| I want to inquire if your firm handles purchase agreements. A referral will be helpful if this is not your area of practice. I am in the process of selling a drilling rig to a company in your state. They agreed for us to employ a lawyer that will draw out a purchase contract which will protect my interest in this transaction. I will send you details about the potential buyer for your conflict check when you are ready to move forward. Contact me at ..... Nathandyer@ijmcorp.com Regards, Nathan Dyer |
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I am an attorney in Georgia, and received an almost identical email in late September saying:
ReplyDeleteWe currently have a buyer within your area and we need you as an Attorney to help us draft purchase and sales agreement for our firm (Tulip Oil) Please let me know if you can handle this but if not, a referral will be greatly appreciated.
Imad Mohsen
Chief operations Officer and
CEO of Tulip Oil Netherlands B.V.
Alexanderstraat 18
2514 JM The Hague
The Netherlands
A follow-up email from the scammer said:
Thanks for your response and I am looking forward working with you.We have been in talks with a buyer in your state about the sale of an oil rig, we have made some progress in price agreement. We need an attorney that would draft a purchase and sales agreement for this transaction at this moment. Please find our buyer's information below for your conflict check.
Calhoun Pump Sales Inc
439 Pinhook Road Se
Fairmount, GA 30139
I also attached details of the oil rig equipment for your review and I would like to know your rate and your retainer fee. Please send to me your engagement letter if our buyer clears your conflict check
Imad Mohsen
Chief operations Officer
Tulip Oil Netherlands B.V.
Alexanderstraat 18
2514 JM The Hague
The Netherlands
Direct Line: +31208086961
When I responded saying that none of the purchase funds would be handled through my escrow account, I didn't receive any further emails. Also, I contacted "Calhoun Pump Sales," and they confirmed that this was a scam. ATTORNEY BEWARE
Saw this scam in September of 2018 - email purportedly from Murat Koedanetov with Arkoil in Rotterdam and rig located in Fort Worth. Just got another one today - email purportedly from Rainier Verhulst at Seafox Operations in Zuidtoren and rig located in Chattanooga. In both instances selling the same land based drilling rig.
DeleteHello Counsel, I want to inquire if your firm handles purchase agreements. A referral will be helpful if this is not your area of practice. I am in the process of selling a drilling rig to a company in your state. They agreed for us to employ a lawyer that will draw out a purchase contract which will protect my interest in this transaction. I will send you details about the potential buyer for your conflict check when you are ready to move forward. Kindly get back to me on my E-mail: phillipdyer@ijmcorp.com Regards, Phillip Wilshire
ReplyDeleteI want to inquire if your firm handles purchase agreements. A referral will be helpful if this is not your area of practice. I am in the process of selling a drilling rig to a company in your state. They agreed for us to employ a lawyer that will draw out a purchase contract which will protect my interest in this transaction.
ReplyDeleteEMAIL
Thomasdyer@ijmcorp.com
NAME
Thomas Dyer
STATE
NY
We received a very similar email from "Thomas Dyer" of "IGM construction" last week asking for help with a PS for an oil rig sale in "our jurisdiction." Thank you to the other posters who called this scam out.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteFind attached details of the equipment and below the company name for your conflict check:
Clifford Well Drilling
65 Blue Rock Road
South Yarmouth, MA 02664
Send me your retainer agreement based on your hourly rate so we can start proceeding with this transaction. If you wish to discuss further let me know so we can schedule for a telephone conference. I await your prompt response.
Regards,
Thomas Dyer
IJM Construction
512-650-2584
USA Address:202 Canyon Rim Dr Barton Creek, Austin, TX 78746
Original inquiry from "Thomas Dyer" of "IJM Corp." sometimes called "IJM Construction":
ReplyDeleteI want to inquire if your firm handles purchase agreements. A referral will be helpful if this is not your area of practice. I am in the process of selling a drilling rig to a company in your state. They agreed for us to employ a lawyer that will draw out a purchase contract which will protect my interest in this transaction.
I am an attorney in Texas, and received a virtually identical message from a "Michael Dyer" of "IJM Construction", followed by this one:
ReplyDeleteHi XXXXXX,
Find attached the company name for your conflict check:
POLLOCK WATER WELL DRILLING & SERVICE
2910 HWY 67 NORTH
GLEN ROSE, TX 76043
Send me your retainer agreement based on your hourly rate so we can start proceeding with this transaction. If you wish to discuss further let me know so we can schedule for a telephone conference. I await your prompt response.
Regards,
Michael Dyer
IJM Construction
USA Address:202 Canyon Rim Dr Barton Creek, Austin, TX 78746
Tel:+1-512-650-2584
The same idiot signed another email as "Michael Spencer".
I received a similar one. When I looked up the company, even though they have a website, it definitely seemed fishy. And then I found this exchange on Avvo about other lawyers in various states hearing from the same people. What I am trying to figure out though is - what is the scam? In other words, what are they trying to get from us? In a follow up email the guy said that the buyer would be providing that sales document and that he wanted us to review it. So I really don't understand what the scam is, what they are trying to achieve. Anyone know? I have heard of scams involving lawyers as targets, but those are where these is a purported legal dispute or a collection matter, and the lawyer will be getting a contingency fee and the fraudster tricks the lawyer into sending them money. I have a call in to my Avvo rep right now to report this and see if she has any additional information.
ReplyDeleteThe way the scam plays out is that the "client" will have someone pretend to be the buyer in a P&S; the buyer then wires a fraudulent check to the client's attorney for the proceeds of the bogus sale, to be held in the lawyer's IOLTA. The lawyer is then told by the "client" to deduct his attorney fee's from the wired check, and then send the remaining funds out to the client. Usually the fraudulent check is a certified check that looks totally legit and which the bank initially (emphasis on "initially")clears, but later recalls. Most states allow banks to recall funds from a check that later bounces for up to a certain out of time (where I am, it's 30 days from the date the check is cashed). So by the time the bank realizes the error and recalls the funds, your "client" and the buyer are nowhere to be found and you are left to cover the massive hit.
