Further to my earlier post on fax spam I got an even better one today, purporting to be from Jennifer Collins, Editor of Who’s Who Among Executives, Professionals, and Entrepreneurs in Australia.
We are pleased to inform you that you and your business have been selected to be included in the 2009/2010 Edition of Who’s Who Among Executives, Professionals, and Entrepreneurs in Australia.
…
The director thinks you may make an interesting biographical subject as achievement is what Who’s Who is all about.
Well, doesn’t that make me feel important? Although hang on, if I’m so interesting why don’t they know my name and details already? They’re freely available.
It’s a scam of course (not related to the real Who’s Who publications). A quick Google finds lots of others have got this or a variant of it. Apparently if you get back to them you can get a ‘gold’ or ‘platinum’ listing for only $500 or so. Or at the least your details on a list for distribution to more spammers.
Full scan of fax is included below.
Comments
Ah yes, they’re good. I felt pretty important too when I received the same ‘invite’ yesterday, but like you, all my details are available on the web page so how come they don’t know them?
Ignore it.
It was nice to feel important for at least 5 minutes before the Scam was revealed. My details are in the “real one” but not the fax number they used. Oh well back to just being me but it would be a good book to be in, if only it existed.
Taraeta and Peter,
Obviously a good scam that I’d guess catches more than most by using flattery to confound our bullshit meters. We all just want to feel special really…
Thanks for the heads-up. It’s my first time to get fax spam! Got this same fax as above, today, and thought it highly unlikely I would be subject of such an auspicious offer!! So, not really taken in but curious. Google answers everything….
Thanks, we received it today and the lack of phone number and only the fx number was a concern and you would think such a letter would be directed to the director by name,so into the WPB.
But for a brief moment we though gosh we are special..
Cheers
I’m with Lyn about only a fax # provided and not a phone #. Aren’t most of us fortunate that we have a sixth sense about these things. It’s unfortunate that we have to have this sense of caution. It erodes our willingness to trust and turns us into sceptics but it’s the world we live in, so we need it.
I am amazed that the scammers can get away with this and no one seems to think it is an issue. Sure it is obvious it is a scam but they must be getting some suckers to fall for it. Why can’t these scammers be tracked down and stopped. You would think the Who’s Who publishers would try and do something but after calling them you just get the response that the fax comes from overseas so can’t be stopped. What a lot of rubbish! A (02) fax number is being used so can’t Telstra block this!!
Monty Python’s new catchcry- scam scam scam scam scam scam scam scam :)
I too have recieved this fax… Mine was signed Jennifer Crowley, Editor. My main grievance is that tie fax number they sent it to is a PRIVATE home number and has absolutely no connection to a business at all. How many other mistakes have they made like that in their scamming spam.. Telstra can’t even find the business that my number has ever been connected to.
Steve,
This found its way to the intray , it had the feel of a nigerian
money transfer scheme about it and sure enough I googled it and found your info.
Watch out for another one that circles around called the Australian fax registery worded so deceptively that if opened and read by a receptionist ,PA or accounts clerk could easily be seen as a genuine renewal getting the OK and slipped through for payment .
The deception is wordplay and reads a little something like this, “Hello , Annual subscription reminder , could you please check over our existing accounts information and re submit to the fax no below
Cut off dates are strictly enforced and the australian fax registry will not be held responsible for late information submissions.
Nothing like a bit of fear factor to make that junior accounts girl slip a payment throught to avoid roasting from her superiors.
Richard Meehan
Richard,
Thanks for your comment. There’s a very similar domain name scam that comes by mail and looks like a domain renewal invoice but is really an ‘invitation’ to register a domain at an inflated price.
I have a couple of cennections in Telstra, might see if we can’t overheat their fax machine with rubbish like they’re doing to us. Bring back the biff
[…] Fax spam comes less often but still regularly enough. At least it’s sometimes funny. […]
i recieved one this morning ripped it up straight away NSW
I made me feel important for almost a minute !
We receive these kinds of faxes and phone calls on a daily bases, and it is frustrating to say the least, holds up the fax and wastes huge amounts of paper and time, have try to list on the do not call register, but we are not able to due to being a business. I have at times thought I would return the favor, and just stock pile then return to them, but then they have got you anyway.
I feel really good and finaly the world will know how good I am, hang on how come “they” do not know my name or my business. There gos my 15 minutes of fame!!!
Hi Steve,Yes it looked like another to good to be true faxes. But no business name, no phone number, very unprofessional designed fax heading. Thank God for Google.
Feel a bit stupid after taking an actual phone call from a “John Senna calling from New York” who was following up details of our application and determining whether we were worthy enough to be listed! Am ashamed to admit that I was a sucker to actually believe all this (i have been working at building this business for a while now so it felt like the hard work was paying off!) and was traumatised whe he told me that our apllication was rubbish and hung up! I will probably find that I’ll be paying for the OS phone call now. Ah well, am hopefully wiser now.
We received our fax today and I immediately recognised a scam and Googled to see what others were saying about it.
I noticed that the our “Fax ID: ” number in top left corner was different (287388964) and a code number under the heading “Fax” is also different (wwanf2017-20M) on our copy. Perhaps this is a way to identify which of their scammers should get the reward for netting the suckers who respond???
Forgot to ;mention in my earlier comment that our fax was from Jennifer Crowley.
we should all be lobbying govt hard to change the laws on spam faxes , not just the overseas one detailed above , i get so many faxes every week advertising garbage it is costing me a fortune in ink and paper.
every time i get one and log on to their website to ” unsubscribe ” , they get revenge on me by sending double the quantity , only from a different fax code.
lock them up , chop off their baubles or something. !!!
what do we pay our politicians for ?
get them off their dumb asses ………..
( they are too damn fat for riding donkeys anyway )
Hi, looks like they’ve had a month off and are targeting busineeses on the Sunshine Coast . I was immediately suspicious as most genuine invitations to appear in listings such as this come through Chambers of Commerce etc.
Keep up the good work steve.
26/10/2009 7.38pm
the fax ‘origin’ ID number, (at the top of the copy which came through to me) is 02 8738 7497, nothing like the number given for the ‘kindly complete’ which is 02 8078 6030.
Who’s who in Australia…..fax origin no is 02 8738 7497
Me again, sorry. I’m in Victoria
Ha! 15 minutes of fame…..more like 15 seconds before the fine-tuned B.S. detector swung into action.All it needed was a Nigerian email address to be complete.
this is a load of bovine excrement!
ditto: this is a load of bovine excrement!
Got one today but signed by Jennifer Crowley, Editor !! Always suspicious of this type of shit, thanks for posting your blog on it, I figured it was a scam but glad in a way to see I’m not the only one who has been involved. Best wishes to all of you out there in cyberspace.
Yes made me feel important too – or another sucker. The punch line of $500-00 !!! Goodbuy !!
Hey > got me 2. Gee I was a bit sceptical but like the rest of yous I did feel a little bit special for a few seconds! Haven’t these people got anything better to do with their time?
Yep, received the who’s who scam fax this morning, thought it looked like a scam and sure enough. The fax was the same but supposedly from a Jennifer Crowley (nee Collins???!! ;)
The fax is now doing the rounds in QLD. Indentical fax but still a load of crap.
I felt important prior to this fax, therefor that have filled out this form on behalf of one of our competitors. Pass on the luck.!!
