Thursday, April 8, 2010

Does This Look Like a Scam?

I received this email in my inbox today:

Hello, I saw your advert as a Private Instructor. My daughter want to learn horse ridning and lots more. Kindly let me know where you are located and also your area of specialization on what you teach. Also give me the price of the lesson per hour.

This feels like a scam to me? It just has a sort of... weird feel. The poorly structured sentences, the spelling errors, and the foreign sounding name are only the beginning.

For one, I never placed an ad as a private instructor. I work for a farm that does their own advertising. However, I am listed on ARIA's website, with my email. ARIA also lists what state I work in and the area of study that I am certified to teach. So, to me, this feels like someone trying to get personal information. I have elected not to answer this email.

Am I crazy and paranoid? Anyone else get this feeling?

In other news, I am leaving tomorrow night to attend the Ohio Equine Affaire. I'm on a mission to watch as many clinics and demos as I can, and stock up on bell boots. Shorty has gone through several pairs in the last few weeks.

I also need new boots, badly. Both my Mountain Horse winter tall boots and my Ariat Terrain summer boots and half chaps have huge holes in them, and I'm tired of picking rocks out my boots before riding and having constantly wet, smelly, muddy socks.

My sister lives very close to the fairgrounds where the event is held. Like, walking distance. I'll be sure to take lots of studious notes, shop 'till I drop, and come home ten pounds heavier after gorging myself on cheesecake with my sister.

Peace!

3 comments:

  1. I got a very similar e-mail as a response to an ad I had placed online, and opted to ignore it. I also ignored a couple of responses with foreign addresses. If your gut tells you it feels wrong, it probably is - even in an e-mail!

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  2. Oh enjoy that show! I hear it's always great. :)
    Yes I think that above looks like a scam too...it just has that feel.
    How is Shorty's feet now? I read your post from Dec

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  3. I think there was a thread on the COTH forums outing it as a scam.

    Have fun at equine affair. Just know I'm amazingly jealous.

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