Ellie Jung's Diary

Taylor McKenzie: Construction Equipment Scam Target Firms in Japan and Other Countries
Construction services is one of the most lucrative industries not only in Asian countries like Japan and China but also all in other countries in the world. The development of different structures is a good sign of progress for the country’s economy. When it comes to construction development, one of the most important factors is the construction equipment that will be used for building.

Due to the rising rate of construction projects, it is not surprising that investors and entrepreneurs would like to venture into this type of industry. However, it has also become a way for people working behind some scam to use it as their ploy to extort money.

Firms and lawyers who have fallen victim have filed their complaint to stop this fraud business scheme. The crooks behind the scam use a construction machine purchase to get the attention of firms. Recently, a Nova Scotia firm has been a victim of the said purchase scam. As part of their fraud scheme, they send an email inquiring the firm to handle a Professional Services Agreement (PSA) for the equipment they are about to sell. The person who contacted the firms used actual names and details to pretend as a member of legitimate companies.

Avoiding scams
Purchase scam for construction equipment is one of the types of scam attempts that has become extremely common nowadays. Scammers send out thousands of versions of their email and use hundreds of registered company names and active lawyer or broker names to conceal their true identities and bad motives.

To give an air of legitimacy, they use online directories to get the contact details of the valid companies they mention in their emails. They even attach bogus electronic supporting documents such as Guarantor form and personal IDs to look genuine and also to increase their chances of getting noticed.

Before a trust account is debited, the people behind the fraud transaction send the victims with bogus cheques and trick them into performing proper verification processes. To ensure that anyone doesn’t become a victim of the purchase scam, it is better to review and verify all the details sent out by the potential client. No need to rush and just take your time in checking the necessary details and requirements. It can be a red flag if a seller refuses to show the equipment and attempts to route all transactions through a third-party payer. In case the transaction proceeds, ask for bank account information and other details that can help in verifying the client’s company authenticity.

A lot of scammers are trying to take advantage of different firms in western countries like USA and Canada. They have fallen victims to this scam and it’s possible that Asian countries like Japan with a good list of firms can be the next target of scammers.

Taylor McKenzie: Warning to Japan and Other Countries on Equipment Purchase Scam
People behind some fraud activities are now targeting law firms to acquire money. They trick lawyers by acting as someone in need of assistance in drafting sales and purchase agreement.

The scam targets law firms and independent attorneys. The said target must be alert in taking up new clients through email inquiries. Those who coordinate this type of scam uses email inquiries as for their way to get the attention of legal representatives.

Equipment Purchase Scam
According to the complaints of the lawyers, they received an email that inquires for drafting sales and purchase agreement with an interested buyer in the area. The culprits target attorneys from the United States and Canada. They are also starting to spread throughout other Asian countries such as Japan.

The emails may not be marked as spam because they include details such as the name, address, and contact number of the company. What makes it look genuine is a company website is also included in the email. However, the links included in the message will redirect to a bogus company website which they only create to show trustworthiness to the proposal they sent via email. This is the scammers’ technique so they won’t look suspicious right away.

This scam attempt uses a formal way of communication. They contact the lawyers using email because it is the common way where people send their inquiries and concern to the respective law representatives. Not only lawyers but also other legitimate businesses should also be mindful of opening suspicious links from unknown sources. The links sent through email may redirect to a phishing website that can get all the personal information. The information that can be attained by phishing websites can be used for fraudulent transactions and other purposes.

For some, they can quickly judge a spam message since it may seem obvious at first look and may bring a minor annoyance. If that’s the case, the scam proposal can be easily ignored or deleted. Nonetheless, there are other types of scam that specifically targets businesses and do what it takes swindle some money.

Law representatives must be on the lookout since a lot of scammers see the construction and mining market as a profitable target where they can steal a hefty amount of money quickly. According to the complaints of the victims, the culprits were able to get away with the money easily because they are located beyond the government’s reach.

Before committing to any client who looking for legal help in sales and purchases agreement, it is better to review and research the proposal thoroughly. If the targets aren’t doubtful, it can be easy for scammers to take advantage of people and then escape.