Is there a register of companies that can be accessed from outside of China? Suggest you contact the legal firm that advertises on here. It may cost you some money, but much cheaper than flying all the way here, and paying for hotels, just to realize you have waster your time.
Thank you!
Hope you didn`t go @alexs!? Definitely a fraud, email written in the exact way as mine
Another one to add to the list:
From: kmlongteng.zhang <kmlongteng.zhang@vip.163.com>
Sent: Thursday, 7 September 2017 9:21 PM
To:
Subject: CHINA
architect
How are you
We are in China of kunming state-owned holding company, ready to invest in a high-end modern European style of the five-star hotel, the gross area is 130,000 square meters, 36floors above ground,the budget is about 96,000,000 Euro. Now we want to entrust the design company for us to make a design scheme, if you’d like to cooperate, please contact with us.
Best wishes!
云南冶金集团
YUNNAN METALLURGICAL GROUP
Address: 399 kunming wuhua well-off avenue
Tel:0086-871-64105468
Email:chinaykin@vip.163.com
website :www.cymco.cn
Zip code:650231
manager:Shi Yan
Booked airfares & accommodation, then found this Forum. About to hop on plane in 24hrs. Looks like I have saved myself alot of effort?
Thanks vfrdesign for your contribution.
Fraud like this happens all over China and the rest of the world but these guys here give our wonderful town a very bad name and the sooner people stop walking into this trap the sooner they will be out of business.
Good you found out before departure. A waste of a ticket but the Kunming weather is not really inviting at the moment for a short city trip ;-)
PS:
@vip.163.com is an open platform anybody can use and is an indication that things are not as serious as they might want you to believe. Proper companies with this type of money have their own mail server name, in this case: longteng.zhang@cymco.cn.
By the way the www.cymco.cn website does not even work.
I watch these emails with interest. It amazing that this scam still exists after so long with the same wording. I got ripped off by the same scam almost 10 years ago -I blogged on here then. And I still get sent emails from them inviting me to undertake a project for them! I've tried to bait them but from a distance it's wasted.
The way forward would be to con the scammers. Have a local 'plant' turn up at the airport or wherever the arranged meeting place is and scare them with police there -or get sufficient evidence. I gave a full description to the local Kunming police including photos of the 2 people I met. It would be so easy, only need the proof and the ability to hit them hard!
The unfortunate thing is that there are possibly a few scams running concurrently.
They're very convincing, I've seen them use reputable business names too, and businesses that have stopped trading. Each time there appears to be a reputable website.
It's well set up for what appears to be little gain. Why do they go for 'expensive' cigarettes? Are they an easily resalable commodity? Is the Department Store where they are purchased also part of the scam?
Good luck
That is exactly it, it appears to be for little gain. Maybe it is someones little game to show how 'clever' they are. I suppose if they are are just blanket spamming companies and get one a month, then can make a living out of it.
It must be low risk. I have been getting the same, with minor variants, emails from various princes, generals and potentates for more than 20 years.
An English teacher in Beijing actually was dumb enough to fall for the scam then verified her idiocy by telling the English teacher world of her foolishness. Most surprising was the sympathy and advice about how to safely deal with the "Dearly Beloved..." emails.
@petetheripper
Why the expensive cigarettes?
Because it is easy. Is a high value item that can easily be carried and does not break like glass bottles.
I am quite sure the shop is part of the setup and that the cigarettes are back on the shelf the next day.
But even if they are not then there are shops here in Kunming who buy (And sell again) unwanted gifts. They are quite open and even advertise. They buy cigarettes, expensive alcohol and expensive cosmetics. These shops live on this gift culture here in China. The gifts as bribes are only a small part of that so selling unwanted sticks of cigarettes is quite normal here.
Checklist/flowchart
1.
Always ask yourself “Why did they choose me/my organization”? Is what I/we deliver so unique that they really could not have asked anybody else?
2.
Is what I/we deliver possible to copy without high payment (Designs, architectural designs, artwork). If so why don’t they do that?
If the answer on question 1 is NO and on question 2 is YES then you are dealing with crooks.
If the answer on question 1 is YES and on question 2 is NO then they might be legitimate (But more likely you are over estimating your own work). But OK if I/we are so unique and special than they should pay a good lot of money for your/yours work. They really want you and therefore if a contract has to be signed by both parties together they can come to you (Of course on their expenses). And they should make a sizable down payment.
If they seem to be legitimate but don’t pay a sizable down payment then again = crooks.
Even if you belief them and are coming to Kunming then the following rules apply:
A.
They pick you up at the airport and host you in a proper hotel all on their expenses. (A Chinese would rather sell his sons kidney then not pay for the airport pickup or dinner)
B.
There are no glitches in the contract (Otherwise you should not have come anyway).
C.
You never ever are going to buy any gifts.
D.
You make plenty of pictures of everything and everybody but people or individuals make a problem about that.
If any of the points above apply turn around and go, they were crooks after all.
These crooks play on the idea that westerners think that China is corrupt and that it is normal to pay for some bribes (That is as well why they usually pretend to be a state company). Well this notion is wrong. Nowadays the crackdown on corruption goes so far that officials will not even accept a package of cigarettes let alone a whole stick.
If it is a private company then all decisions are made by the boss and nobody else so there can not be a glitz in the contract that can be smoothed over with some sticks of cigarettes.
It is important to note as well that it is forbidden now for state companies to invest money in commercial housing and hotels if that is not their core business. So a metal company can never set up a hotel or golf course or something like that.
