Another scam?

Jewelry Discussion
1

Good morning all.

A recent email fits some of the usual profile but I’m wondering if
any here know of this company or have had similar experience.

Mr. Akihiro Yasuoka says he represents Magenta Japan, an affiliate
of Magenta NYC whose principal he listed as Anastasia Sosa. I
verified that the originating IP address is in Tokyo Japan.

After stating that Anastasia Sosa may already have contacted me as
is their usual procedure [she hasn’t], he explains that she is
nearing the due date for her baby and in effort to reduce her
workload they are contacting me directly.

The request is for about availability of some of my work
for purchase - at wholesale - for a client starting a wholesale
business next year. This client is further described as having over
20 yr experience in the field and relationships with “top classed
Japanese retailers and also with most of every department stores in
Japan.”

Another portion of his email:

"Our request and questions are here. a.If you have the merchandise
that are on the list we attached with this email at your stock now or
not? b.If you could sell to one of our client who are going to start
wholesales business in coming next year? c.If you could sell the
merchandises with F.O.B price or Exwork Price? If you could, how much
discount rate from NY retail price? "

I checked that the attached spread sheet was virus-free before
opening it. The three pieces listed are priced $470 to $630 retail.
Although there are additional pieces on the website priced higher
than $470, they were not listed.

A Google search for the NY company yielded a New York yellow pages
listing as well as a description on www.apparelsearch.com
http://www.apparelsearch.com/ under Buying Groups for the
clothing and fashion industry.

Part of the description:

“Magenta: is an international buying office that caters to high end
specialty stores all over the world. . . . Magenta is one of the few
buying services that facilitates in buying activity for the most
respectable retailers in their countries and cities, and is
expanding with bases outside of the U.S.”

The principal is listed as Anastasia Gianiks with an aol.com email
address. The phone number and address differ from the Yellow page
listing.

I have considered sending an email to Anastasia Gianiks but any
or suggestions on how to proceed will be appreciated.

Thank you in advance.
Pam Chott
www.songofthephoenix.com
http://www.songofthephoenix.com

2

Pam Chott!

dont do a damn thing. Your return e-mail will entice the sender to
have so much more mail coming to your address that you won’t know
what happened…just ‘hit’ the “Delete” button…NOW! can you read
this word??.." S - C - A - M ! " now repeat after me…bye-bye!! not
me. just the idea of it!..gerry!

3

Pam,

Magenta is the real deal.

Based on many years experience in the garment industry, this is a
very typical Japanese communication, I can understand the “e-mail” as
a direct contact if you don’t have a rep in NYC or LA.

My best suggestion would be to call the NYC office – explain your
concerns and ask if they would please verify the request.

The Japanese can be a little difficult to work with because of a
different business structure ( lots of middle men ) and a different
culture ( be very polite ), but once you get going with them it can
be very profitable.

Good luck, Adrienne

4

Pam,

I would forward that email to Anastasia. If she responds that it is
no scam, get details on why etc.

Alain.

5

While we’re on the subject…Recently I received a peculiar
telephone call. A woman claiming to be from Experian (the credit
rating agency) asked for me by name, and when I said. “speaking”,
she went on to ask what sort of business this was. I replied that
it was not a business, and she said ,“Oh, is this a residence?” I
said,“Yes it is”, and she said “Goodbye” and hung up. She spoke with
what sounded like a West African accent. Experian did not call me,
so who was this caller and what was she after? A few days later a
fellow Orchidian told me she had been contacted by a woman with a
heavy accent who claimed to be from Experian…but having heard my
story she hung up on the caller immediately. I am just wondering:
Have any of you had a similar experience? Is somebody out there in
cyberspace fishing the Orchid list for scam victims? In any event,
be on your guard.

Please note! all email addresses are masked and unavailable from the
archives, rest assuered. your privacy is highly protected.

hanuman

Dee

6

I only recently joined the list, but I got a call from someone
claiming to be from Experian in the last week. I didn’t give any
sensitive I fully expected the caller to try to get some
that I was not about to give, but it didn’t happen. It
might not be on the up and up, but I would not be at all surprised if
Experian was doing this kind of “data mining.” Anyone else?

Courtney
Courtney Graham Hipp
cgHipp Jewelry Designs

7

I haven’t talked to anyone, but did notice on my caller ID that
Experian did call in my absence.

