Got the same email message except from "Lucy Smith."
I knew something wasn't right. Thanks.

Hello

I inquire the service of a competent Chef to make meals for my family while we are on vacation in the area of Park City,Utah.I want to know your availability.We are coming to United States from United Arab Emirates.We are going to need your service for a period of 6 weeks long.Kindly let me know if you are available,your quick response will be appreciated.

  Best Regards,
  Mrs Lucy Smith,
  Independent Petroleum Geologist,
  UAE,DUBAI.

I got this message and responded. The wording on the email obviously sounds like a scam!

David Cole dcdavidscole30@gmail.com
8:02 AM (3 hours ago)

to dispatch
Hello Gus,
  Sorry for the late response.  I am glad to hear from you. Though, I
am a very busy man but even with my busy schedule, I will be happy to
always create time to work things out with you so that I can secure
your service for my family ahead of our arrival day. Just to tell you
a little about my background, I'm David Cole by name, I'm an
independent petroleum Geologist by profession. I am a Costa Rican but
i get married to a Spanish woman, we are based here in Scotland, UK, I
work as an independent Contractor to major oil firms.

 We are a family of 4, myself, my wife and our two female teenagers.
Are you the person that will drive us?. If someone else, I am
demanding that you only provide 2-3 competent drivers to drive us
throughout our 6 weeks vacation. My point is that I do hate for
different drivers to drive us, so as to ensure good relationship and
understanding between us.

 We are coming for our vacation on the 2nd of March, 2014 to start
our 6 weeks long vacation. We would need a driver and a car on call
from 10am to 11pm everyday, 7 days a week, through out the period of
our vacation. Does your company run night service?... I need to know
because we will also need transportation in the night but not
everyday. I'm going to rent a vacation home in Minneapolis, Minnesota
where we will stay. What types of cars/vehicles do you have?...kindly
provide me with the list of the cars you use and the daily rates of
each car, including Driver's pay. I know you charge per hour but I
need you to give me a discounted rates on the cars you have available
considering our extended stay.

  I will prefer we use Limousines on the weekends only and use SUV
jeeps or Sedan cars(which will be comfortable for 4 passengers) on the
week days except when we have high profiled outings and special
occasions.

   Waiting to hear back from you ASAP.

   Best Regards,
   Mr Cole.
   Independent Petroleum Geologist.
  +447031968475  or dial this way 011447031968475




>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: "David Cole" <dcdavidscole30@gmail.com>
> Sent: Thursday, January 9, 2014 7:20am
> Subject: DRIVER NEEDED
>
> Hello,
>   I found your Chauffeur company on the Internet  when i was searching
> for a Chauffeur service. We are in need of a competent Chauffeur to
> take care of our transportation needs during our vacation period in
> the United States of America. We live in Scotland, United Kingdom. We
> are coming to  Minneapolis, Minnesota and  our vacation will last for
> the period of six weeks. Do let me know if you can accommodate our
> needs.
>
>   Waiting to hear back from you ASAP.
>
>   Best Regards,
>   Mr Cole.
>   Independent Petroleum Geologist
>   +447031968475  or dial this way 011447031968475



Ok this guy is probably doing it with all professions and the same name.
>

This is the e-mail I got from David Cole:

Hello,
 I found your Chef company on the Internet  when i was searching for
a Chef service. We are in need of a competent Chef to take care of our
nutritional needs during our vacation period in the United States of
America. We live in Scotland, United Kingdom. We are coming to Agoura
Hills, California and our vacation will last for the period of six
weeks. Do let me know if you can accommodate our needs.

Waiting to hear back from you ASAP.

Best Regards,
Mr Cole.
Independent Petroleum Geologist.
+447031968475  or dial this way 011447031968475

And after that:
I received your email. Everything looks good. Your rates falls
within my budget, I have decided to let you handle our culinary needs
and I'm hoping for a good and reliable chef service from you. We want
to reserve your service for the dates of our vacation period so that
you will have enough job security not to book another Clients for the
period of time we need your service. Every business requires deposit
for commitment, i believe that you will need some amount of
money(deposit) to make a valid reservation for us. We have thought of
mailing you a check but we later realized that it will hardly work, a
check from here can not be cashed in United States. For this reason we
will have our business associate, who is in United States send you a
check for the deposit to secure your service. But all other subsequent
payments will be, off course, paid by us and it will always be cash at
the beginning of each weeks. He is suppose to get some money to me in
3 weeks but i will have him send part of it to you instead as my
deposit for your service.  I will instruct my business associate to
send you a check of $2,000 for the deposit. Do you accept $2,000
deposit and my method of payment?. If so, Do provide me with the full
names and address for the payment. This sum will later be deducted
from the total payment for your service.

