Tattoos, Scammers & Honest Abe --Cagle
Perhaps you’ve seen the ruse previously. The “print buyer” blindly e-mails you an RFQ with specs for a flyer job. The English in the e-mail is atrocious, but the sender’s name has a “Rev.” in front of it to prey on your soft side. Maybe it’s from the “Save the Children” organization or other charity that purports to aid youth. Once you give this person a quote, they will send you a check/credit card number for the payment. Except the customer overpays...oops! Kindly send back a check to refund the overage.
The deception can be any number of things—stolen checks or credit cards being fraudulently converted, or the thieves try to rob you of international shipping charges.
The Pacific Printing and Imaging Association has a story on its Website that warns of these dangers. Sadly, it reported that a member was initially scammed, but got wise to the hustle...only after it had printed the job. At least the scammer didn’t get paid.
As bad as the economy may be, stay vigilant when it comes to poorly written RFQs from nebulous, charitable-sounding organizations. Ask questions and research the buyer. It could save you a huge headache, not to mention thousands of dollars.
ABE IN REPOSE: A rare and valuable photo of Abraham Lincoln, taken in front of the White House just prior to his assassination in 1865, has been found in a private album owned by the great-great-grandson of Ulysses S. Grant. It is believed to be the last image taken of the 16th president.
There are few known photographs of Lincoln—in fact, according to an Associated Press article, only 130 are known to exist. It’s not crystal clear that the person in the 21⁄2x31⁄2? photo is Lincoln, though several experts believe it to be Honest Abe. A handwritten inscription on the back, “Lincoln in front of the White House,” is believed to be the handwriting of General Grant’s great-grandson, Jesse.