8

I too have had numerous calls from Experion on my caller ID, they
lasted for almost a month. Eva

9

I replied that it was not a business, and she said ,“Oh, is this a
residence?” I said,“Yes it is”, and she said “Goodbye” and hung up.
Many businesses exclusively (and relentlessly) market to businesses.
If they call and realize that for some reason that they have gotten
a residencal number they will not waste any time hanging up and
moving on to the next number. They probably got your number from a
business related group like the chamber of commerce, a discount club
or some other group that also has ties to businesses. I often use
this to my benefit. When I happen to miss a caller ID and get one
of these calls, I just tell them it is a residential number. No
need to come up with a lame excuse like my house is on fire or
anything. They hang up lickety split!

In this day of increasing globalization you shouldn’t be surprised
when you get calls from people who do not sound anglo-saxon or
American.

Larry

10

Credit Bureaus normally do not call any person for a survey. If
there is a problem with credit and an application was denied any
person will be instructed to follow the guidelines given to receive
a free credit report without a survey being conducted.

If a “so called credit bureau person called me” I would ask for
name, badge number, supervisor name, and several phone numbers to
return the call and reach that particular credit bureau and the
company they are surveying for in this case.

If a credit bureau has a business partnership with another company
to collect data, that company should be verified first to ensure
they are in fact working with one of the 3 major credit bureaus. In
the years of doing taxes, separating another’s credit on
my credit report, I recommend not to answer any questions that are
asked over the phone or by survey unless one can verify that the
credit bureau has in fact initiated the survey which is normally
done by mail on their letter head and submitted with a return
envelope.

Currently, there are many companies that sound legit but are
"looking to steal your credit identity". It is a wise practice to
order all 3 reports from each credit bureau on a yearly basis to
ensure the data collected on any one person is accurate.

Some persons may go for years having erroneous on his or
her credit report unaware that this is being used to
either offer or deny a person credit. Any company who calls for a
survey should be asked the surveyor’s name, company name, badge ID
number, verifiable telephone numbers to check that the credit bureau
did in fact order a survey, and should be able to pass the test
after checking with the credit bureau. If it sounds “fishy” it
probably is. I have never heard of a credit bureau calling for a
survey. Be sure to protect one’s self at all times in today’s day
and age of “IDENTITY THEFT”. Error on the side of caution and do
not give out personal data until absolute proof that it is a real
request has been achieved.

Waynette
HQCE

11

Hi Gang,

I also got a call from Experian.

seeking financial or business info is to just hang up on them. But
if you feel that’s not proper, tell them you don’t provide personal
or business info over the phone, fax or email & that if they want
it, to send you a letter requesting the info. I’ve never receive a
letter yet.

Dave

12 
Credit Bureaus normally do not call any person for a survey."

Boy, do I feel duped! I am REALLY careful not to give out
on the phone, and almost never do it, but I guess I blew
it on a call I got from Experian a week or two ago. I was guarded
answering the questions, but they sounded so harmless - business
address, my name… anyone could get through JBT etc.
Nothing confidential. But the Orchid postings are starting to
concern me. Is there some step I can take to protect myself from
whoever these people are? (Guess I know the answer to that question

  • I’m a little too late on that one…)

Cindy Crounse
Refined Designs Original Fine Jewelry

13

Scams abound, we must have our antenna up all the time.

Few days ago I was for the first time ever in a US Bank Branch
negotiating a check for my grandson. Neither of us are a US Bank
customer, only the check sender was.

Today I received a message from email removed it asked
me for on my account. I called the bank and asked for
their fraud branch to report it. This definitely was a "Phishing"
expedition. My concern is my being at a branch office and this scam
are suspicious to me.

I did forward the message to US Bank, the FTC and Cox Spam Center.
The lady at the fraud section told me many are losing lots of money
with these official looking messages.

Sad but true.
Terrie

14

In regard to Experian and similar calls, when I pick up the phone
and the person, without making any attempt to identify himself or
herself says, “I want to verify that you are (name, address, phone)”
I say, “Who’s calling?” "Why do you want the " “Did
anyone ask you to run a credit check on me?” “What is your name?”

Somewhere between the third and fourth question they hang up. If a
company is not willing to give me about what it is,
there is no reason for me to give about who I am.

One such company asked to verify my phone number, the very number
used to call me. Why would you want to trust such mindless people?

