faulknerwn 38 #1 November 8, 2007 I run a small gear store at my local dz. We have a website, but we're just a small shop. I get this phone call on the shop's phone yesterday, and its some dude who wants to buy 50 complete rigs for a UAE club, and they need to have Icarus Extreme VX mains! Beyond that he didn't care about the type of rigs, just whatever I would recommend. I had him send me an email, and then he called back again this morning requesting a quote. It was a bizarre, but I sent him a nice expensive quote :-) I figure this guy has got to be a scam - but its weird getting it as a phone call instead of an email. Anyone else gotten any of these phone calls? He's calling from an Alabama area code of all places! W Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybytch 273 #2 November 8, 2007 QuoteI figure this guy has got to be a scam - but its weird getting it as a phone call instead of an email. Anyone else gotten any of these phone calls? He's calling from an Alabama area code of all places! He could be an exporter. The guy likely knows nothing about parachutes; he probably fills contracts for clients outside the US regardless of what they are for. The ones I dealt with were usually a PITA to work with... but the money came through. Get a good down payment before you place the orders and require that the balance be paid in full prior to shipping. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
faulknerwn 38 #3 November 8, 2007 The part that got me though was that he wanted 50 Extreme VX's (most likely the most expensive parachute he found on my website) - what club would want 50 VX's???? That's an aggressive training program for students! W Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DrewEckhardt 0 #4 November 8, 2007 QuoteThe part that got me though was that he wanted 50 Extreme VX's (most likely the most expensive parachute he found on my website) - what club would want 50 VX's???? That's an aggressive training program for students! W Some rich oil baron said "I want a parachute club with the best money can buy." And the most expensive is the best,right? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
moto89 0 #5 November 8, 2007 My guess is someone knowing nothing about skydiving was put in charge of the buy and decided that the most high performance, most expensive canopies they could buy meant they were the "best".Less talking, more flying. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillyVance 34 #6 November 8, 2007 Quote Anyone else gotten any of these phone calls? He's calling from an Alabama area code of all places! W Not me... Anyway, which area code? 205, 251, 256, or 334? It might be someone from L.A.S.A. fucking with you, but I could be wrong. If there is a way to find out who owns the phone number that you're getting the call from, go find out."Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jtval 0 #7 November 8, 2007 QuoteThe part that got me though was that he wanted 50 Extreme VX's (most likely the most expensive parachute he found on my website) - what club would want 50 VX's???? That's an aggressive training program for students! W It's for the suicide bombers who are taking it to the extreme.My photos My Videos Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AUSkyguy 0 #8 November 8, 2007 I assure you it's not L.A.S.A. We would request JVX's, No substitue -Chris Martin Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
redlegphi 0 #9 November 8, 2007 QuoteThe part that got me though was that he wanted 50 Extreme VX's (most likely the most expensive parachute he found on my website) - what club would want 50 VX's???? That's an aggressive training program for students! W Maybe they've got it in their heads to start a national team or something? I'm kinda surprised you didn't ask them what they planned on using them for. Kinda like selling a similar system to somebody off of the classified pages without asking them what their experience level is. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jheadley 0 #10 November 8, 2007 Quote It's for the suicide bombers who are taking it to the extreme. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chipiematt 0 #11 November 8, 2007 i saw the UAE army skydive team a couple of months ago in empuriabrava, their coach or whoever he was pouring cash out in the shop kitting them out with everything going!!!did you say tequila??? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillyVance 34 #12 November 8, 2007 Quote i saw the UAE army skydive team a couple of months ago in empuriabrava, their coach or whoever he was pouring cash out in the shop kitting them out with everything going!!! Kind of reminds me of the skinny dude from Saudi Arabia, I think it was where he was from, showed up at Skydive City in Z-hills, and proceeded to rip off something like 500 jumps in 2 months straight from AFF. All that oil money, what are ya gonna do? "Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