DeleteI did a little more digging and I think this article explains how the scam works: http://blog.texasbar.com/2015/02/articles/news/new-scam-targeting-attorneys/
ReplyDeleteI got one too from Thomas Dyer. FYI.
ReplyDeleteWe got one from Michael Spencer
ReplyDeleteJust got the same email. Thank you for this thread, guys! You saved me a lot of wasted time and possibly money.
ReplyDelete"I want to inquire if you handle purchase agreements. I am in the process of selling a drilling rig to a company in your state and they agreed for us to employ a lawyer that will draw a purchase contract which will protect my interest in this transaction. Please reply directly to my email (david@enviroequipsalesandrentals.com) if you are interested. A referral will be helpful if this is not your area of practice. Regards, David Spencer"
Our firm experienced the same scam (identical emails) from "Michael Spencer"
ReplyDeleteFrom:
ReplyDelete"Michael Jones"
Date: Sun, Feb 19, 2017 7:20 pm
To:
I want to inquire if your firm handles purchase agreements. A referral will be helpful if this is not your area of practice.
I am in the process of selling a drilling rig to a company in your state. They agreed for us to employ a lawyer that will draw out a purchase contract which will protect my interest in this transaction.
I will send you details about the potential buyer for your conflict check when you are ready to move forward. I await your prompt response
Regards,
Michael Jones
Ditto, still floating around out there:
ReplyDeleteFrom: Michael Jones [mailto:wb333606@gmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, February 21, 2017 5:20 PM
Subject: purchase agreements
I want to inquire if your firm handles purchase agreements. A referral will be helpful if this is not your area of practice.
I am in the process of selling a drilling rig to a company in your state. They agreed for us to employ a lawyer that will draw out a purchase contract which will protect my interest in this transaction.
I will send you details about the potential buyer for your conflict check when you are ready to move forward. I await your prompt response
Regards,
Michael Jones
Just got the same one, reading:
ReplyDelete"I want to inquire if you handle purchase agreements. I am in the process of selling a drilling rig to a company in your state and they agreed for us to employ a lawyer that will draw a purchase contract which will protect my interest in this transaction. Please reply directly to my email (william@sunrayglobalservicessarl.com) if you are interested. A referral will be helpful if this is not your area of practice. Regards, William Smith"
I have received three of these in the past month. One purportedly from Michael Lee, one from Michael Jones and one from William Smith.
ReplyDelete1.) Hello Counsel, I want to inquire if your firm handles purchase agreements. A referral will be helpful if this is not your area of practice. I am in the process of selling a drilling rig to a company in your state. They agreed for us to employ a lawyer that will draw out a purchase contract which will protect my interest in this transaction. I will send you details about the potential buyer for your conflict check when you are ready to move forward. My private email is Michaellee@jdrillingcompany.com Regards, Michael Lee
2.) On 2/23/17 I receive the following:
I want to inquire if you handle purchase agreements. I am in the process of selling a drilling rig to a company in your state and they agreed for us to employ a lawyer that will draw a purchase contract which will protect my interest in this transaction. Please reply directly to my email (william@sunrayglobalservicessarl.com) if you are interested. A referral will be helpful if this is not your area of practice. Regards, William Smith
Then, on 3/4/17 I received the following:
I want to inquire if you handle purchase agreements. I am in the process of selling a drilling rig to a company in your state and they agreed for us to employ a lawyer that will draw a purchase contract which will protect my interest in this transaction. A referral will be helpful if this is not your area of practice. Send your response to my email directly. michaeljones@sunrayglobalservice.com Regards, Michael Jones
MC - Dallas attorney.
ReplyDeleteI have received two separate emails very similar:
"I am in the process of purchasing construction equipment in your State and I require an escrow agent, Advise if you can provide escrow service for this purchase. .Let me know if this is within your service capacity and I would send to you a copy of the purchase invoice and escrow instruction for your review. Your quick response will be appreciated. David Feeney Daf Inc 120 Grove St Dover, NH 03820 had4f@mail.com"
We just received a very similar submission to our firm website. Must be a scam!
DeleteWe've received similar emails from Mr. Feeny. Scam!
DeleteJust received the same email also from "David Feeney" via our firm website. Email is different, and IP address tracks to St. Louis, Missouri. Reads:
DeleteSubject: ESCROW SERVICES
Message: I am in the process of purchasing construction equipment in your State and I require an escrow agent, Advise if you can provide escrow service for this purchase.
Let me know if this is within your service capacity and I would send to you a copy of the purchase invoice and escrow instruction for your review.
Your quick response will be appreciated.
Received today. This is absolutely a scam.
DeleteI recently received one from Feeney as well. I live and practice in FL. How did you guys realize this was a 'scam'?
DeleteI received the below email this morning:
ReplyDeleteDear Counsel
We currently have a buyer within your area and we need you as an Attorney to help us draft purchase and sales agreement for our firm (Woltman Piling & Drilling Rigs) Please let me know if you can handle this but if not, a referral will be greatly appreciated.
Erik Hommelberg
Senior Sales Manager
Woltman Piling & Drilling Rigs
Everdenberg 17, 4902 TT, Oosterhout,
The Netherlands
I received the identical email this morning.
