IS VERY FUNNY in the sense that you do not expect everyone who asks for your price list to buy from you. The person would have asked for quotations from several dealers in your field and maybe your own price is too high or your products do not meet up with his requirements.

 I resent calling people names just because they do not buy from your company or whatever.

So my advice to all in this forum is to watch what we write and say as we do not want this site to become another of those unreliable sites as postings or comments such as these could drive away serious buyers.

 Ok Mr Democrats001,  tell me this is not a scam or con artist. You are a Nigerian and you should know better

Subject Inquire about Football Boots (HXSC 002Y)


From Federal Ministry Of Sports


Photo Reference 


Recipient Mr. Daniel Chan


Date 2008-12-23

Content Kindly let me introduce myself as Damisa Sango, The new sport minister in Nigeria. My ministry is currently looking for suppliers of football boots and other sport shoes to be used at the forth comming National Sport Festival, tagged KADUNA 2009. We would be needing 320,000pairs of this product and your best price would be appreciated. If your price is acceptable, we would award your company the contract for this supply and subsiquent supplies. Awaiting your response.


Yours Faithfully,


Damisa Sango.

Sender


Name Mr. Damisa Sango  


Email sportminister_ng@yahoo.com


Telephone 234-70-25115885


Fax 234-70-25115885


Country/Region Nigeria


Website


 Sender's IP Address 41.219.*.*


Sender's IP Location Nigeria

 

Below is my reply

Dear Mr Sango,


 


Thank you very much for your inquiry.  We are very honored to have such an inquiry from the Sport Minister of Nigeria himself.


 


There are a few things I would like for you to clarify.


 


You stated that your phone number is as follows:


Telephone 234-70-25115885


Fax 234-70-25115885

 


As I know your ministry is located in Abuja and for the area code... I find it very weird


 


I thought Mr Sani Ndanusa  was confirmed as the new sport minister on December 18. Did he leave his post as Nigeria's Sport Minister after 5 days?

 

Hi, to everyone

 

I start also water selling business and your writing is very scary.  How then I  understand when is a genuine businessman??

I need info before when I make mistakes

thank  you advance

 

Eduard

 

Quoting from [LPorl]:

Are there any GENUINE businesses operating on Alibaba? Virtually every posting regarding bottled water appears to be a scam. It's fascinating that Benin, Nigeria, South Africa and Cameroon need so much of it. Likewise when a 'company' in Germany wants water for the U.K. the the text reads like the classic African scam. Or a 'company' in England wanting water for Africa?

There is a posting this morning by a 'company' in Ireland wanting leading brand alcoholic and no alcoholic drinks. Why don't they just contact their local wholesaler?

Every 'inquiry' we have received to date has been a scam. Every one.

Paul Larkin.