Scam involving someone from London requesting PV lessons

[rainbowgirl28]

If you get an email from a Jea Barney asking about pole vault lessons, do not reply.

[rainbowgirl28]

For your amusement, here is the email I got:

From: jearn7@yahoo.com
Subject: Booking
Date: May 23, 2010 10:37:40 PM PDT
To: undisclosed recipients: ;

Compliments of the day,i am Mr Jea Barney and i am writing in respect of booking classes for 7 people who will be coming over to take pole vault training in your facility, also we need an instructor or tutor who can teach them effectively because they are all learners and all medically certified , i will be glad if you can get back to me the total cost,if you have availability for this dates,accommodation and also if you have apartment to hire July 19th to 8th August 2010 for 3 weeks the group will be taking pole vault classes.Please i will be grateful to hear from you soonest. I am writing from London United Kingdom.
Jea Barney
*phone number was here*

I knew that this was not actually a legit email directed at me, and the undisclosed recipients was extremely fishy, but the thing is, I get emails every month or two from confused people that think I am affiliated with some random club.

I wrote back and said:

I think you must have the wrong person, I highly doubt your group is going to be visiting Ilwaco, Washington.

He wrote back and said:

We are coming to Ilwaco, Washington.

Which made me crack up, because that is obviously not true (look up Ilwaco on google maps)

and then he wrote back and said:

Hello Becca Gillespy Peter,
They will be practicing 5 times a week, which includes Monday,Tuesday, Thursday,Friday and Saturday.Their current level of experience Beginners.They are all males, 22yrs old and they are From London United kingdom.They will practice for 6hours For five days per week. I want to know the cost of training with you and for the accommodation also your mode of payment, If you accepts 50% deposit via credit card. They speak English.
Jea Barney

I laughed some more and then googled his name which turned up the same scam applied to other sports.

[Bubba PV]

Thanks for the detective work Becca. With all of his follow up responses I might begin to believe it was real. You're one smart cookie. But of course we knew that. Thanks! Bubba

[AVC Coach]

The question I have is what does he have to gain from this scam?

[rainbowgirl28]

The question I have is what does he have to gain from this scam?

I think the scam is they send you a cashier's check or money order or whatever that is too much money, then ask you to send back the difference.

[chasing6]

That seems like a lot of work to set a hook (assuming there are a few more steps/replies beyond what Becca got). They are pretty convincing emails, although the repetition gives them a fishy feel. "we will be coming to Illwaco, Washington."

I agree, nobody goes to Illwaco.

[chainreaction]

We get frequent and similar "inquiries" in the RV sales business.
An email from the United Arab Emirates "we want to buy all of you diesel-pusher motor homes!".....
Makes you want to just "play" with them sometimes!