DeleteTo: Wendy D. Calvert
ReplyDeleteFrom: frank
I want to inquire if you handle purchase agreements. I am in the process of selling a drilling rig to a company in your state and they agreed for us to employ a lawyer that will draw a purchase contract which will protect my interest in this transaction. A referral will be helpful if this is not your area of practice. Send your response to my email directly. frank.edward@sunrayglobalservicess.com Regards, Frank Edward
Received Friday...
ReplyDeleteI got one from an ALL SEA GROUP S.A with a fishy email address for an oil rig P&S. Pretty obvious scam.
ReplyDeletefrom: Mick Liney
ReplyDeletereply-to: mickliney4@gmail.com
date: Tue, Apr 18, 2017 at 11:42 PM
subject: Can you draft a purchase and Sales agreement at the moment
--
Dear Counsel ,
We are a Europe based Marine Construction firm and we need an attorney
to assist us in drafting a purchase and Sales agreement with a buyer
in your area. Are you able to take this matter? If not, a referral
will be appreciated. Thank you
Regards,
Mick Liney CEO
ML (UK) ltd
7 Kettering Terrace, Mile End,
Portsmouth, Hampshire PO2 7QH
http://www.mluk.co.uk
There is a new version of this going around. Look carefully at the e-mail address. The true e-mail does NOT have a dash between "woltman" and "rigs". This is the giveaway. BEWARE
ReplyDeleteI received the same email and went so far as to receive a 395k cashiers check which is currently sitting in my bank account. It cleared within 24 hours. They asked me to send 260k of that money to another "inspection" company based in Malaysia. I declined to do so without further paper work. The check is from a Robert Wilson, City bank. (Robertpacificbrokers@dr.com) Here is part of our exchange:
ReplyDeletefrank.edward@sunrayglobalservicess.com
Dear
Find attached the company name for your conflict check:
Flatt's Electric LLC.
1526 90th St, Monmouth, IL 61462
Send me your retainer agreement based on your hourly rate so we can start
proceeding with this transaction. If you wish to discuss further let me
know so we can schedule for a telephone conference. I await your prompt
response.
Regards,
Phillip Norman
Sunray Global Services
USA Office: One Shell Plaza, 910 Louisiana St,suite 2905 Houston, TX 77002
Tel: + 512-354-7627
To: Daliah Saper
From: EdwardFrank
I want to inquire if you handle purchase agreements. I am in the process of selling a drilling rig to a company in your state and they agreed for us to employ a lawyer that will draw a purchase contract which will protect my interest in this transaction. A referral will be helpful if this is not your area of practice. Send your response to my email directly.edwardfrank6547@gmail.com Regards, Edward Frank
Find attached the company name for your conflict check:
Kickapoo Drilling Company LLC
405 W Main St, Downs, IL 61736
Send me your retainer agreement based on your hourly rate so we can start
proceeding with this transaction. If you wish to discuss further let me
know so we can schedule for a telephone conference. I await your prompt
response.
Regards,
Frank Edward
Sunray Global Services
USA Office: One Shell Plaza, 910 Louisiana St,suite 2905 Houston, TX 77002
Tel: + 512-354-7627
Find attached the signed retainer agreement. I will be available for a telephone conference tomorrow morning between 9 AM-2:30 PM central time if that works for you. I have discussed with the broker for the buyer that before moving forward I will need an official Letter of intent and offer from the buyer which should be sent directly to my attorney, I will explain further about this when we speak. Let me know what time works for you so I can mark it on my calender.
Regards,
Frank Edward
I received the same email and went so far as to receive a 395k cashiers check which is currently sitting in my bank account. It cleared within 24 hours. They asked me to send 260k of that money to another "inspection" company based in Malaysia. I declined to do so without further paper work. The check is from a Robert Wilson, City bank. (Robertpacificbrokers@dr.com) Here is part of our exchange:
ReplyDeletefrank.edward@sunrayglobalservicess.com
Dear
Find attached the company name for your conflict check:
Flatt's Electric LLC.
1526 90th St, Monmouth, IL 61462
Send me your retainer agreement based on your hourly rate so we can start
proceeding with this transaction. If you wish to discuss further let me
know so we can schedule for a telephone conference. I await your prompt
response.
Regards,
Phillip Norman
Sunray Global Services
USA Office: One Shell Plaza, 910 Louisiana St,suite 2905 Houston, TX 77002
Tel: + 512-354-7627
To:
From: EdwardFrank
I want to inquire if you handle purchase agreements. I am in the process of selling a drilling rig to a company in your state and they agreed for us to employ a lawyer that will draw a purchase contract which will protect my interest in this transaction. A referral will be helpful if this is not your area of practice. Send your response to my email directly.edwardfrank6547@gmail.com Regards, Edward Frank
Find attached the company name for your conflict check:
Kickapoo Drilling Company LLC
405 W Main St, Downs, IL 61736
Send me your retainer agreement based on your hourly rate so we can start
proceeding with this transaction. If you wish to discuss further let me
know so we can schedule for a telephone conference. I await your prompt
response.
Regards,
Frank Edward
Sunray Global Services
USA Office: One Shell Plaza, 910 Louisiana St,suite 2905 Houston, TX 77002
Tel: + 512-354-7627
Find attached the signed retainer agreement. I will be available for a telephone conference tomorrow morning between 9 AM-2:30 PM central time if that works for you. I have discussed with the broker for the buyer that before moving forward I will need an official Letter of intent and offer from the buyer which should be sent directly to my attorney, I will explain further about this when we speak. Let me know what time works for you so I can mark it on my calender.
Regards,
Frank Edward
Here is the inspection company they wanted me to wire funds to:
ReplyDeleteFind attached the requested wire instruction for the inspection fees. Have a great day.