I received one today in Gosford, Central Coast
The name now is Jennifer Conner otherwise everything else is the same.
Well guess what? I received one of these faxes just 1/2 hour ago. However, now the editor is Jennifer Conner. Ms Conner/Crowley/ Collins sure gets around! I’m in Victoria, so it’s obviously doing the rounds here now too.
Yea got it just then and thought WOW, but then I thought why don’t they know who I am meant to be so important to them. Luckly for google – best website.
Also got it – thought is was a scam so googled it as I usually do with this stuf and – here I am at your site.
Good site keep up the good work.
got one today with Jennifer Conner – busted have seen these before has any one tried faxing back with “we know its a scam”? would love to see what reply may be given?
just received it today 16.11.09 and jumped onto google and found this website god technology is great!!!
I got one today i thought if im so important they should know who i am LOL i knew it was a scam …..Then as you do i googled it and got to here ….Thank god for Google LOL
Same fax – North Coast NSW- Thanks for the site- Cant help myself, I WILL fax back with a “bugger off”, I know they wont reply …I’ll just get to pay for the fax but I’ ll make it worth it… about time they got some spam too….
Perhaps you could ALL join me in this effort
Cheers Wanda
me again im from WA and mine was signed jennifer conner and fax to 0280786030 and fax id on top 0292560009
faxed back know its a scam and havent they got a life!! they probably know about this site and are laughing at us wasting time talking about them – bloody losers!!
Well… just spammed them!! and if another few hundred harrassed people do too, they may just have to turn their fax off for a while.
We received this fax today. I wondered why they didn’t already know our names too. Keep up the good work. I think I will join Wanda and fax it back to them.
Hi I just received a fax too. Googled like everybody else and found this page. My first thoughts were SCAM and had a bit of a giggle, but all was confirmed when I found your site.
Thanks for the support guys!… Im over it….In the last week I have …won millions… inherited billions.. (from relatives I didnt know I had) been asked to take hundreds of thousands from crooked govts to divert to “charity” and offered a penis enlargment!!! some thing every girl should have!
Yes Im on the do not call register too. So for every one just trying to get on with their day…. good luck :)
Just received the fax too. Jennifer Connor editor. thanks to google. In central Victoria
Received the same fax from Jennifer Connor today, fax back number 0280786030. Thanks for you web page Steve to confirm my suspicions. SA
Yep got the same one today, but her name is now Jennifer Conner.
Yes, I got one this afternoon.
I feel like faxing it back with “SCAM” on every detail line!!
Accountant.
btw, south western sydney.
They’re getting around, per above: SA, Vic, etc.
I received fax re: Who’s Who and was wondering if anyone can tell me what r the reasons for these faxes? What do the scammers get out of it if I reply?
Hi Alex,
They get confirmation that your fax number is real and I understand that they may then try to charge your for your listing, or do the hard sell to ‘upgrade’ you to a premium listing.
S
Thank’s for heads up… kinda obvious really (which led me to google it) given the non-existent contact details.
As for the name changing into Jenniffer Connor – I’m prepared to bet $20 that it morphes into Sara Connor next… then we can be sure the cyborgs have invaded.
I wouldn’t waste my money faxing them back with a rude message; they wouldn’t care a hoot anyway. At least they had to pay for the fax they sent me; though it is a wate of paper!
Pity there is no law banning this kind of misbehaviour. I hope that they rot in Hell.
These are my thoughts (but only that)…
…Bert.. I know they wouldnt care what our opinion is.. but … if a fax is only 20c to us, but several hours- if not days of getting return spam should certainly be a pain in the a@x%^ to them, and I only returned the paper they had already wasted!!
Also Alex, by responding WITH your personal information also helps scammers build an identity and adds to identity fraud… any one can verify a fax number in the phone book but if it correspondes with several other peices of information…. Also I believe your details can then be “sold” to other “marketers’ who can continue with bigger scams…Is that some where near right Steve??
Yep, got one today… Fax ID: 292546861 (could not de-register on NoFax.com.au); Fax No: 02 8078 6030; From: Jennifer Conner; other bizarre ID: wwanf2020-20M.
I initially tried to de-register my number from the company, but the Fax ID is fake! So…now I’m pissed off that there is no way to STOP this crap! Perhaps if a few Govt. fax machines were clogged up with this mess, then we’d get some action… :(
Got this in the NT on the 16/11/09 Did a google search and got this page…
Spammers = Tossers !
Thanks for making people aware…
Looks like some people are into it. The sausage king from Hobart even advertises his listing!
http://www.hillstreetmeats.com.au/news.html
Hi Bob,
Thanks for pointing that out – I contacted Hill Street Meats to share the accumulated knowledge gathered here.
A fax arrived this morning in Creswick Victoria with the name of Jennifer Connor
Thanks for the heads up.
I am wondering does anyone know who sends this fax as I want to report them. I thought I had stopped these random faxes from coming to me…they waste paper, ink etc and make me totally pissed. Laurence
The one from Who’s Who….Jennifer Conner …bitch!! ..Laurence
just received mine,im oh so lucky!geez im pissed at spammers,anyone know a site were the goverment can be lobbied before they pass the ruling on spam faxing.its now in the heap with the rest of them.
sic em laurence
Received one today. Seemed crazy that they did not have any names.Signed Jennifer Conner with fax no’s at top and return no. 02 8078 6030.
I agree it’s about the govt put a stop to this.
Received this fax yesterday, it went in the recycle basket along with the other spam we received yesterday. The difference with this one was that it was from Office of Public Affairs, but again all details are available from our web page.
Received fax this morning SA. I noted the small print below
….are not affiliated or associated with Crown Content.
Whos who of Australia (Crown Content) site displays a warning.
Also received yesterday – thanks for the heads-up!
Interesting thing is your fax was from Jennifer Collins – mine was from Jennifer Conner!!
So pleased to see other people’s egos got the better of them.
We too were contacted and alarm bells struct when we didn’t nominate ourselves.
One good thing out of it is – a lot of us are smarter then they give us credit for!!!
We received the same fax that you have on the top of this page today. I did a search on google for the company and found your blog. Thanks
Received the same fax and with no contact name and looked it up in Google…. then shredded. It would have been so easy for the accounts clerk to have filled in the details and sent it back thinking that she had done a “good job” had I not been there. The pretention of the wording sounded alarm bells right away.
I also received the fax and fortunately I found your site. Many thanks for warning but sadly I am sure they will catch many unaware.
Re Fax scam
Now her name is Jennifer Conner!! Was nearly sucked in then thought Google would resolve my niggling suspicion – and it did. Knew someone once who was in Who’s Who and they were seriously famous in their field. Was nice to feel important for 5 minutes. Back to normality – c’est la vie.
Thanks for putting this up. Definitely sounded iffey. They must be targetting ‘The Shire’ this week, as based at Kirrawee… lol, cant believe people fall for this but….