I'm already searching for vacation home we will stay. I hope you
will not have distance problem with any location we will choose in
Agoura Hills, California . We have already contacted a Realtor, he is
checking on available vacation homes and he promised to get back to me
immediately when he finds available properties for rent. I will update
you as soon as we have made all arrangements with the Realtor and also
let you know the location of the vacation home when I have the
details.


THANKS TO THIS WEBSITE I KNOW IT'S A SCAM!

I have received two of these now.  One from David Cole, and this morning from Lucy Smith.  We never got as far as him sending me the $2000 check.  He did ask me to recommend a chauffeur. Have not heard from him in weeks now.  Don't know why he dropped me as a mark, but glad he did.  And glad to have found this post!!!

I got the same email as the rest, "Competent" chef needed for 6 week stay in my area, same email but different number +44 702 405 4302 - Thank god I decided to look this up!!

Caller #+44 702 404 4305
Asking for a chef for six weeks while his family vacations in southern Maine. Didn't quack like duck!
Thanks for this web site!

I too received a message this morning 1/3/13 at 6:18am (EST) from the same FRANK MOORE although it seems he has changed the phone number to +44 702 405 4305. here is the email.....

Hello,

  I will like to know your availability.  I am in need of a competent
Chef  to take care of our Culinary  needs while we are on vacation in
the area of  Bethpage, New York. We are coming to United States from
Manchester, UK. We are going to need your service for a period of 6
weeks long. Do  let me know if you are available.

  Best Regards,
  Mr  Frank
  Independent Geologist

 +44 702 405 4305

I knew immediately there was something wrong with this request. The email this came from was suntabinc@gmail.com. Looks like this scam artist is still active. Please beware everyone and best of luck in your businesses

same story and email as the rest of you.

Got the same email from Frank Moore from UK. His email address is suntabinc@gmail.com. I am glad that I googled him and didn't waste my time!

Got the same thing today- It is coming in as Frank Moore looking for personal chef services. Makes me sick to my stomach. I really hate lazy opportunists!

got the same message this week!  he's still at it.  same exact thing.  subtabinc@gmail.com is the email.

I also was in contact with this man going by a new name FRANK MOORE and I thought is was too good to be true...decided to google this email and found this...WOW!!!!.. Had my menu and he wanted his client here in the US to issue the check to me by mail....

I also thought it was strange that he was emailing me at a time when it would have been 1:30am in Manchester UK.....  Besides the awkward language, that was what also tipped me off...

I just got this email today:
Hello,

  I will like to know your availability.  I am in need of a competent
Chef  to take care of our Culinary  needs while we are on vacation in
the area of  Avery, CA.  We are coming to United States from
Manchester, UK. We are going to need your service for a period of 6
weeks long. Kindly let me know if you are available.

  Best Regards,
  Mr  Frank

Sounded so strange, I googled it.  Good thing.  The name and location change are interesting.  I wonder how I got on this list....Seems as though he has specific targets.  Odd.  Thanks for posting everyone!

Do you have some info on this number.

I got the exact same email except for the dates of april 14-15. They are doing alot of vacationing that is overlapping no less. I thought it was a scam with the phone number and was only going to communicate via email. Thanks for posting and i hope also no one else falls for this scam.

I knew something was off and went to my handy dandy source, Google! I'm not even going to waste my time or energy and responding. Thanks for posting. Namaste

Got the same one... they are going to be in alot of place at the same time!!!

Oh please do - we - those that are in the same scam are curious how it goes for you - this is so disheartening to learn about  :(

Thanks for the posts! I thought he sounded off so I googled him and sure enough it's a scam! I immediately emailed him we do not have a driver available to accommodate him anymore, but wish him the best time on his "vacation" :)

I do feel bad for anyone who did fall for this, hope someone gets this guy!