Thanks,
Michael Baker
Operations Manager
ADC ASIA PACIFIC
SUITE 26.1, LEVEL 26, MENARA IMC,
8 JALAN SULTAN ISMAIL 50250 KUALA LUMPUR,
MALAYSIA
Hello Counsel,
ReplyDeleteI want to inquire if your firm handles purchase agreements. A referral will be helpful if this is not your area of practice.
I received a similar solicitation on March 22, 2017 from an alleged Jame Norman:
I am in the process of selling a drilling rig to a company in your state. They agreed for us to employ a lawyer that will draw out a purchase contract which will protect my interest in this transaction.
I will send you details about the potential buyer for your conflict check when you are ready to move forward. My private email is jamenorman@sunrayglobalservices.com
Regards,
Jame Norman
Similar email "via Avvo" received here. Smelled like a scam when the sender sent an engagement agreement filled out in the individual name of the sender instead of the company the sender purported to work for. Should have googled the request before I wasted all the time.
ReplyDeleteIn addition to the Oil Rig scam, we have received inquiries to assist with the purchase and sale of a private jet, dredger and just yesterday a caterpillar. The emails are becoming more sophisticated - they used information from a legitimate sales advertisement regarding the Jet, with one digit off on the tail number; they opened scam gmail accounts for the company's owner.
ReplyDeleteThey provide a contract - if you google the name of the companies they are legitimate, but if you call them directly they will tell you they are being scammed. The caterpillar sales company listed on the contract, WG Construction out of Virginia posted a scam alert on their website to alert the public.
Emails are coming through our website and also going directly to our legal assistants addressing them by name. (Even when their first names are not part of the email address.) Beware!
ATTORNEY NEEDED IN DRAFTING A PURCHASE AND SALES AGREEMENT
ReplyDeleteHello xxxxxxxxx,
We are an Europe based Oil field Construction firm contractors in need of an attorney to assist us in drafting a Purchase and Sales agreement. We have a buyer in your area who is interested in a purchase.
Are you able to take this matter? If not, a referral will be appreciated
Regards,
Henk-Jan Kolthof
Contractor (International Trade)
CAPE Holland
Romhof 5
9411 SB Beilen
The Netherlands
I can confirm that there is a scam. I do not need a purchase and sales agreement, and have not send any e-mails
DeleteJust got the same email with a different address in the Netherlands today.
DeleteJust got the same email today supposedly from Henk-Jan Kolthof with a different company and address in the Netherlands.
DeleteReceived this through Avvo on 8-15-17:
ReplyDeleteHello Attorney,
Is drafting contract your area of practice? I have a buyer for my drilling rig who is located in your state. I need to retain a lawyer that will draft a purchase agreement before they can proceed with the purchase. I look forward to your kind response.
My private email is andrew@spcdrilling.com
Best Regards,
Andrew Jones
Here's the note I got--thank you all!
ReplyDelete------
Here is the information of the buyer for your conflict check:
WGL Energy Systems
6862 Elm St # 300, McLean, VA 22101
I presume for this kind of case I will prefer to be charged on an hourly basis. Send me your retainer agreement when you get a chance, I will schedule for a telephone conference to discuss more about this transaction after reviewing your engagment letter. If you wish to discuss before moving forward let me know. I will be available for a conference call on Monday afternoon. I hope to hear from you soon.
Regards,
Nolan Spencer.
CFO
SPC Drilling Company
USA Office: 801 Cherry St, Ste 2502, Fort Worth, TX 76102,
Tel: 817-363-4190
On Aug 21, 2017, at 8:27 AM, Nolan Spencer wrote:
Hello,
I got your email from the online bar directory.
I need you to help me draft a purchase agreement. I have a buyer for my drilling rig who is located in your state, they need me to retain a lawyer that will draft a purchase agreement that will bind with the laws of your state before we can move forward with the purchase. If you do not specialize in this area, kindly send me a referral.
Many Thanks,
Nolan Spencer.
Thank you all! Here's the email chain I got.
ReplyDelete-----
Here is the information of the buyer for your conflict check:
WGL Energy Systems
6862 Elm St # 300, McLean, VA 22101
I presume for this kind of case I will prefer to be charged on an hourly basis. Send me your retainer agreement when you get a chance, I will schedule for a telephone conference to discuss more about this transaction after reviewing your engagment letter. If you wish to discuss before moving forward let me know. I will be available for a conference call on Monday afternoon. I hope to hear from you soon.
Regards,
Nolan Spencer.
CFO
SPC Drilling Company
USA Office: 801 Cherry St, Ste 2502, Fort Worth, TX 76102,
Tel: 817-363-4190
------
On Aug 21, 2017, at 8:27 AM, Nolan Spencer wrote:
Hello,
I got your email from the online bar directory.
I need you to help me draft a purchase agreement. I have a buyer for my drilling rig who is located in your state, they need me to retain a lawyer that will draft a purchase agreement that will bind with the laws of your state before we can move forward with the purchase. If you do not specialize in this area, kindly send me a referral.
Many Thanks,
Nolan Spencer.
Name
ReplyDeleteDavid Feeney
Email
df68@usa.com
Phone
(603) 873-0099
Please give us an idea what this is about.
• Business Law
How can we be of assistance?
I am in the process of purchasing construction equipment in your State and I require an escrow agent, Advise if you can provide escrow service for this purchase.
Let me know if this is within your service capacity and I would send to you a copy of the purchase invoice and escrow instruction for your review.
Your quick response will be appreciated.
David Feeney
Daf Inc.
120 Grove St,
Dover, NH 03820
Received 26 Aug., from "Jason Grant" at "SPC Drilling" and tied to the spcdrilling.com domain. Oddly, that's owned by Vistaprint.