[…] wrote a while ago about the Who’s Who Among Executives, Professionals and Entrepreneurs fax spam recently and it seemed to hit a nerve. I have received and continue to receive lots of feedback […]
[…] on the heels of the Australian Who’s Who fax scam I’ve been writing about I one of my co-workers got this email spam from Continental […]
I also received this fax yesterday, immediately thought “where’s the catch” and looked for a phone number to contact them for further details and cost of the listing…..there was none, so into the shredder…
Hi Steve,
I’m PR for a volunteer organization. Found this fax from Jennifer Conner in my Pigeon Hole/Folder and decided to google cause I couldn’t see a genuine application of this sort coming to a volunteer organization. You’ve confirmed my suspicions and keep up the good work.:)
Well, I was very special!!! I received 2!! The first one I ignored because I was just too busy to respond. Then I decided to throw it out. Then lo & behold, what should appear in my fax machine was another fax. At first, I thought it was the the one I ‘thought’ I threw out. Then I looked at the date the fax machine received the fax: 1 dec 09. So I did throw out the first one: I received in mid Nov [it sat in the fax machine for about 2 weeks]. Be prepared for more wasted paper & ink/toner.
Yep I got it too! Sounded a bit dodgy so googled it and found your website. Like someone before me said….more wasted paper, ink etc. I wouldn’t have fallen for it, but thanks for the heads up.
Another slice of tree laying wasted in my fax tray.
Who would respond to such a vague and ego-stroking fax?
As many have said before me, so much for their “researched listings”… not having even a business name or further details?
Puh-lease.
Also received one today from Jennifer Conner. Felt really special for all of 10 seconds and then wondered if I was SO special why they didn’t know my name or my business! Then googled and here I am!!
Hi folks
Yes it was my turn today, gosh Jennifer Conner is a busy lady
I am tempted to fax them 100 pages back or leave their fax connected for 30 minutes or more so they run out of paper or memory on their fax machine.
Perhaps someone can think of something we can fax to them to stuff up their system or use up their ink/toner etc.
Yes folks it a jungle out there and it’s war!!!!
I’m in WA and just my fax this morning from Jennifer Conner. The fax looked unprofessional with no header, address or phone number. Never heard of them before so I googled it.
How do we stop these fax scams?
I knew this was not legit but we have 57 accommodation rooms and seems they have every single telephone extension listed as a fax number. Our guests are furious and there is no-way I can stop it apart from sending it to our printer every single time, if you hang up it keeps re-dialling. This has happened before with other companies but they at least have always had a fax back number or phone number to call. Aaarrggghhhhhhhhhh!!!!!
If I was so highly thought of, why did they not know my companies name or mine. Has anyone supplied the rebuilding of Iraq yet, that’s a beauty………
I’ve just been blessed with the scammy little fax myself.
You do get that little tingle of importance for a brief moment.
I guess that’s all it takes to get some people in.
It least it wasn’t a waste of paper for me as my fax reception is virtual and comes to me as an email.
I, like others, found this post via google.
Thanks Steve, it least we have somewhere to grumble, even if it isn’t to the perpetrators!
I wasn’t fooled even in the slightest, didn’t even need to read the whole page.
These kind of regonition things are for people who have done something incredible… such as tripled the businesses income in the last finacial year. Nothing notable has happened since we took over, so “junk” is the first thing that comes to mind for me. People like Bill Gates would be in the Who’s Who, not little people like me with a small business.
fax was directed at our landline – spent a busy few seconds swapping phone cable over to fax cable only to receive the Who’s Who scamming fax. I’m faxing it back with no details and a thankyou. Is there a “don’t fax me” service?
I’m going to frame mine as I think I’ve done a bloody good job keeping my business running…oh and to save paper of course.
I’d like to thank God, Jennifer Conner and last but not least thanks to Steve for bringing us all together.. :)
I got this fax spam/scam this afternoon, and is my first. I truly did believe every word for quite a while until i decided to do a quick google search to see who was listed last year. All i can say is thank god or should i say google, for this site. I’m now a little wiser about the world around me.
Rob,
P.S Sydney South West (Editor: Jennifer Conner)
Thanks Jennifer Conner. But I always knew that break even was hardly the criteria for a listing like that. Did take the time to Google though. Back to the drawing board then.
thanks to all l just recieved the fax so l check it out on the web and found all of you comments
thanks you world wide web for highlighting the spam/scam
Jennifer Conner gets about a bit doesn’t she! Thanks to Steve Coates and the rest of the general public for helping each other out in recognising these scams.
I love technology! I’m writing back with fake details to them. Mrs Minnie Mouse will do it!!!
If they can send crap to me i can send crap to them. Give it a go i say!!!
Got mine yesterday. Now signed by Jennifer Collins instead of Connor
If not for your scam posting, I would have handed my credit cards details. they claim to be Stanford who’s who!!!!
Any one know who this organisation is? They are based in 15th floor, 410 Pare Ave, New York, NY-
the contact phone number I have been given is- 00 111 631 650 2140.
The platinum membership is now cost 818.95 us dollars.
Can someone please stop this scam before innocent people get ripped off during this festive season.
Thank you again.
Dear Steve,
Great Marketing- YES. SCAM – ABSOLUTELY NOT. Please help us and remove this negative site about us. You even have people on here that “shelled out the big bux” STATING THAT THEY DID IN FACT RECEIVE WHAT THEY WERE PROMISED!!! Your site is costing us customers because of it’s negativity. I think you should remove it as that is the right thing to do, as you have been told by one of our customers directy that we are not. People are forming the wrong opinions about us becasue of your site. Yes we market agressively but are in no way shape or form a scam. We provide a great service and have thousands of members that use our directory, PR services and love it. Please do what is right and stop hurting a good companys reputation because the people they are marketing to have a forum to puff up what is really happening. 99.9% of the comments here are from non-customers. Our customer retention rate is great, and they upgrade consistantly and love the service. We are asking you, business man to business man to please remove this site. It may be exciting to you because of all of the hits your getting from our marketing efforts but it is truly huring us and our over 50 employees that count on our great company to make a living. It also makes our happy customers question our credibility. So we ask you to please remove the negative press as We are clearly not a scam, just agggressive good marketers that provide a great service. Thank you in advance for you cooperation. We can help you get major traffic to your site with out hurting our company if you like. Please.
Brian Green
Dear Steve
Thanks for this site. I received one of these faxes (2mins ago) and my immediate reaction is SCAM! To Brian Green (11/12/09) if this is legitimate and you are ‘marketing agressively’ why do you not have a legitimate letterhead with any of the legal business requirements eg. ABN; website address; postal address; phone number etc. Also why does the editor change her surname (mine was Crowley) if this is legitimate?
What I received alerts me to a SCAM not a legitimate business or at worst a business structure that may not have all the credentials..
Brian Green, you are devious scum. Further, you cannot punctuate and your spelling is atrocious. Your “great service” is to take money for entries in a self-chosen directory of naive “nobodies” and you should be ashamed. Please abandon your wasteful, deceptive, purposeless and exploitative “great service” and do something useful for yourself and the nation.
Yeah Hi got one last week too – Sunshine Coast from Jennifer Conner Editor, didn’t check till yesterday and came across your site thanks Steve … shame scammers shame – never mind, what goes around comes around.
Just got the same scam fax here in Melbourne today. I saw this the first time about 4 years ago, possibly 5, in almost the same wording. Surprised it hadnt come around sooner. Not sure if the game is identity theft or a later scam for some “fee” to ensure the listing Just wondering what “fun” to make of it… fax back black pages, or a made up humorous fake details, or what…
Hi there,
I also received one of these letters today and sent a copy to our Business Accountant for their perusal and comments. I must admit I did not think of checking the internet. Glad I did.