Very often I get calls about “surveys” with no sales pitch involved,
or so they say. When I ask who is sponsoring the survey, they get
vague and again, after a few questions from me, they hang up.

Try to tell the person who is calling to remove your number from the
call list. I say “try” because the person may have hung up before
you get a chance to do this.

Since these calls invariably catch me at a moment when I am doing
something else – such as trying to interview someone on my other
line – I don’t always have the time, or the wits, to follow the
advice above. But whenever I do, I am quite satisfied with the
discomfort I cause the other person.

And, I always report the caller to the donotcall.gov list because I
put my number on the “do not call” list the first day this wonderful
service became available. It really works; the number of calls I
receive has definitely diminished. (Charities and political groups
are excepted but they will also take you off the list if you ask.)

Ettagale Blauer

15 
Today I received a message from <edit>email removed</edit> it
asked me for on my account. I called the bank and asked
for their fraud branch to report it.

I get an e-mail literally every day from either “ebay” or now a
company representing my “US Bank Account” (I don’t even have a US
bank account)asking me to verify my account or they will
shut me down. They must be having some success with this. I am at the
point where I just don’t talk to anyone about personal info unless it
is in person. I find it sad. Stephanie

16

Since my studio is in my home, and since my 13 yo dd also works with
me, she often answers the phone. My husband, bless his very strange
sense of humor, finally came up with a way for her to deal with
unwanted “spam” calls. When they ask for her mother, she says, in a
really strong Southern accent, “She done run off with the gardner and
she ain’t coming home no more, sir” - at which point they are
speechless and then stammer something and hang up. If they ask for
her father she says “He ain’t got out of jail yet, sir” - which has
the same effect . Very nice to turn the tables!

I tell people that I do not do business on the phone, and they need
to mail me whatever it is they want to talk about. They never do.

Beth in SC

1 Like
17

G’day;

Although I intensely dislike the interruptions by phone polls,
sales, etc, I respect that the person calling is trying to earn a
little money (it won’t be much) - often in my case they are
students trying to pay for further education after spending a day at
the supermarket cashout. so I cut them short by saying, “I am not
interested, thank you” and hang up. Doesn’t hurt me or anyone else
to be reasonable and polite. I don’t like to be thought of as a
grumpy miserable old basket.

Cheers for now,
JohnB of Mapua, Nelson NZ

1 Like
18

Hi John and List…

I’m in the US…so I also add…“Please remove me from your call
list…” To the more tenacious types…I add after several trades of
phrases… “You’re not gonna make any money with me, so you might as
well move on…Please remove me from your call list.”

Mind you…I haven’t hooked up with the National or State "no-call"
lists that have proliferated here in the US… I may be cynical, but
it’s one less database I need to be lurking in…

And nobody gets any of my personal info on the phone…I don’t
care how official they sound…I tell 'em to send it to me in the
mail…I’m a hardcopy dinosaur… Amazing…not a letter yet…

Even the Black God of the IRS (guilty until proven innocent), here
in America, does the legitimate stuff by the snailmail…

Gary W. Bourbonais
AJP (GIA)

19 
Doesn't hurt me or anyone else to be reasonable and polite.

Thanks for the reminder, John. In a related vein… I don’t know if
it’s true but perhaps you’ve heard the saying “It takes more effort
to frown than to smile.” I do know that people react differently when
they are confronted with a smile.

It’s always good to read you on Orchid.

Christine in Littleton, Massachusetts
No one deserves lung cancer.

20 
Even the Black God of the IRS (guilty until proven innocent), here
in America, does the legitimate stuff by the snailmail...

And when you get requests for info in the mail from the state and
federal goverments, ignore them, unless they are sent in a manner
that requires a signature, as this is another " big scam". Often
times I receive letters requesting that I fill out forms for info
that ‘appear’ to be official and mandatory, but if you read very
carefully, you will find that somewhere hidden in the legalese
language thats meant to intimidate, you will find a very small
statement indicating that this is ‘by law’ a voluntary form, and that
there are no penalties for not filling this out or sending it in.
However, it is a violation to fill it out with false
These are quite often ‘fishing’ for info that they will use against
you, if you would ever have a run in with them, on a tax problem for
instance, or a scenario that arises from a dismissed or injured
employee that decides to ‘get even’. Just remember, “IF YOU DONT HAVE
TO SIGN, DONT GIVE THEM YOUR TIME” lol

Ed