ReplyDeleteHello Attorney,
Please, do you draft contract? I have a buyer for my drilling rig who is located in your state. I need to retain a lawyer that will draft a purchase agreement before they can proceed with the purchase. I look forward to your kind response.
Best Regards,
Jason Grant
Contact Information
Name: Jason Grant Contact Pref: Not Specified
Address: US
I am a Wyoming attorney. I received an e-mail chain, nearly identical to T Goody's post, on August 22, 2017.
ReplyDeleteI'm a lawyer in Dallas and I think we have the same one - it's for the sale of some kind of farm equipment - real company. I'm going to call the company and see...they signed our retainer agreement and want to wire us the money, and we should deduct our fees and send it on.
ReplyDeleteIt helps when they use a gmail account.
ReplyDeleteHere is the information of the buyer for your conflict check:
Ellora Energy LLC
4410 Arapahoe Ave # 100, Boulder, CO 80303
I presume for this kind of case i will prefer to be charged on an hourly basis. Send me your retainer agreement when you are done with the conflict check,i will schedule for a telephone conference upon review of the retainer agreement to discuss more about this transaction. I hope to hear from you soon.
----------------
I need you to help me draft a purchase agreement. I have a buyer for my drilling rig who is located in your state, they need me to retain a lawyer that will draft a purchase agreement that will bind with the laws of your state before we can move forward with the purchase. If you do not specialize in this area, kindly send me a referral.
Many Thanks,
Sean Walters
CFO
SPC Drilling Company
USA Office: 801 Cherry St, Ste 2502, Fort Worth, TX 76102,
Tel: 817-363-4190
The scam continues. I received a nearly-identical message today (Nord Stream Offshore), and last week, someone called my office & left a VM asking for the same thing. Message:
ReplyDeleteIs drafting contract your area of practice? I have a buyer for my drilling rig who is located in your state. They need me to retain a lawyer that will draft a purchase agreement before they can proceed with the purchase. I look forward to your kind response.
My private email is Thomas@nordstreamoffshore.com
I received a message from the same email address, but they needed a lease agreement for a vessel. Here is the message I received:
DeleteTo: Cheryl Lynn Virta
From: Thomas
Good Day Attorney, I am contacting you to find out if you or any of your partners can help with drafting a Lease agreement. I have a potential customer for a vessel transaction and I need a lawyer in their state to draw up a lease terms before we can finalize the deal. Let me know if this is something you can handle, I will send you more details once I hear back from you. My direct email is Thomas@nordstreamoffshore.com to proceed. Regards, Thomas Jones
I also received a message from the identical email address, but it involved a lease agreement for a vessel. Here it is:
DeleteTo: Cheryl Lynn Virta
From: Thomas
Good Day Attorney, I am contacting you to find out if you or any of your partners can help with drafting a Lease agreement. I have a potential customer for a vessel transaction and I need a lawyer in their state to draw up a lease terms before we can finalize the deal. Let me know if this is something you can handle, I will send you more details once I hear back from you. My direct email is Thomas@nordstreamoffshore.com to proceed. Regards, Thomas Jones
Rceeived this today:
ReplyDeletePlease, I need an attorney to draft a purchase agreement for my drilling rig. The buyer for my drilling rig is located in your state. I thank you in advance and look forward to hearing from you soon.
Regards,
Patrick Wallace
I also received a similar inquiry through AVVO and initial email as follows (also from Jason Grant at SPC Drilling)
ReplyDeleteHere is the information of the buyer for your conflict check:
TECHNICAL DRILLING SERVICES
2 LAKESHORE DR EXT
STERLING, MA 01564
I presume for this kind of case it will be better to charge on an hourly
basis. Send me your retainer agreement based on your hourly rate, I will
schedule for a telephone conference to discuss more about this transaction
after reviewing your terms of representation. If you wish to discuss
before moving forward let me know a date and time for a telephone
conference so I can mark it on my calendar. I hope to hear from you soon.
Regards,
Jason Grant
Spc Drilling Co Ltd
USA Office: 777 Main St, Fort Worth, TX 76102
Tel: 817- 363- 4190
I wrote to AVVO but they have not issued any communications to attorneys about this despite the fact that all initial contacts seem to be through their site
The scam continues now is Japan citizen
ReplyDeleteI want to inquire if your firm handles Purchase transactions and agreements (Base Heavy construction equipment sale). A referral will be welcomed if this is not your area of practice and also provide me with your direct contact details and time of availability for more briefing.
Regards
Takao Fujishiro
I'm a California attorney. Received spam today 10/18/17 from "Thomas Jones of Nordsteamoffshore.com. At least they're getting smarter about paying to register actual domain names. I treat all form letter like requests for a purchase agreement--through Avvo or otherwise (although most appear via Avvo)--as a scam.
ReplyDelete"Good Day Attorney,
I am contacting you to find out if you or any of your
partners can help with drafting a purchase agreement.
I have a potential customer for a vessel transaction
and I need a lawyer in their state to draw up sale
terms before we can finalize the deal.
Let me know if it this is something you can handle, I will
send you more details once I hear back from you. Email me directly at Thomas@nordstreamoffshore.com to proceed.
Regards,
Thomas Jones"
10/18/2017 10:13 AM
I'm in McKinney TX (outside of Dallas) and got this same email this morning:
DeleteGood Day Attorney, I am contacting you to find out if you or any of your partners can help with drafting a Lease agreement. I have a potential customer for a vessel transaction and I need a lawyer in your state to draw up a lease terms before we can finalize the deal. Let me know if it this is something you can handle, I will send you more details once I hear back from you. Email me directly at Thomas@nordstreamoffshore.com to proceed. Regards, Thomas Jones
Houston, Texas - currently corresponding with thomas@nordstreamoffshore.com regarding a purchase agreement.