How come the GOVERNMENT !!! can’t, doesn’t, won’t chase these clowns and lock them up and throw the key away. We, in business, must lose a lot of valuable time on this rubbish. Regards………..Wayne—BP Roadhouse Nanango
To Steve,
GREAT SITE!!! Yes I got a scam letter today too. Thank god I am switched on enough to research bullshit like this!! And great people like yourself make others aware. Great job keep up the good work…..
To Brian Green if thats your real name!! or should I say Blood Sucking Scumbag!! stop trying to scam people we are sick of assholes like yourself……Havent you heard of Karma… Beware, we dont take crap from people like you, so WATCH OUT.
PS What is your nigerian name?? I’m sure we will see you on Today Tonight soon……
The absence of phone, e:mail or web indicated a trawl for info from suspects (us), thus a likely scam. Thank god we have ‘crap detectors’ that are becoming balanced, prepared and on guard.
Thanks Google and thanks Steve for the blog.
I received my copy today from Jennifer Crowley and like others had my 10 seconds of glory before I remembered what I have been told many times “If it seems too good to be true it probably is”.
Brian if you would like to give us all your real fax number we’d all be only too happy to send you back our faxes – marked SCAM.
The best way to clog up the 02 8078 6030 machine is to find an old fashioned type fax machine, make a continuous loop fax of about 3 pages and set it going.
Keep up the good work Steve
To Brian Green
Brian, I took the time to read the comments from a “client” of yours which are on this site.
If you really are a bona fide marketing company (as you would suggest) then come out and be open about it with a company name, an ABN, a phone number and an email address instead of hiding behind some fictitious woman’s skirt.
If you are an agressive marketer as you say, then be proud of that fact and your results and show us what you have. Of course you have retention (at least until the 5 year contract runs out) and of course they upgrade because you offer them the platinum membership at the gold price.
How you can sleep at night is just beyond me, but that’s your cross to bear.
DEAR BRIAN GREEN DATED 11.12.09,
You are a scam, and a complete waste of everyones time here. You are the negative one here doing this to innocent people and need to give up your phone number so other people can waste your time, when we so decide to. Jennifer Crowley needs to figure out what her name is and go with it. Her name really should be:
Jennifer KissMyAss
Again – All Non Customers Making False accusations. Our customers are happy. These comments are from non-customers and a bunch of Rubbish. I don’t see any paid customers complaining! Just Non responders that don’t like our marketing letters. No Scam at all here, just a great service that puts peoples businesses on the map in search engines and generates business for them. But all of you have a nice day. Maybe you’ll come around someday. Good Day Mates :)
We have great products and tens of thousands of happy customers. This site is a compilation of a bunch of synical non-customers so here is what we are willing to do to change that. THE FIRST 10 PEOPLE That leave their contact details on here, we will provide them with free services for 1 year to prove the validity of our product. That is only if they come back and publish the great things that our services do for ther business.
And just for everyones information, Crown Content IS NOT the original Who’s Who. Marquis Who’s Who is. Their web address is http://www.marquiswhoswho.com. However Crown Content has the right to publish Who’s Who books, just as anyone else does. We publish Who’s Who Books, but that is only the tip of the Iceburg. We are a complete PR firm that brands individuals and their companies through internet presence and executive networking.
So If anyone out there has anything else negative to say, please do so with contact information, and the first 10 of you will be given our top services for one year at NO CHARGE to prove our value to everyone on this site.
Thanks For Listening Mates.
Brian Green……please email me directly and show me you’re for real. Thanks.
Jeremy,
Provide a phone number, and I will call you and review everything with you in detail. You will not be disappointed. All of these false statement snowball from one false comment. I’d love to contact anyone with any concerns on a one by one basis, and walk them through how our products and services help many happy cutomers.
Thank You for your interest,
Brian
What a laughable load of tripe. “Brian Green”!!! At least somebody out there is providing a laugh. But on a more serious note, what I’m not laughing about is trash like this being sent to my non business home fax machine. Get off my bloody machine Brian if that’s your real name. A legitimate business has real contact details.
Bit hard to see how anybody can claim to know my business as it doesn’t exist. If you won’t stop at least come up with some original jokes!!!!
Brian Green’s pattern of english suggests to me that he is Asian. Clearly he’s using a false name and this is a scam. I have passed a copy of the fax to the ACMA for further investigation.
All Australians now need to treat all telephone/fax solicitations as they are hoaxes and to tell their local member of parliament that they want the DO NOT CALL REGISTER to cover charties and political parties and faxes just as is the case in the UK. Also we need the ability to control our incoming telephone calls just as we can filter emails, In the UK they’ve had a telephone service called ‘Choose To Refuse” for over 5 years – when will this be introduced into Australia? We also need to be able to selectively stop overseas calls (from certain countries for example) and to be able to trace calls from overseas – this should be an issue of national security!
Received the “Who’s Who In Australia” fax scam but from (02) 8078 6030. My details are available on the WEB – so why didn’t they use them? Anoying but clever idea poorly executed.
I also received the “Who’s Who In Australia†fax scam from Jennifer Conner (02) 8078 6030. Thanks for your blog Steve.
I just received the same fax from Jennifer CROWLEY. It is funny how her names changes every few months. Thanks for having this site Steve!!
Just got this from Jennifer Crowley as well. I’ve seen more of these “business listing services” scams all too often. It only seems to be getting worse.
I am hesitant to call the number on the bottom of the page…
“If you have received this fax in error or would like to be removed from the list, please dial 888-833-1296.”
Is this also a scam?
Thanks for your comments.
brian green,you are so full of rubbish,do you live in a wheelie bin?i think its the recycling centre for you mate,maybe you can cash in on that also.
p.s. to have my business listed on the web did not cost me a cent or in your case a baht
Who the hell will do this for free. There is nothing that is free on this earth, even water is not free, except the air that we breathe in but we have to pay for the air that we breathe out. Something to do with ETS, I think.
This fax has now hit WA from the lovely editor Jennifer CROWLEY. Thanks for your site steve!
Dearest Brian,
Received a fax today by your local tart (jennifer crowley)
The funniest thing is that you’re making it worse by ignoring comments by everyone on this site to provide your ABN and business name on your documents, or a pone number.
I got this fax too in Arizona, USA. Googled and found this site. I have a fax # on mine with a USA fax # of 609.613.5917 and a toll free # of 888.833.1296. The fax came from Jennifer Crowley. They did have my name and business name on it though. Of course there is no public listing for either of these #’s. I guess the toll free # is to remove your fax # from their list. Im kinda of leary to even call it. Thanks for the heads up. I think I will just send it to them over and over again. See how they like it.
I just received this fax today in California, USA. Brian Green, are you expanding your B.S. to the USA? You got my wife’s name all wrong you f** fool.
I too received a fax from “Jennifer Crowley – Editor” with a return fax of 609-613-5917. The fax also contained a “remove from list” number: 888-833-1296.
On some level, being the target of such an inept scam is humorous. I’d like to fax a request to Jennifer that I am the adopted Caucasian son of a Nigerian prince who needs her help to get Dad’s money out of the country. She could be a big help if only she’d give me her bank account information. But it’s not worth the time, and she probably has no sense of humor. Darn.
