I and a large number of other victims to that scam ordered camera equipment or electronic equipment on offer from one of the named companies. The payment was done as required by electronic fund transfer.
They use the names of couriers like Fedex and even give a tracking number. As we are situated in South Africa I am not sure if they are operating internationally, but as they are well represented on the web it is quite possible. They are working as a chameleon company, when one name is worked over they just change it, Most of the time they don't even change the website layout, just the name.
A short while after the order is confirmed and payment received! They sent an email to state that they ran out of stock and the order has to be shipped from their headquarters in the UK.
The next thing is that they send a email to say that the shipment is held at customs for import duty and that the customer has to pay the duties to ensure speedy delivery. They also send a guarantee that head quarters will refund the paid customs duty within 30 days.
End of story is that no shipment ever arrived anywhere.
Criminal cases are opened but as it is.com domains and only cellphone numbers it is extremely difficult to get hold of them. The banks where the respective accounts existed can only react but then it's mostly too late.
The only way to stop them or at least make it more difficult for those fraudsters is to put the warning on the web to raise awareness.
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