faulknerwn 38 #13 November 8, 2007 Interesting. I'm starting to think it may be legit. The guy doesn't seem to know anything about what he's buying or what its going to be used for tho. Maybe a reseller or something who is putting in a bid for someone over there.. W Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pilotdave 0 #14 November 8, 2007 Make sure he pays by western union! Or maybe he has a check for more than he owes. Just kindly return the difference. Dave Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chipiematt 0 #15 November 8, 2007 maybe its osama bin laden kitting out some new afghan paratroopers!!!did you say tequila??? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JustChuteMeNow 0 #16 November 8, 2007 Quote Make sure he pays by western union! Or maybe he has a check for more than he owes. Just kindly return the difference. Many times you can even keep 10 percent more than what is owed just for helping out. Think of how stupid the average person is and realize that statistically half of them are stupider than that. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
asmund 0 #17 November 8, 2007 Scammers are using phone calls quite frequently, or a combination of emails and phone. I got an email from some dude with "unclaimed inheritance in Malaysia" and needed my help. I replied to the email saying just two words, "I'm interested", and put my phone number as requested in the email (I thought I was gonna throw the phone in the trash in a few days anyway, as I was about to leave the US). A day later he called, explaining etc... I just played along, the guy was nice to talk with (almost perfect English), we spoke of all kinds of things. The call was from a blocked number, but the email IP and the phone number he included for his "lawyer business" traced to Nigeria. After a week of playing along, he asked for money (saying he had already put $20,000 in "our project", and I said I didn't want to contribute...He got pissed, so I said I'd consider sending him like $3K. He got all happy, and sent payment details.... then I just didn't pay, and we've been sending "FFU**CK YOU"-emails every other month for the last six months. I guess he ran up a nice phone bill calling me so much from so far away. You should go ahead with it up to the point where you're risking your own money. The scammer I was in contact with used the identity of a public member of some Malaysian court (as I could verify it through their state's board association), an actual lawyer office address, and public documents faked with real logos, stamps, even the names used to sign the documents he claimed he needed money for, were actual people working in the Malaysian court system, verified with Google. The more of their time you waste, the harder they must work for our money, so go for it.I like subway. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
squirrel 0 #18 November 9, 2007 there was a story like that on Dateline or 60 minutes....scams, and they caught them red handed....but, as reporters....could not do anything about it....except report it. ________________________________ Where is Darwin when you need him? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AirtecKai 0 #19 November 9, 2007 Hi, I would recommend to be very careful and not to order anything beforehand. I doubt that there are 50 skydivers in one club who need a VX, as the Umm Al Quwain Aeroclub is from my knowledge the only club in UAE. At www.uaqaeroclub.com you find contact details, might make sense to ask. If there are 50 hungry VX pilots in UAE, they know them Case of beer when this inquiry is real. Good luck , Kai Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
frazeebd 0 #20 November 9, 2007 Quote got an email from some dude with "unclaimed inheritance in Malaysia" and needed my help. Wow, I got an email just like that, only mine was in like South Africa or something... and it was exactly that, an "unclaimed inheritance." To be honest, it was actually a pretty convincing email all in all. I never responded... just a little too wierd for my blood. I wish there was a convenient and effective method by which to check the legitimacy of you're source, OP. Wanting to buy that many rigs and not knowing anything about them sounds pretty sketchy to me... I mean even if it is some rich hooligan that has his bean-counter ordering 50 parachutes regardless of price, wouldn't you think he would have gone to a manufacturer? I dunno, be careful with this one dude. There are places and people who specialize in checking these kinds of things out. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peanutgallery 0 #21 November 10, 2007 http://www.whocalled.us/ Try this, you type in the phone number and it tells you who it is I used to have a handle on life, but it broke Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jumpah 0 #22 November 10, 2007 Sounds like a "419 scam". Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lastchance 0 #23 November 10, 2007 Why would a suicide bomber need a parachute. I would just freefall into the spot. Gonna die anyway. I may be getting old but I got to see all the cool bands. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