I just received a fax with the similar letter head and content. No phone number, no ACN or ABN. It is a SCAM. They try a hard..
Thank you for the heads up! I received the a fax yesterday, definitely felt special for a few, but as always decided to look into it before faxing my information back to them. These people have no lives, I swear! Stop being so lazy and opportunistic and get up and find a real job!
Just got mine today. Something told me to Google this because their was no phone number to contact anyone as well as the fact that I figured, “what Executive or Director would submit my name for this?” I’m not on everybody’s “Favorite Person’s” list. I figured it was a scam. Although, I’m going to keep my warm and fuzzy feeling when I thought I was special. ;)
Received ours a few days ago. Happy to have confirmed my suspicions about the fax, good on you for making this site to warn people. These people conducting the scam are a waste of space.
We just received today. Like the other comments, I am always leary of fax invites. There is no telephone number, nor can I find them during my engine search. There is no address, so I can’t find them on BBB. For those, with a little savvy, kudos to you all!
I have received a fax today also. Jennifer Crowley is a busy little editor, isn’t she.
Thanks for the Website Steve!
My “special” fax was received in Western Australia today (27/1/2010) from ‘Office of Public Affairs (Jennifer Crowley)’ & here I am now. Up the top there is no fax number to let me know where it is from just ‘Stanford’. As per other comments, the fax numbers given are all the same & the Fax number is 02 8078 6030. The Fax is addressed to ‘The Director / Manager’. There is a number under the date: ndocau(with a 4 digit number in here that I’m not giving for scammers to trace back)-20m.. (perhaps this can be translated to: out of a series of a-z documents sent through Australia & the ‘lucky’ numbered recipient I am!)
To: Brian Green – apparent owner of this marketing co. (comments 11/12/09 & onwards), I do not sympathise with you or you 50 staff employed, and just out of curiousity, why didn’t one of your staff just email me from my website; is it because it would have gone straight to my spam so I could have easily deleted it & saved my paper, ink & time on your fax? Also – who approved my candidacy on 22nd January and how many ‘Jennifer’s’ are (you humping in your head) employed by you?
Good luck with your “marketing” business, but don’t get on here and make your demands on Steve or all us “non” customers. Understand that we are non-customers because we probably actually loathe your ‘type’ of marketing techniques and those like you out there, because you are sneaky and this site has provided a place for us to express our apall about scammers such as you.
When you start a real business and refer to me other than as a document number like legitimate businesses do then maybe I will be nicer to you! As for now, I’ve enjoyed spending my time on here expressing my thoughts and will definately not be wasting a fax back on you!
I have received a fax today Feb 1/10. Jennifer Crowley is a real busy editor
I started laughing right away. Yeah!! and how much is this going to cost me. WHO cares about a little store owner in the middle of nowhere. I am very glad that I googled it. Totally confirmed my suspicions.
I had a good laugh. Got onto Google and sure enough it’s a load of bulls**t. And talk about name changes. The fax we recieved this afternoon was from a Jennifer CROWLEY.
What has the world become? We trust nothing and google everything!! If they want to really scam you then they need to send to the correct fax number.
Brian Scumbag Green (he knows who he is, even if we don’t) will know who I am, because I was also lucky enough to be selected to be included in the 2009/2010 edition! (It must be a really big book ha ha)
I think it is really sad that a perfectly good piece of paper has been wasted on his scam, and regrettably there are those that are sucked into parting with their money and are not protected by Telstra (who can’t trace him/them by their number obviously but are able to accept payment) and the Government who allow these people to continue.
I bursted out laughing when I read it. What a waste of ink and paper. First thing I thought of, how much will this cost me. Second of all, WHO cares about a small town business in the middle of nowhere. Great scam!!!!
Just received my fax today from Jennifer Crowley. Googled it and found it was a scam. Get a real job Jennifer What-ever-your-name-is. Stop wasting our time.
We got one too, out of the blue, as a non-profit organization. We get lots of this stuff and you want to watch out, before you know it they charge you $500 or more. You quickly find out it’s a scam once you see there is no address, no phone number, no website, NOTHING! Just a fax number. And yes, the name was Jennifer Crowley at the Office of Public Affairs. We faxed them back, thanked them for their interest and told them we had chosen not to use their services, and asked not to contact us again. This way, they can never say you agreed to their offer and send you an invoice that would get accidentally paid by one of your goodwilling employees. Good Luck!!
Thanks for the web site Steve.I got my fax to day.From office of public affairs (Jennifer Crowley) Fax # 0280786030 Yes like most others I felt special for 1 min.The fax wasn’t addressed to my company name or even my trading name.
“Brian ?’ If you are not scamming then why do you not put your ABN and address on the fax?
Why is this government allowing scams like this to continue??????
Got my wonderful invitation, today. Smelling scam, I checked it out. After reading all the comments I have to say that Jennifer Crowley is one cunning little runt!
Got mine the other day :-) I would like to have these guys for one day, just once! BUT, I guess when your down and out with nothing to look forward to, youll just bout do anythan!
Well Brian Green i would take you up on your offer and then can report back with more info ..
I to got this e-mail, however Diane Webster is the name now being used with a return phone number of 00111 631 650 2140, ext 2220.
Diane Webster called me twice on Friday trying to tell me that the ed’s are waiting to publish this dribble and that she needed my credit card details a.s.a.p.(must be a sale on at the shops this weekend).
Area code 631 is in Brentwood U.S.A and when I mentioned this Diane became very sheepish, but still had the nervse to ask for the credit card number and if I gave her the card number right now she would give me all the bells and whistles for the price of a gold package including the two air line tickets to fly to (jupiter) and back in first class – hey I could even do this twice, whenever I liked.( I guess I still had to briing my own oxygen though).
Of course, Diane should have known that as important as she try to make me sound, I don’t have time for her, her bogus company, or to go to Jupiter – now if only those tickets were to some where like Uranus, then well………
Here at Dunder Mifflin we try all sorts of aggressive marketing to increase our paper sales and Brian Green was one of our top sales people. Due to the down sizing at Scranton PA recently, Brian was laid off (mainly due to his unpopularity amongst non-customers). Please direct all of your paper queries to either Jim Halpert or Dwight Schrute. Thank you from The World’s Best Boss.
Oh! and check out our website: wwwdundermifflin.com
PS. Thanks Steve for helping out with your informative website.
I just received one of these and it made me a bit uneasy as I know that these sorts of requests for info aren’t usually sent my email. When I rang the number it was Optus who responded which I though was interesting.
Yep I just got one this morning. Just to make things interesting I have included their fax number on a reply to one of my favourite Nigerian scammers… let them talk to each other
The initial fax pampered my ego and i duly responded thinking I may have been mistaken for some industrial knight. I received a phone call from an American named “Andrew Goode” who asked me a series of questions concerning my business and my motivation for seeking listing in the Who’s Who before congratulating me on acceptance. I was entitled to receive quarterly journals, invited to publish in them as often as was possible and would receive two round the world air tickets on accepting either platinum or gold status costing $600 and $800 respectively.I claimed not to have my Visa card but would get back to him the next day – shortly later he rang to say the publisher had a deadline of that afternoon upon which I told him we were happy to defer to next year’s listing. On this he indignantly exclaimed that he had assumed he was dealijng with a reputable business to which i responded “You are but I’m not sure I am.” Click.
