What kind of scam is this?

[milktree]

I got an email from someone who says she got my email from the NRA trainer's website that looks...

Well, it could be either some sort of scam, or maybe legit but there's a language barrier.

Greetings, I want to book for 2 weeks firearm training, 1 or 2 hours each
day Monday to Friday (morning or evening hours) for a group of 10. We will
be coming to your country for one month vacation/holiday from 27th MAY. 2023
and in line with our plans we will require 2 weeks firearm/safety training
in your place just for the experience as we require no certificate at the
end of the session and also to make our stay fun. We have been working for
months without vacation so would want to add some fun to our upcoming
vacation as this training will also help us in overcoming the fear of gun
generally as most members have not touched a gun before.The sessions should
basically be a fun training experience for my group, please let me know if
you can organize the training for us from your field of profession so i can
finalize arrangements with my group and get back to you with more clear and
specific details. Also confirm if you can arrange one on one exercise for us
each day or if its better in group. so let me know how much you will charge
per day for everybody.Awaits your email.

Now, as much fun as this might be, it's not something I'm set up to do (I'd need a lot of helpers, and my usual helpers are volunteers who aren't interested in doing it for profit)

I don't get the scam here, Is it just a phishing scam to get me to reveal stuff?

 

[MaverickNH]

I got an email from someone who says she got my email from the NRA trainer's website that looks...

Well, it could be either some sort of scam, or maybe legit but there's a language barrier.



Now, as much fun as this might be, it's not something I'm set up to do (I'd need a lot of helpers, and my usual helpers are volunteers who aren't interested in doing it for profit)

I don't get the scam here, Is it just a phishing scam to get me to reveal stuff?

It might be legitimate. They have your contact information already but divulge more incrementally, as you feel more comfortable. Maybe ask for a copy of their passport in advance and a phone call with the organizer.

When my male British colleagues came to visit our Tewksbury office, they all wanted to shoot. I arranged an hour of training at MFL (I’m a member) and some range time. They had a great time!

 

[PaulR]

Not quite related but I think maybe so:

I do taxes, I'm registered/affiliated with a few orgs that I'm sure sell my email.
I get quite a few emails like this, that are worded exactly like this from time to time.
I ignore them.
I do business pretty much locally only with referred clients only.
Of course we're an established business for over 50 years so I can afford to ignore crap like this.
Edit: I read in full now, foreign country?? F that noise. Just MHO, call me a xenophobe, I don't care.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

Visitors who are present in the US who are not here on a visa waiver program must qualify for an exemption under 18USC922(y)(2), thus the need to mail order an Alaska Squirrel Hunting license or some other hunting license. Yes, really.

Sure, taking your friend from India here on a visa for a casual shoot will probably not bite you .... but host a group and violate a gun possession technicality and you're betting none of the individuals will be involved in any high profile crime - in which case the system looks for anyone who can be charged with any connection to the individuals.

Best to either ignore, or refer them to a recognized training school that will be versed in the technicalities.

I saw one of these directed to a shooting org 20+ years ago ..... Visitor arriving from a Middle Eastern Nation; was prominent in business (or using the identity of someone who was), and "cost was no object" requesting training. The org politely passed on the offer.

Even if 100% legit, if these are from a country known for Anti-American sentiment, you may get on secret squirrel lists you do not want to be on.

 

[ProGun]

Tell them to go to Vegas, shoot some machine guns and gamble a bit on the strip.

 

[cams]

Terrorist cell. f*** that. lol

 

[TJRaccoon]

@Rob Boudrie is correct raising a RED FLAG here. When I read the OP post ITAR klaxons were going off in my head. Could be my tinnitus

The International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) & United States Munitions List (USML) The ITAR (22 CFR parts 120-130) governs the manufacture, export, and temporary import of defense articles, the furnishing of defense services, and brokering activities involving items described on the USML (ITAR section 121.1). RED bold my add

Training foreigners here in the US is most likely problematic at the very least. When I worked at Sig in Newington I thought about taking out some of the Indian MIM suppliers to see what their parts went into. Doing the due diligence I saw this was problematic, Do your research, but I suggest a polite decline.

 

[Shevchenko]

Terrorist cell. f*** that. lol

I (at first) joking thought the same thing, but it's not completely unreasonable to think this haha

 

[PATRON]

View: https://youtu.be/4F4qzPbcFiA

 

[Mesatchornug]

@Rob Boudrie is correct raising a RED FLAG here. When I read the OP post ITAR klaxons were going off in my head. Could be my tinnitus

The International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) & United States Munitions List (USML) The ITAR (22 CFR parts 120-130) governs the manufacture, export, and temporary import of defense articles, the furnishing of defense services, and brokering activities involving items described on the USML (ITAR section 121.1). RED bold my add

Training foreigners here in the US is most likely problematic at the very least. When I worked at Sig in Newington I thought about taking out some of the Indian MIM suppliers to see what their parts went into. Doing the due diligence I saw this was problematic, Do your research, but I suggest a polite decline.

Same.

 

[fencer]

"Please to be training us on the shooting of AK47, AR15 and handguns the 226 and Glock the 17."
"I will ask other members at my group what firearms they wish of possession after we bury you under plinking range" We bring shovel to practice instuct video by legend Boris after training. Bring lots ammo"

 

[Marty McFly]

First thing I thought of was the terrorists that went to the flight school and didn't need to learn how to take off or land.

 

[Mtn_Guy]

Meh, probably just female Ukrainian soldiers…

 

[Marty McFly]

Meh, probably just female Ukrainian soldiers…

View attachment 759757

That's the picture you went with? We want hotties

 

[Stryker]

it’s probably less nefarious then it seems - and is just a twist on a classic scam

if you replied back, I bet the next email would be that they would like to pay in advance and/or send send you additional $ for their local transportation to and from the range.

Two things will happen from there, 1) they will either send a check for more than the cost of instruction, and then claim a mistake was made and ask for the overpayment to be sent to them (it’s of course a bogus check) or 2) if they want to send money for transportation ahead of time and will tell you that the ‘driver’ will come by and pick up those funds so that he is paid before they the training

My wife coaches tennis and pickleball, and gets a variation of this type of scam a few times a month - a dad who wants all of his kids to get tennis lessons for the entire summer but needs to arrange for a limo since he lives in NYC ‘oh can I send you the money for the driver so you can pay him?’ or the large group flying in from Europe who wants 1-2 weeks of lessons and wants to pay now to secure their spots

All the same scam, just more creative on who they are targeting

 

[Dench]

@Rob Boudrie is correct raising a RED FLAG here. When I read the OP post ITAR klaxons were going off in my head. Could be my tinnitus

The International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) & United States Munitions List (USML) The ITAR (22 CFR parts 120-130) governs the manufacture, export, and temporary import of defense articles, the furnishing of defense services, and brokering activities involving items described on the USML (ITAR section 121.1). RED bold my add

Training foreigners here in the US is most likely problematic at the very least. When I worked at Sig in Newington I thought about taking out some of the Indian MIM suppliers to see what their parts went into. Doing the due diligence I saw this was problematic, Do your research, but I suggest a polite decline.

I actually took a class at Sig in Exeter a few years ago that had guy from Italy who was on vacation.