Accommodation Booking Scams

When you are an accommodation operator you are subject to almost every scam on the internet.
Here is an example of the type of email which has been doing the rounds of Australia for a few years now. This one has just been received. What we find is that the wording just changes slightly but the content is basically the same.

I suspect it is a "get rich quick" credit card "scam - scheme" which so many must have been sucked into!
We're tired of it - Do these sorts of scams happen in other countries?
Perhaps you own an accommodation business, do you get these annoying time wasters as well?

From: Franklin Great [mailto:great.grouptravels3@yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, 2 July 2008 6:48 PM
To: great.grouptravels@yahoo.com
Subject: ACCOMMODATION INQUIRY.


Hello,
I have a reservation request for a group of 4 persons (2 couples)that I
will like to stay with you. Arrival will be August 9th and departure
August 23rd,2008 (2 weeks,flexible dates).If you can accommodate them,
kindly advise on the following points;

1. Total cost for the whole period.This total must include all tax and
service charges if applicable.

2. Do you accept credit cards for prepayments? I am away on another
engagement and can only pay you via credit card transactions.

3. Please advise if you can make payments to a third party on my behalf as
it will facilitate the speedy conclusion of this transaction.

4. In the event that you do not have availability for those dates,please
advise on the following dates in September 2008,September 13th to 27th to
be precise.
Like I mentioned above, preferable payment method will be direct by credit
card deductions.Thank you and looking forward to hearing from soon.

Kind Regards,Franklin Great. You're not serious!
Priory Street,University complex Don't think so!
Coventry CV1 5FB,United Kingdom.
+447045780276 REally! lets try ringing them.
+442070221691 Fax
great_groups@hotmail.com

Just look at the email addresses Did they forget who they were?
Do they have so many email addresses they forgot which one to use? Yahoo and hotmail dead give away!!!!!

The Universities don't know about these people either, when we check!

If you know who is behind these scams let me know we would love to find out if any are rich yet???