Brian you are a scumbag and unfortunately the money was paid to you before I had a chance to stop the person concerned making the payment. You say no customers have complained well I am loud and clear, I guess we have to put it down to a learning and hurtful experience.There should be someway to stop S**Ts like you and your mole Jennifer Crowley. Been new to the business world I am sure the person concern won’t get caught again but what a loser you are. Hope you enjoy his money you low life dickhead.
Thank God for the Internet or I would never have found out this info about ALL the different Jennifer’s for Who’s Who sending this fax. I called the 888 number to remove my fax, hopefully that works.
Thanks Everyone!
I am like the rest of the world. I almost felt important until something told me to just check this out on the internet.
Thanks soo much for this site. Cause I was able to find out I was not as important that I thought I was. Thanks for looking out. Jennifer you need to be caught.
My office also received around Feb 14 and assistant thought I should read. With no phone number, address, website, email, I was suspicious and eventually today goggled – good work putting up the webpage!!
We received this fax yesterday from “Jennifer Crowley, Editor.” THANKS for this web-site which confirmed our suspicions ~ that this is a hoax. Good work!
Got mine from Jennifer Crowley as well. What a shame.
Yes, well it’s coming back around again. Always knew I was not that important! Just ignore it
Smell’s like I just stepped in something!
SCAM,SCAM,SCAM!
Gee looks this has been getting around for a while, I just received my first one, this one screamed of scam, and a quick google search led me straight to this site. I’m so skeptical of anything that comes in through email or fax especially when they ask for my details.They do it by phone too, I had someone call supposedly from accor hotels offering discounted accommodation to my staff for a convention and wanted to know all their names – as if – needless to say I wasn’t very polite in my response! Think about all the poor trees that suffered just to become someone’s spam fax…
Hi and thanks for setting this up. I just got the fax from Jennifer Crowley. LoL – I also have the same feelings of ‘wow’ when I first read it too, but the alarm bells were ringing, and Google really is your friend!
[…] that these guys were narky with me! Back in December after I received and wrote about my first Who’s Who in Australia fax (and followed up with more information) Brian Green – who claimed to be behind the mystery […]
I have received one of these every day for the last week.
So today I filled in the section at the bottom with the following:
“We dont want anymore of your spam! If you don’t stop sending this crap, we will keep sending it back so you know how annoying it is.”
Then faxed it to them 10 times in a row.
I’m sure that won’t fix it, but it made me feel better anyway :)
Thanks for your post! I figured the fax was probably spam but googled it to find out and happily came across your post.
We received ‘Jennifer Crowley’s’ little spam fax 1/3 & Googled to confirm suspicions, to finish up here. Good facility to help expose these predators, thanks.
yeb,received (j crowley) fax,i am silly enough to fax back with all my detail,they rang me and i sign up cost me nearly $ 600.. got home from work, tell my wife and she yell at me…i felt so dumb…
[…] one is even more blatant than similar fax spam (more), in that although they note at the top nice and clearly To update your company profile […]
Not one person mentions the countless positive pages online. Just a bunch of individuals that are complaining about receiving an advertisment. No one who actually has a problem with the service, just problems with receiving a fax. This product has worked wonders for me. This site is a bunch of bloody rubbish.
And why is it a hoax…. Because lots of people received it? Makes no sense what you folks say. You all sound like a bunch of whining teenagers. Grow up. If you don’t want the service, don’t respond.
[…] had left comments on a number of posts on this blog, all regarding directory scams (both the Who’s Who In Australia and the World Business Guide […]
Received this rubbish today, thought it was a scam! Waste of paper and ink! As to Hector( if thats your real name) why are you bothering to make comments, oh unless of course your a ‘friend’ of Brians!!! Good on you Steve for alerting people to scum like this!!
Thought it was a scam so googled the fax nos and ended up here, which confirmed it is suspect. Mine was from Jennifer Crowley. Thanks for the blog and comments.
Yes, I too recieved this nonsense signed from Jennifer Crowley. As Darren Hinch would say.. Shame Shame Shame!!!
Just received on in Florida. Smelled like scam the minute my staff person happily gave it to me. Someone has to stop this.
Just got mine from Jennifer Crowley today in Missouri. I feel honored but will have to pass.
Thank God for Google… I got my fax this morning, so I googled it and found this page. Thanks for the information!
Well I just received one of these today and yes it days make you feel important until you google it and find the truth of it..
Thanks for this post!
I received one today, yes for a quick minute I felt important but then thought why don’t they have my details if I have been selected!!!! Google is a wonderful thing, im sure glad I found this web site.
Thanks
Thanks Google for the info no-one else gives you. I honestly can’t believe these people have nothing better to do, I’m only upset the 10cent paper was wasted on such c#*^p. As some people would say sometimes you need joy even if it lasts a few seconds on your expense. Its becoming a sad world when you can’t trust anybodys info anymore.
Hey there’s been a staff change – the one I received today came from Office of Public Affairs (Lisa Smith). Maybe Jennifer got the sack.
Thanks for the great work Steve
The way i like to deal with spam faxes is to send back a “looped fax” with a special message. I feed 3 pieces of paper into the fax machine and stickytape the end of the first page to the end of the third page, dial in the number and away it gos, around and around and around and around and around around and around and around and around and around. maybe its read by no-one, but it makes me feel better. I also ring genuine businesses who spamfax and let them know how i feel.
Thanks for your website, googled ‘The Australian Register of Who’s Who Ofiice of Public Affairs’ just to see if it was genuine – thanks to your information being at my fingertips to shoot my fax straight to the bin!
Always a give away when the only contact details are return fax numbers.
I did have to check though, just in case somebody did think I was important, besides my dog!
My first thought was to google Jennifer Crowley and not to my surprise I was right another scam. Do they not have any thing better to do.
I have repeatedly asked this “Jennifer Crowley” to remove my business from her “spam” database, to no avail.
So, when I receive one of the Who’s Who faxes, I load my fax machine with paper, as much as it will hold, and fax it back to the number given on the form. At the top of this heap of paper, I have a sheet that clearly states Federal Law in regard to unsolicited faxes.
If I receive another fax from them, I am going to create a paper-loop in my fax machine so that Who’s Who will receive a never-ending fax, thereby tying up their fax machine until I am ready to stop it.
Hahaha,
Looks like Jennifer Crowley got the sack…my Who’s Who invite is from ” Lisa Smith, Profile Coordinator” The number is 02 8078 6030. Great site Steve, thanks!
Kate
Got one of these today. Looks like a rat, smells like a rat probably a rat. Looking at this website definitely a rat! Thanks for the info and laugh
Ah wouldn’t we all like to blow up their fax machine but to those who are doing the paper loop etc its probably only making you feel better. I am sure their fax no. would be linked to a computer so they only have to hit the delete button to get rid of your fax.
On the other hand why don’t we all put a paper loop fax to the Australian Securities Commission so that they can see that we have had enough of this crap and they will actually do something to enforce the laws!
The Who’s Who fax received today. Return fax number only is the give away. All praise to google for assisting in finding this site. Had my fifteen seconds of importance and fame now it’s back to reality.
Just got mine – smelt a rat straightaway. The name – “Australian Directory of Who’s Who” is obviously designed to sound like the real Who’s Who. The bit I can’t understand is how a faceless bureaucrat like me is supposedly so worthy of attention!
