Thank you Martin (I hope this is your real name!!) for posting this. I too got targetted today and was very suspicious. The email I got was:
Hello,
My Name is Michael Smith,I am 52yrs old based in Northern Ireland.I got your advert placement that you are tutoring and you are interested in teaching any level,I will like to know that my daughter (Lindsay Smith) is coming to the United Kingdom for long vacation and also a case study pertaining her school,she is 14yrs.I will appreciate if you could be a per-time teacher to her and you will be teaching her 2hrs a day for 5 days which will be for just 5 weeks,so do get back to me and let me know the total cost you are charging my daughter for 5 weeks duration and also let me know the date you will be available to teach her.Thanks and waiting for your reply.Kindly email me direct for prompt response to your message at :
michael.smith1010@yahoo.co.uk and you can also ring me on 07024029807.
Regards.
Michael Smith.
Followed by:
Hello Sylvie,
Thanks for your prompt response.I am glad that you are available to teach my daughter Lindsay.I'd like you to know that she is average(intermediate) in French and she is interested in French oral language and grammar which she need to be more improve so she can be perfect.She should arrive London by the end of September so that the lessons can commenced the 1st week of October.I believe that is not a problem?I will make an arrangement of a place where my daughter will stay in London which will not quite far from your place of teaching so she can be coming from there to your teaching arena.Let me know the total cost for the duration stated in my previous email so that i can set up and seal an arrangement with you. Note that you will be teaching her 2 hours per day for 5 days for the duration of 5 weeks.
Thanks fore your time,whilst hoping to hear from you soonest.
Regards.
Michael Smith.
and finally:
Hello Sylvie,
Thanks for the mail and thanks for your understanding.I'm okay with the price which is (£2,500) in total for 5 weeks.I want you to know that i will make an arrangement of a place where my daughter will stay during the lessons period and she will be coming from there to your place for the lessons.Moreso,I will like to let you know that my daughter is very nice,Humble,intelligent and bouyant and you will enjoy teaching her.Thanks for letting me know that you can teach her for 2 hours in a day for 5 days for the duration for 5 weeks so she can understand during the 5 weeks lessons.I want you to know that the payment is going to be in a certified bank cheque or Bank draft drawn from U.K bank and i want you to know that i have client in the United Kingdom who is owing me will be sending the payment down to you on my behalf which the sum is ( £4,380) and i will instruct him to issue the certified bank cheque or Bank draft out to you at once,So i want you to understand me.So kindly get back to me with your full contact information where the payment will be send to and i will need the following details as follows:-
Full Name ........
Full Address.......
Postal code......
City...........
Mobile Number....
As soon as the cheque arrived and have it cashed,I will like you to deduct your funds for the lessons and i am compensation you a extra £40 for your stress and inconveniences through the process while the remaining funds will be wire transfer to the travel agency that will take care of my daughter trip to your location before the lessons period and all other expenses during her stay.
Thanks for your time and i will be waiting to read from you soonest to confirm that you got my e-mail.No,she won't be attending school in London as she will only be in London on a long vacation so while she will be there, you will be her French teacher.My daughter will be available at anytime that convenient for you so its all depends on you .Anytime you schedule for the lessons is fine.
All The Best.
Michael Smith.
So....a complete scam. BEWARE. How we alert others I don't know. I advertised in ICI LONDRES so beware. I intend to send this to the London Metro and Ici Londres. Please disseminate as far as possible.