I've just received another scam email and wondered how many others have fallen for it. It's taken me 6 years to find this blog and realise others have fallen for the same scam.
Mine is the same story; I received an email (same as the one's shown here), exchanged emails, checked out the details and verified as much as one can before then trusting the process. I was met at airport, taken to hotel (all at my cost) visited the 'site', meeting to sign contract then request for gifts -cigarettes! NZ$4,000 worth! They got a quarter of them and arranged to meet me next day, but disappeared. They didn't respond to emails, phone-calls, the addresses were fake. I located the building where we met and found they rented the boardroom and had Co-branded stationary etc to make it look real. We even took photos of us all after signing the contract.
After I realised it was a set-up, I spoke to my Hotel Manager who called in the police -who were very interested. I gave them photos and all details, including the car registration (appeared in a photo), car drivers number (he also ran me round later) -private taxi, and owner of the board room.
If this scam is as widespread as it appears here, then others must be aware of something...the department store, hotels, taxis etc.
It needs someone in Kunming to follow through and get the details first hand -meet the Project Manager at the airport, attend meetings, sign contract then get the local police in person.
While they may get a small 'smack', unless there is more widespread evidence, it may save other innocents.
Is anyone in Kunming interested if I set it up? But hey, it created a great story, I went somewhere I've never considered I'd travel and enjoyed the people and sights.
Pete