ReplyDeleteI responded that funds will not be handled through my escrow account.
Got a message on Avvo from
ReplyDeletethomas@nordstreamoffshore.com
regarding a purchase agreement.
Received today:
ReplyDeleteHello XXXX,
I got your email from the online bar directory.
I need you to help me draft a purchase agreement. I have a buyer for my drilling rig who is located in your state, they need me to retain a lawyer that will draft the purchase agreement that will bind with the laws of your state before we can move forward with the purchase. If you do not specialize in this area, kindly send me a referral.
Regards,
David Ethan.
Also received on 12/4
DeleteSame scam. "jordan tyler"
ReplyDeleteGood Day Attorney, Is drafting contract your area of practice? I have a buyer for my drilling rig who is located in your state. They need me to retain a lawyer that will draft a purchase agreement before they can proceed with the purchase. I look forward to your kind response. My private email is jtyler@winsonoiltradelogistics.com Best Regards, Jordan Tyler
We had Jordan Tyler too.
Delete; )
I got one this week. Same exact email.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteFind below a little outline about the rig sale.
ReplyDeleteIt is going to be a one time cash sale. The rig is down here in Fargo, the buyer will be responsible for picking up the rig once payment is received.
The price is set at $4.3 million but we are opened to reasonable offers.
The buyer wants my attorney to draft the Purchase agreement. The rig has manufacturers warranty that will cover it until 2020. There is no lien or debt on the rig.The Closing date depends on the buyer. Find below the
information of buyer for your conflict check:
BAYWATER DRILLING,INC
668 S. HOLLYWOOD RD
HOUMA, LA 70360
I presume for this kind of representation it will be better to charge on an hourly basis. Send me your retainer agreement based on your hourly rate, I will
Find below a little outline about the rig sale.
It is going to be a one time cash sale. The rig is down here in Fargo, the buyer will be responsible for picking up the rig once payment is received.
The price is set at $4.3 million but we are opened to reasonable offers.
The buyer wants my attorney to draft the Purchase agreement. The rig has manufacturers warranty that will cover it until 2020. There is no lien or debt on the rig.The Closing date depends on the buyer. Find below the
information of buyer for your conflict check:
LANDINO DRILLING CO
P O BOX 419
DAVENPORT, CA 95017
I presume for this kind of representation it will be better to charge on an hourly basis. Send me your retainer agreement based on your hourly rate.
I will schedule for a telephone conference to discuss further after reviewing your terms of representation and also explain the sale procedure.
If you wish to discuss before moving forward I will still advise that you send me your retainer agreement so I can at least know the terms I will be working with.I will definitely schedule for a phone conference to discuss further and answer any questions that may be of concern to you. I will wait to hear from you. Have a wonderful day.
Regards,
Jordan Tyler
CEO
Winson Oil Trading Ltd
215-118 Broadway, Fargo, ND 58102
I received an identical message on November 7, 2017, originating through Avvo:
ReplyDeleteFind below a little outline about the rig sale.
It is going to be a one time cash sale. The rig is down here in Fargo, the buyer will be responsible for picking up the rig once payment is received.
The price is set at $4.3 million but we are opened to reasonable offers.
The buyer wants my attorney to draft the Purchase agreement, The rig has manufacturers warranty that will cover it until 2020. There is no lien or debt on the rig.The Closing date depends on the buyer. Find below the
information of buyer for your conflict check:
Borena Petro Inc
2300 Jefferson Davis Hwy, Arlington, VA 22202
I presume for this kind of representation it will be better to charge on an hourly basis. Send me your retainer agreement based on your hourly rate, I will schedule for a telephone conference to discuss further after reviewing your terms of representation and also explain the sale procedure. If you wish to discuss before moving forward I will still advise that you send me your retainer agreement so I can at least know the terms I will be working with.I will definitely schedule for a phone conference to discuss further and answer any questions that may be of concern to you. I will waiting to hear from you. Have a wonderful day.
Regards,
Joseph Conrad
CEO
Winson Oil Trade Logistics
701-289-3087
215-118 Broadway, Fargo, ND 58102
I received the very same communication from "Joseph Conrad" through UpCounsel. Spoke to him on the phone and received several emails. The original information checked out for the most part but after receiving the offer from the broker (including the check) the scam started to become apparent. Thanks for all the posts! At least I'm not alone.
ReplyDeleteThis was sent directly to me and copied to another attorney I know. She hasn't gotten back to me about it so I don't know why she was copied. The fun part about this is that I called his number and there was no answer and when I looked up the office address, it is an empty building for rent. They also don't know how to properly write their own business name.
ReplyDeleteFind below a little outline about the rig sale.
It is going to be a one time cash sale. The rig is down here in Fargo, the buyer will be responsible for picking up the rig once payment is received.
The price is set at $4.6 million but we are opened to reasonable offers.
The buyer wants my attorney to draft the Purchase agreement. The rig has manufacturers warranty that will cover it until 2020. There is no lien or debt on the rig.The Closing date depends on the buyer. Find below the information of buyer for your conflict check:
VISION DIRECTIONAL DRILLING, INC
3250 S ANTHONY CT
BURLINGTON, NC 27215
I presume for this kind of representation it will be better to charge on an hourly basis. Send me your retainer agreement based on your hourly rate.
I will schedule for a telephone conference to discuss further after reviewing your terms of representation and also explain the sale procedure. If you wish to discuss before moving forward I will still advise that you send me your retainer agreement so I can at least know the terms I will be working with.I will definitely schedule for a phone conference to discuss further and answer any questions that may be of concern to you. I will wait to hear from you. Have a wonderful day.
