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NewswireTODAY - /newswire/ -
Kansas City, MO, United States, 2009/01/14 - The National Portable Storage Association is warning the industry about an Internet scam out of Africa that could cost vendors thousands of dollars.
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The National Portable Storage Association (NPSA) is warning against an Internet scam that is targeting companies that sell portable storage and shipping containers. The scam was first identified in late December.
"Please beware of a group of persons from Africa inquiring to purchase ocean shipping containers to be sent to an orphanage, church or mission in Ghana Africa," said Joel Rathbone, Operations Manager for the NPSA, a nonprofit membership association dedicated to the advancement of the portable storage industry. "If you respond to the initial e-mail, the next e-mail attempts to pull at your heart strings. So far, the e-mails are coming from public e-mail accounts such as Gmail, Yahoo and Hotmail."
One NPSA member was contacted by someone that called himself "Rev. Portman Muccino." He wanted to purchased eight 40-foot containers and have them shipped to an orphanage in Ghana, Africa. The NPSA member then received a call from Rev. Muccino, who gave him a credit card number and asked him to use it to cover the cost of the containers and the shipping – $13,500. Next, a company named Smart Field Company contacted the NPSA member instructing him to wire $2,850 in cash through Western Union to cover the cost of shipping.
When the NPSA member called Mastercard to see if the card was stolen, the credit card company said it had not been reported. But since the name on the card was not Muccino's, the credit card company contacted the cardholder. Here's the scam: After members use the stolen or lost credit card and it clears, the African thieves ask for the shipping fee to be sent in cash immediately. They get the $2,850 and the portable storage vendor is stuck with non-payment on a $13,500 charge to a stolen or lost credit card once the owner disputes the charge.
The National Portable Storage Association
The NPSA (npsa-us.org) is dedicated to the advancement of the portable storage industry. We at the NPSA are here to serve those in the portable storage industry who rent, sell or lease containers, trailers and mobile offices. The NPSA assists members with industry, regulatory and workforce issues; plus, offers members networking, marketing and legislative support at national, state and local levels.
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