Now its Lisa Smith, the edition is 2010/2011. Thanks for the site great work.
We’re a medium sized law firm in Perth, and it looks like our top employee, ‘The Director/Manager’, is finally going to get the recognition he/she deserves, thanks to this wonderful service and the fax we received today. Good old Lisa Smith and friends.
Wonder how much it costs them to send each fax? I’m amazed that a scam this obvious could be profitable.
You quoted me exactly:
“Although hang on, if I’m so interesting why don’t they know my name and details already?”
Mine came in the form of a call from a “Gregory Muller” phone (631) 450.2140 extension 2251
At the end of the BS call, he asked me to provide him with my credit card numer and expiration date so that I could pay for the 2 year membership. I, of course, declined to do that saying that “I do NOT conduct business over the phone, and that it would be best if he could send me information in writing, then I could decide which membership was best for me, etc.” He got extremely belligerent and then went on to offer me a basic 1 year membership package for only $99. I repeated I do NOT ever conduct business over the phone but he wouldn’t hear it, so in a very calm and collected manner I said to him: ‘Thank you for your offer, but I guess I am not going to be featured in your book”. He said he was going to send me something on the mail in the next week or so … then I said, oh that would be great, then I hang-up. I will be surprised if I do in fact get anything on the mail. We’ll see.
Thanks to all who sent in replies! I’m glad I took the time look this organization (and I use this very liberally) and low and behold…Thanks again for your valuable information regarding this ‘fishing’ Scam!
Still going…..I got this version today
Tania
30.03.10 / 1pm
Now its Lisa Smith, the edition is 2010/2011. Thanks for the site great work.
I also received this fax today from Office of public affairs- Lisa Smith, no contact details are always a problem for me.
They are at it again.
Be good for them to respond to this and still say they are legit
http://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/ConsumerProtection/ScamNet/Scams/Whos_Who_in_Austral.html
So if its not a scam how come the WA governemtn has it listed as a scam.
They have a full list of scams here http://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/ConsumerProtection/ScamNet/content/pages/full_list.html
Regards
Sean
I also received this fax today from Office of public affairs- Lisa Smith, no contact details are always a problem for me.
Sorry Adrian but I just copied your post, it was either that or just DITTO.
If you have paid with a credit card for this scam then contact your credit card provider and get them to dishonour the payment. you don’t have to pay when you have been scammed. Need to get VISA, MasterCard, AMEX to ban these people from having credit card facilities. (I didn’t reply to their fax, I did some investigating first, which has cost me my valuable time, rather than my hard earned cash)
From a previous message above someone gave a phone number (631) 450.2140 extension 2251
Looking at idd.com.au for idd country codes, this looks to be from the Phillipines.
Yesterday we received The Australian Register of Who’s Who on our fax machine. Looked at it and instantly thought SCAM!!!
Checked Google and sure enough there it was. Sick of these types of Faxes, just one big waste of paper and it is my paper!! lol Our fax was sent from Office of Public Affairs ( Lisa Smith )
People have to be really right on top of these scams that come through your fax machine. We have be in business for 27 years and i have lost count of how many faxes i have tried to get rid of by those sites on the internet to remove your fax number, they work maybe a month and then the next wave of nuisance faxes starts up again. Ah that feels better i have had my whinge about them. Have a good day : )
I wonder why the relevant authorities aren’t chaing these people down. WA Government knows its a scam, why can’t the police stop them?
Regards
Sean
Was just about to fax this in, since I’ve been getting the actual solicitations where they know my info for a while.
SFVA: saved from viral advertising.
Thanks.
Got this today. Faxed them back a bunch of black paper. Hopefully they have to replace their ink cartridges.
I recieved the same Australian Register of Who’s Who fax two weeks ago.
Then yesterday Mr Joe Cousins phoned me from Stanford Who’s Who, New York, offering me publication and life time membership which gave me two round the world airline tickets. Two types of membership, as I continued to tell Joe that I would need to discuss this with my business partner, he kept bettering the offer. It went from $700 US to $99.
He was ever so polite the entire time and gave me his direct number and ext.
00111 631 650 214
Australian Members ?
http://www.stanfordwhoswho.com/browse.users.php
My curious side just wanted to see just how far he would go, and just how much he would offer.
It did seem that he was calling from overseas, so I think at least I cost him the international call.
Thanks for passing that on Susan. $700 down to $99 with two round the world airline tickets sounds like a VERY good offer…
RE: The Australian Register of who’s who and all other spam.
No A.B.N. gives it away every time.
I received a phone call from an advertising business that i never dealt with thanking me for my advertising and asking when would i be able to make payment. I ask for their address, phone number and A.B.N. that soon sorts them out. It’s getting ridiculous at the lengths these scammers are going to.
I have put in Complaints to ACCC, Fraud squads ect, on this crowd going back years- No one seems to care. Maybe an attitude of “Ah its only a few bux mate”. But X 100,000 = a LOT.
No Duty of Care in the Govt.
I actually got a phone call from a ‘Jason Delfina’ from Harvard Who’s Who in response to their fax which I’d filled with bullshit. Neville Shrimpton-Smith was the name I gave. Latex products was the industry. He actually thought I’d fallen for it! I allowed him to waffle on for 5 minutes about the benefits I’d gain by being on their bogus ‘list’. Really broke my heart to tell the insect that I was deliberately wasting his time. Gave me a New York ear full about how much $ he was earning, I then abused him verbally in a uniquely Australian manner, and that was that!
Sorry, the more I think about it, I think it was ‘Stanford’ Who’s Who and not Harvard. Not that it matters greatly.
We got the fax today from “Lisa Smith” and for a minute thought “wow” we’ve been chosen to be listed on the “who’s who really cares” list of crap. Thanks Steve for confirming all this bullshit from people who have nothing better to do.
My assistant placed some basic details into an ad on LinkedIn for the Australian Registry of the Stanford Who’s Who. I received a phone call today from a John Sannar saying that due to my work globally on Online Scams I had been chosen to be featured in this publication.
I had no problems giving my details as all are available on the web. What I found amusing was that he went through the entire spiel knowing that I consult with law enforcement, governments and government agencies globally on online scams but then became very indignant (red flag) when I asked him to send an email confirming his request for money (as I wasn’t in this life time going to give anyone my credit card details over the phone).
I have posted the scam on LinkedIn with this link:
http://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/ConsumerProtection/ScamNet/Scams/Whos_Who_in_Austral.html
here is another link for you to also forward on to everyone you know:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who%27s_Who_scam
If you tweet or Facebook then please do it to make others aware – that is how we stop these people.
Thank you Steve for having this forum and to those who have the nous to help others stay safe.
Smiles to you,
Yvonne
Yvonne Rice
Author | Singles Lifestyle Coach | International Speaker | Global Online Dating Expert | Expert Consultant to Global Law Enforcement, Government Agencies and Governments on Online Romance and Advance Fee Fraud Scams
thanks for confiming. who is Lisa Smith and why has this been going on since last year.
they are in Turkey now. :) I hate spam.
Good tip to get some FINANCIAL REVENGE on fax spammers:
1. Google them, they will probably have Pay Per Click ads running. They appear highlighted above or to the right of the actual google results.
2. Click, click, click away. It will likely cost them $1 or 50c per click. 100 clicks spread out over a few days should do it.