Regards,
Thomas Jones
CEO
Nord Streamoffshore Services
215-118 Broadway, Fargo, ND 58102
701-289-3087
Received the following on November 7th via Avvo
ReplyDeleteFind below a little outline about the rig sale.
It is going to be a one time cash sale. The rig is down here in Fargo, the buyer will be responsible for picking up the rig once payment is received.
The price is set at $4.3 million but we are opened to reasonable offers.
The buyer wants my attorney to draft the Purchase agreement, The rig has manufacturers warranty that will cover it until 2020. There is no lien or debt on the rig.The Closing date depends on the buyer. Find below the
information of buyer for your conflict check:
Cardinal USA Fuel Oil
4985 Lancaster Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19131
I presume for this kind of representation it will be better to charge on an hourly basis. Send me your retainer agreement based on your hourly rate, I will schedule for a telephone conference to discuss further after reviewing your terms of representation and also explain the sale procedure. If you wish to discuss before moving forward I will still advise that you send me your retainer agreement so I can at least know the terms I will be working with.I will definitely schedule for a phone conference to discuss further and answer any questions that may be of concern to you. I will waiting to hear from you. Have a wonderful day.
Regards,
Joseph Conrad
CEO
Winson Oil Trade Logistics
701-289-3087
215-118 Broadway, Fargo, ND 58102
Sent a check for $390,000 which I deposited into my IOLTA account. Thank goodness BoA placed a hold and once I called to follow up I received a return call that they suspected that this was a scam.
I got your email from the online bar directory.
ReplyDeleteI need you to help me draft a purchase agreement. I have a buyer for my drilling rig who is located in your state, they need me to retain a lawyer that will draft the purchase agreement that will bind with the laws of your state before we can move forward with the purchase. If you do not specialize in this area, kindly send me a referral.
Regards,
David Ethan.
Find below a little outline about the rig sale.
It is going to be a one time cash sale. The rig is down here in Fargo, the buyer will be responsible for picking up the rig once payment is received.
The price is set at $4.3 million but we are opened to reasonable offers.
The buyer wants my attorney to draft the Purchase agreement, The rig has manufacturers warranty that will cover it until 2020. There is no lien or debt on the rig.The Closing date depends on the buyer. Find below the
information of buyer for your conflict check:
American Specialty Oil Co
34115 Industrial Rd, Livonia, MI 48150
I presume for this kind of representation it will be better to charge on an hourly basis. Send me your retainer agreement based on your hourly rate, I will schedule for a telephone conference to discuss further after reviewing your terms of representation and also explain the sale procedure. If you wish to discuss before moving forward I will still advise that you send me your retainer agreement so I can at least know the terms I will be working with. I will definitely schedule for a phone conference to discuss further and answer any questions that may be of concern to you. I will waiting to hear from you. Have a wonderful day.
Regards,
David Ethan
CEO
Winson Oil Trade Logistics
701-289-3087
215-118 Broadway, Fargo, ND 58102
They sent a check from Royal Bank of Canada that looks real, thankfully I did some research and came across this thread before doing anything.
Received today in South Florida (One Netherland only, please!):
ReplyDelete"Hi,
Do you handle purchase and sale agreement? If yes, your service will be needed for the sale of oil rig to a buyer from your state? If not, a referral will be appreciated.
Regards,
Vancang
(Assistance to Andy Elliott)
Andy Elliott
Regional Manager
IOT – DOSCO B.V
Boekel 40, 1921 CE Akersloot,
The Netherland"
This one from today:
ReplyDeleteHi Chris: We have a local buyer in your state ( Basin Drilling, LP Tyler, TX 75701, USA ) who is interested in purchasing our Drillmec HH-300 Oil Rig currently located at the port of Chattanooga Tennessee and we need an attorney that would draft a purchase and sales agreement for this transaction. I have attached the Spec-Sheet of the Rig for your review. If you can handle this please email to me your engagement letter as well as your rate and retainer fee.
Thanks,
---
Joren Kuijper
Managing Director
Aceiro Energy B.V.
Herenweg 109 a
2361 EN, Warmond,
ZUID-HOLLAND Netherlands
On 2019-12-11 20:49, Chris Joe wrote:
It depends on how complex the agreement is.
-----Original Message-----
From: Joren
Sent: Wednesday, December 11, 2019 1:35 PM
To: Chris Joe
Subject: Request-Purcchase and sales agreement.
Good day!
Are you able to draft a purchase and sales agreement for my company?
Joren Kuijper.
we got that one today!
DeleteFrom: "Aceiro Energy B.V."
Date: February 26, 2020 at 3:32:31 AM PST
To: Recipients
Subject: Consent to draft a PSA
Reply-To:
Dear Counsel,
My firm is in need of a US based attorney in your area to assist us with drafting a purchase and sales agreement with a local buyer. We are based in Europe but the rig is currently located in the USA.
I will send you more information if you able to take this matter. If not, a referral will be appreciated.
Regards,
Joren Kuijper
Managing director
Aceiro Energy B.V.
Herenweg 109 a
2361 EN, Warmond,
ZUID-HOLLAND Netherlands
Been receiving these emails from an Oliver Kassam, same basic text. Looking for attorney in Washingon state. They are using AVVO as a source for their attorney contact info.
ReplyDeleteScam involving Joren Kuijper- mentioned above from an attorney who posted in December 2019- continues; spiel is that Kuijper's company is selling a rig and the buyer will cover seller's legal fees as part of good faith deposit in the $400K range; then there's another party- acting as the broker- who emails to make things look "more legit" and even sends paperwork and items by email and through the US mail. US mail delivered to me an LOI and a cashier's check Monday allegedly from Golden State Drilling Inc., Bakersfield, through its alleged Sunbelt broker drawn on citibank. For almost $400K. citibank refused to negotiate it- fraudulent check. Joren Kuijper in the meantime ordered me to wire funds "from the check" to a third party towards reserving "inspection" services. I refused - I didn't at that point know check was bad but bank put a hold on it- per normal practice for such large amounts- and check hadn't cleared, had it?- and he terminated me for refusing to disburse funds per his instructions. My bank advised me yesterday the check was "bad." Duh??? Anyway, it seems this scam has been going on for several years. So, good luck to anyone else who gets snagged by these guys. I'm collecting everything and taking it to interpol and the FBI. Time to put these guys out of our misery.
