Phishing scam - beware e-mails from Thomas John Rau!

[james_stewart]

Has anyone else been getting e-mail from a Thomas John Rau asking about editing a really badly written document that doesn't make sense? Hopefully you have quickly realised that it's a phishing scam.

I couldn't see anything listed on here warning people off so I figured I would post to make my fellow freelancers aware of the name as they seem to be trawling through the journalism.co.uk database. I saw another writer on Twitter asking about it and someone confirmed back to them that it was definitely a scam.

I sent them an e-mail back saying to try using different bait if they were going phishing 

[gordon_cairns]

Thanks James,

Thought it looked dodgy!
Gordon

[Brewster1969]

I got one of these today too. Almost bit!

[carra23]

Thought things were a bit iffy when I actually got some "work" through this site!

All came clear when he sent me this;

"the traveler's check has been mailed as i wrote yesterday but there is a little mistake on it.Instead of traveler's check with value of ,check of EUR.2,000 was mistakenly sent to you by our financier.The extra  is meant for drugs for people living with HIV/AIDS."

Quick Google and got to this.

Matt

[David Congreave]

I got the same from Thomas John Rau as well. 

Even got a PDF of his "driving license":  http://screencast.com/t/OUFaDHe9

This was the email I received (after I'd wasted my time issuing him a quote for the job and sending him an invoice for the deposit).

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Dear,
                       I sincerely regret the mistake.It was beyond me or our organisation.The sponsor was to assist the NGO with EUR. 2,000 and your retainer fee of your money was suppose to have been sent separately but he took you for a staff and sent all of 2,000 euros to you.There is nothing dangerous or illegal in helping out.It is just for the urgent need for the fund ( needed for Anti-retro-viral drugs) which the use of the drugs can't wait or we will run out drugs and this will definitely affect victims.
                          Once,again i am sorry for this error.The traveler's checks you can exchange for cash at any bank or money exchange shops around.If necessary i can send you by scan a copy of data page of my international passport for identification purposes.

Kind Regards,
TJR.
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