3. Repeat 2.
Enjoy :-)
F.L.F.
Just to let everyone know they’re still at it!
We received similar Who’s who fax August 9 and thought it looked odd but as a community charity we do receive many applications from various sources for charity nominations & community awards etc. so could have been caught. Just thought it would be better to mention this as charities are often vunerable & desperate for recognistion & money, but would be hard hit if they got caught. We receive up to 10 emails a day, sometimes geared to animal stories that are scams. Googled and confirmed FAX as a scam.
Thank you ARRG.
Is that suggestion for FLF right?, at least that is something that we could all do (spread the word if it is going to work), however I couldn’t see any adds when I googled. Could you have a look FLF and explain how to do it?
Thanks
Thanks – just got my call from Stanford Who’s Who a few minutes ago. Very smooth sales person. Went throught the whole deal of Platinum then Gold for $500 and $9.95 USD per month. I was pressured by the same publishing deadline information. I have a personal policy of no credit card purchases over the phone. I requested a summary of the offer by email for my consideration – nothing yet and I don’t expect any email to arrive either.
I got one too! Who’s Who—-rubbish!
Just another bunch of cheating fraudsters.
Thank the Lord for Google!
I am so happy I found this site!!! I was on the phone with the woman and started wondering????? So I went online and like the others before me thank God for Google!!! I asked her to send me information detailing what exactly they were offering, she actually laughed!!!! She offered me the sales pitch about Gold and Platinum plans $ 789.00 with 2 plane tickets included. I told her I do not purchase site unseen. She said she is the information. Ask her anything….thats when I put her on hold. I found this site and when I picked the phone back up, she was gone! If they are what they say they are, I am thinking they would have information to send out to back themselves up. Just a thought!
These scams are infuriating, but I don’t think there’s much point in sending back looped or even abusive faxes. I very much doubt if they have a printer attached to their fax receiver – probably just goes to a computer in-box.
What we really need to do is to put pressure on government and the telco to shut down the fax line, or prosecute the people involved, or both.
I will be sending my fax copy to my local Federal MP and Senator Nick Xenophon with a request for action.
Thanks for setting up this blog – it may just prevent many unfortunate people falling for it.
I wanted to check who is on the list and Googled it… then I found this blog. Thanks God. I think that the letter is well written but the strange thing is that it was signed (in type) by Lisa Smith however the hand signature is by someone else.
I was caught in the car on a mobile phone. It sounded legitimate at face value (no Fax) and had to make a decision she said. I gave them the benefit of the doubt. When getting home to check them out – whala … scam. Unfortunately I’ve had to the pay the initial price but that’s it. Even had the bank try and stop payment – couldn’t. Put it down to bad timing and a weak moment. That’s the end of them. Even called ACCC – can’t do anything about it. Would have been better if they called me at home as I could check it out more effectively.
I just received this fax from a Lisa Smith and BZ, you are right, it isnt even signed by a Lisa Smith. How are these people getting away with this?
Thanks to all of you that have taken the time to post this and this web site I though I would look into this and found this site.
keep up the good work and thanks again.
I’m from New Jersey, US and we just received this fax. Some updates they have made is that it is not from a specific person just “Corporate Office Publishing”. It wants us to fax back information to a “646” area code which is Manhattan and not where they are implying they are located.
Hey Guys n Girls, just got this one today, ours was address to the DIRECTOR/MANAGER, and signed by Lisa Smith, Profile Coordinator.
Recieved the same today, however it was also addressed to “The Director/Manager” and from the “Office of Public Affairs” contact person Lisa Smith.
Just received a fax from guess who… Jennifer Crowley.. were from Ottawa Ontario… what a shame..
This scam is still going ~ this time they didn’t even bother with a fake name! Just says, “Sincerely, Corporate Office, Publishing Dept.” No other numbers, just a fax number.
Gee, that just gives me the warm fuzzies!
Just got duped for $199 for Canadian Who’s Who – is actually Stanford Who’s Who from New York City :)
My own fault as I fell for the “ego stroking” high pressure sales – called back 10 minutes later to find out they have a “no cancellation policy” that I was not told about and is not listed anywhere on their site.
Shameful…
Lesson learned!
Hi, I just got one faxed to me this morning. Made me laugh. Who can we report it to??
Just received “Australian Register of Who’s Who” from Office of Public Affairs – Lisa Smith. Faxed them, asking for $1000 as a search fee for my details before I could release them. Don’t like my chances!!!
They do see your faxed response because ‘Jason’ asked to speak to my alter ego Neville Shrimpton-Smith ( as per my silly faxed application) . He pronounced it Nev-ill and obviously thought he had a real rube in tow. The funniest part is that when you give absurd answers to his stock qualification questions, he doesn’t hesitate or question them, such is his determination to get to the credit card details stage. If scum like him call you, string them along for as long as you can before letting them down. Its good fun, a bit costly for them, and most importantly, it infuriates them.
I posted 12 weeks ago that I had allowed myself to be duped and signed up with Sanford WhosWho for a $199 memebership. Good news, just got reimbursed from them! Made a complaint through the Better Business Bureau in New York and they responded with refunding me …hmmm
Good to hear you got a refund Dawn
Don’t under any circumstance give this organisation your visa card number. They offered me membership at $199 nearly 2 years ago, with a wood plaque and a leather bound book and 2 complimentary airline tickets to anywhere in America. Since then they have put nearly $4,000 on my card. I’ve cancelled my card twice and still amounts go on… $500, $700, $800 in any one hit. I have no idea how or where they are getting my new card numbers. It’s a nightmare.
****** WARNING *******
** DO NOT GIVE THIS ORGANISATION ANY DETAILS**
Confirmation
Your report is important to the ACCC as this information assists us in monitoring scam trends and taking action where appropriate, including to educate the public on new or emerging scams. The ACCC is unable to reply to all reports made online via the SCAMwatch Report a Scam form due to the high volume received.
If you need advice about how to deal with a scam, please review the information on the SCAMwatch website. You may also wish to contact the SCAMwatch Infocentre Line on 1300 795 995.
You submitted the following:
SCAMwatch complaint lodged by Mr Anonymous Anonymous
I do not want my report to be considered for publication in the Victim Stories section of the SCAMwatch website.
I am submitting this form anonymously.
Complainant details
State: ACT
Postcode: 2614
Gender: Female
Details of the scammer (business, company, group or individual)
Name: Stephen D Byrne
Street address: 7 washington terrace
Suburb / Town: murray brigbe
State: SA
Postcode: 5253
Phone number: 0421134932
Email: aussieman6970@yahoo.com
Details of the scam
What type of scam was it? Banking & online account (including Phishing)
How did the scammer make contact? Internet
What problems were experienced?
Unauthorised account or credit card transactions
Money was paid/transferred/lost to the scammer: Yes
How was it paid? Wire transfer
How much money was paid/transferred/lost? 14000
Brief description of the scam: he told me he was going to help me get my funds from my bank and i accepted he has me to pay the money which i paid into his account and he came back to tell the account his frozen that i have to send another money since it like this so my 1.6,million dollars can be paid to me…i have hos driver licence with me and i can attached it and send to you if needed
Do you require a response? Yes
This fax spamer is still going strong in the US. Just received one this week, 06/04/16. Hope they can stop these folks soon. Neither fax listed worked.