Here is the email sent out...looked like another scam...
Good Morning,  Chef Michael
       I got your e-mail  and  am glad to hear that you are available. Just to tell you about my background, i'm Mr Sean Ted, an independent petroleum Geologist by profession. I'm contacting you from Stirling in Scotland, Uk. My number is +44702 404 6878, I'm not a British person, i came down here from Republic of Colombia where i was born and schooled. My point is that you might have problem understanding my accent. Not quite long i started learning English.

     We are four people coming for the vacation, myself,my wife and my two teenager kids. Are you the person that will  cook for us?... If someone else, i am demanding that you only provide 2-3 competent chefs to  take care of our culinary needs throughout our 5 weeks vacation. My point is that i do hate for different chefs to cook for us, so as to ensure good relationship and understanding between us. We'll arrive  Santa Barbara, CA  within 9-10  of April,2012.  We will need a chef  to come in and prepare meals for several days all at one time and leave them for us to warm up when we need them.  I'm going to rent a vacation home with a kitchen and full cooking  equipments in  Santa Barbara  where we will stay. Do get back to me with your price qutes.  I know you charge per hour but i need you to consider us because of our  EXTENDED stay.

The right time to call me is any moment after 7:30pm when i would have finished work for the day, thanks and have a nice day.

   Yours Truly,
     Mr.Ted

NOTE:  BELOW IS OUR MENUS IDEA FOR THE FIRST WEEK OF OUR ARRIVAL AND ANY ADDITIONAL LIST OF MENUS FROM YOU WOULD BE HIGHLY APPRECIATED :

    BREAKFAST
Rustic Italian Country Breakfast
Parmesan & Basil Strata with Mushroom & Bacon
Grilled Ham
Roasted Rosemary Reds
Fresh Seasonal Fruit Platter

LUNCH
Soup & Salad Bar
Creamy Chicken Corn Chowder, Tomato Basil Bisque, Cream of Leek, Mushroom, Rosemary Beef Vegetable & Potato
(Choice of two Soups)
Green Garden Salad with Buttermilk Ranch
Classic Caesar Salad

DINNER
Sun Dried Tomato, Roasted Red Pepper & Feta Stuffed Chicken Breast with Garlic Cream Sauce

Damn I was all excited  just got an email, same number, with an unneeded background info, requesting my driving services, stating he would be visiting my area in a couple weeks and needed to work out the details, thanks a bunch for posting this info

Hmm, I've got an email from him in my inbox right now, stating he's planning on visiting San Francisco (where I live and work) for five weeks. So far, after an initial inquiry - with no mention of money - he's sent me a longer email with more details but, again, no mention of money except to note that I probably charge for my cooking services by the hour.

The phone number matches, as does the gmail address.

At this point, my curiosity is piqued. I may plug ahead and see if he, or his colleague, begins asking me to help forward money.

Aimee...I am so glad I was able to be of some help. I really didn't think I would be doing much because it is as though these scammers really cannot be completely stopped. And yes, anon should report to authorities such as FBI / IIC3 etc.

Should this be reported to authorities?

His check will be a fancy cashiers check that you are supposed to deposit into your account and you will be asked to withdraw some of the money and wire it away. His check will come up bad in a few days but the cash you wire away is irretrievable and you can be prosecuted for passing a bad check and/or money laundering.

This guy has my email address and wants me to call him tomorrow. I am the personal chef that he so desperately needs. I thought it smelled fishy. I am thank-ful that you took the time post this blog.

A gentleman the name of Sean Ted contacted my business via email requesting use of car services for 6 weeks for 16 hours a day. He said he was in Stirling Scotland and needed to send a deposit by way of check through  a 'client ' of his here in the US since 'foreign checks cannot be cashed in the US"  (oh, really?) the tab for our business would have been $32,000 for 6 weeks worth of work Pretty nice hm? A little too good to be true if you ask me. He called from the above no. using a 44 country code but his supposed US client called from...a magic jack number...to arrange details about sending the money. Oh, but he needed us to help him 'desperately' hire a personal chef. Real emergency? uhh not when you can order in, dine out or ...heck if your so friggen rich, bring your own personal chef along. He wanted to send an additional sum for the deposit for the chef whom he had yet to hire because his supposed business client was leaving town on Monday. Uh...again...has anyone ever heard of Fed Ex? or heck...a CREDIT CARD? just pay the deposit that way. I even informed him we do not accept personal checks. So...if  anyone by the name of  suntabinc@gmail.com contacts you and gives his no as 44 702 404 6878 be on the look out. It's a total Nigerian scam with a new twist. :)