ReplyDeleteI got one that said that the rig was at the Port of Chattanooga. Chattanooga is on a river with a lot of dams. Not sure why and oil rig would end up there.
ReplyDeleteHere's what I got just today:
ReplyDeleteHi,
Your contact information was found while surfing through USA bar referral directory here in Amsterdam. We are licensed and based European oil field construction firm, we need an attorney to assist us in drafting a purchase and sales agreement with a buyer in your area. Are you able to take this matter? If not, a referral will be appreciated
Regards.
Jacob Wietsma
Managing Director
SEW Oil & Gas
Aalbos 6 1721 PL
Broek op Langedijk
The Netherlands
I received the same email last Friday.
DeleteGot one today as well:
ReplyDeleteWe are licensed and based European oil field construction firm, we need an attorney to assist us in drafting a purchase and sales agreement with a buyer in your area. Are you able to take this matter? If not, a referral will be appreciated. Regards. Jacob Wietsma Managing Director SEW Oil & Gas Aalbos 6 1721 PL Broek op Langedijk The Netherlands
I am an attorney in the Chicago area, and recently received the following:
ReplyDeleteFrom: Michael Rogers
Sent: Friday, October 2, 2020 6:02 AM
To: rcrane@r-cranelaw.com
Subject: Commercial lease agreement
I want to inquire if you draft commercial lease agreements. I got your contact information from the online bar directory. Kindly let me know so I can furnish you with more details. We would appreciate a referral if it's not your specialty.
Regards,
Michael Rogers
Assistant to Daniel Ruiz
Although suspicious, I responded that I handle such matters. In response, I received the following:
Rich,
My company is in the process of closing a lease deal with a company in your state. We are negotiating the terms for the lease, we will be drafting the lease agreement. We want you to review the lease agreement, amend some of the terms if the need arises and represent us in your state during the lease term. They are looking at the possibility of leasing my Subsea Well Intervention Equipment for a 36 months duration.
We will require your services for the following:
Review the lease agreement, Amend if required.
Review the required documents for the lease
The total value of the transaction will be around $3,600,000. The lease payments will be broken down to daily rental payments and all finances will be handled by my company, we are hoping to kick this off by mid-November. The COVID19 outbreak has made us uncertain about the closing date. I will provide you with our previous lease agreements which we have used in the past to make things move as fast as possible once we have agreed with your terms of representation.
Send me your retainer agreement based on your hourly rate, I believe you will not exceed 25 hours on the whole project. I will not be available by telephone until late next week end, we are still trying to put a lot of things in place. We can schedule to discuss after I have received and reviewed your retainer agreement. I look forward to hearing from you and working with you on this project. Let me know if you have any questions.
Lessee Conflict:
Shakespeare Oil Company, Inc.
202 West Main Street, Salem, Illinois 62881
Regards,
Daniel Ruiz
Vice President
Drillstream Explorations LLC
Tel: 318-209-7679
Address:425 Edwards St,
Ste 507/508 Shreveport, LA 7110
Web:https://www.drillstreamexplorations.com
It didn't take much research to confirm that this was a scam that apparently has been around for a number of years, and has no geographic limitations. ALL ATTORNEYS: BEWARE!!.
I’m an attorney in the Chicago area, and recently received the following email:
ReplyDeleteI want to inquire if you draft commercial lease agreements. I got your contact information from the online bar directory. Kindly let me know so I can furnish you with more details. We would appreciate a referral if it's not your specialty.
Regards,
Michael Rogers
Assistant to Daniel Ruiz
While suspicious of a scam, I responded that I handle the type of matter in question. I then received the following in response:
My company is in the process of closing a lease deal with a company in your state. We are negotiating the terms for the lease, we will be drafting the lease agreement. We want you to review the lease agreement, amend some of the terms if the need arises and represent us in your state during the lease term. They are looking at the possibility of leasing my Subsea Well Intervention Equipment for a 36 months duration.
We will require your services for the following:
Review the lease agreement, Amend if required.
Review the required documents for the lease
The total value of the transaction will be around $3,600,000. The lease payments will be broken down to daily rental payments and all finances will be handled by my company, we are hoping to kick this off by mid-November. The COVID19 outbreak has made us uncertain about the closing date. I will provide you with our previous lease agreements which we have used in the past to make things move as fast as possible once we have agreed with your terms of representation.
Send me your retainer agreement based on your hourly rate, I believe you will not exceed 25 hours on the whole project. I will not be available by telephone until late next week end, we are still trying to put a lot of things in place. We can schedule to discuss after I have received and reviewed your retainer agreement. I look forward to hearing from you and working with you on this project. Let me know if you have any questions.
Lessee Conflict:
Shakespeare Oil Company, Inc.
202 West Main Street, Salem, Illinois 62881
Regards,
Daniel Ruiz
Vice President
Drillstream Explorations LLC
Tel: 318-209-7679
Address:425 Edwards St,
Ste 507/508 Shreveport, LA 7110
Web:https://www.drillstreamexplorations.com
It took little research to confirm it was a scam, and one that been around in various versions for quite some time. A caveat to my fellow attorneys: If it looks like a scam and smells like a scam, it probably is a scam.