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The Practice Management Knowledge Community (PMKC) identifies and develops information on the business of architecture for use by the profession to maintain and improve the quality of the professional and business environment.  The PMKC initiates programs, provides content and serves as a resource to other knowledge communities, and acts as experts on AIA Institute programs and policies that pertain to a wide variety of business practices and trends.

    

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Internet Inquiries

  • 1.  Internet Inquiries

    Posted 09-20-2019 06:31 PM
    The last several months I have been getting several emails (at least 6) through my Firm's general mailbox ("Info@...) that are very short and just state "Do you do drawings and design for residential houses".  What makes me somewhat suspicious is that the various emails are almost always identical, with the same wording, but from different people.  I usually respond with a basic message that states our Firm's contact information (phone number, etc.) and a link to our Firm's website for more information.

    Just wondering if anyone else has seen this type of email?  Or if anyone has heard of any type of scams using this format?  Thanks!

    ------------------------------
    Michael Kemp AIA
    Principal
    Michael Kemp Architects
    Los Angeles CA
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: Internet Inquiries

    Posted 09-23-2019 05:19 PM
    ​i do not open nor respond to these type of emails.  they get quickly deleted.

    ------------------------------
    Kerry Hogue AIA
    HKS
    Denver CO
    ------------------------------



  • 3.  RE: Internet Inquiries

    Posted 09-23-2019 05:21 PM
    Sounds like a phising email to me.
    Typically the ones I get are oddly worded, or ask if we accept credit cards for payment, etc.

    ------------------------------
    Terence Moeller AIA
    Vice President
    Wight & Company

    ------------------------------



  • 4.  RE: Internet Inquiries

    Posted 09-23-2019 06:02 PM
    Thanks so much to everyone who replied to my post on Internet Inquiries.  I see now that they must be scams, as most of them do ask if we accept credit cards.

    I really appreciate everyone's time and insight.

    Best regards
    -- 
    Michael A. Kemp, AIA

    Michael Kemp Architects, Inc.
    Beverly Hills, CA  90212
    310-278-7104 Office
    310-278-7107 Fax
    web site:  www.makarc.com 






  • 5.  RE: Internet Inquiries

    Posted 09-23-2019 05:25 PM
    Hi Michael, We have seen several of these emails come through. It is a scam of some sort...

    ------------------------------
    Scott Griffith AIA
    Principal / Owner
    SGH Architects
    Redlands CA
    ------------------------------



  • 6.  RE: Internet Inquiries

    Posted 09-23-2019 05:34 PM
    They are obviously bogus. I have received four text messages from two different area code phone numbers (from Iowa and the other from Ohio), each being nearly identical requests and follow up responses. Each message is sophmoric english and grammar. I responded finally with a brief acknowledgement of an ability to assist but also that I needed much more information before I would be able to provide any assistance as well as my query if they were very unsophisticated scammers. They responded that they were a "business, okay?" > Bogus.

    ------------------------------
    Jeffrey Warren AIA
    Simpsonville SC
    ------------------------------



  • 7.  RE: Internet Inquiries

    Posted 09-24-2019 06:47 PM
    We received similar requests via text messages - we fended off by requiring Soils Report and Site Survey, a detailed program of room layouts, and payment via check only. The scammer came up with a fairly credible list of rooms and house size except a quick visit to San Francisco City maps showed a site that could not accommodate the square footage, and the City Auditor had a different owner listed.  Same scam process with poor english grammar, claims to pay a large retainer fee, insistence on needing to move quickly, wanting to pay by credit card or Pay Pal - after a couple texts we blocked the scammer before starting anything.
    __________________________
    JACK HILLBRAND   AIA
    Santa Monica, CA  90404





  • 8.  RE: Internet Inquiries

    Posted 09-23-2019 05:41 PM
    A big batch of those e-mails came to many Dallas / Ft. Worth architects earlier today.  I saw a previous post on the AIA's Small Project Practitioners forum that the phishing e-mails are part of a scam, and eventually the scammers allegedly will overpay you with a stolen credit card then ask for the refund from you via check.  Everyone loses because of these attempts, if nothing else the time spent considering them like you just did.

    Regardless, recommend you delete, delete, delete unless there's some other way to shut them down.

    Dan Eckelkamp




    Dan Eckelkamp AIA LEED-AP





  • 9.  RE: Internet Inquiries

    Posted 09-23-2019 05:52 PM
    I have gotten a couple of similar inquiries; but via text. They ask if I "do architecture drawing" and ask for my email. Then they have written out programming for a house and asked for my email. I simply responded by questioning how they got my number and I've heard nothing since. I found this suspicious also and was wondering if there was some kind of scam behind it...

    ------------------------------
    Be well, Dave
    David Buckman AIA
    Buckman Architectural Group
    Plainfield
    NJ
    KenilworthKenilworth
    ------------------------------



  • 10.  RE: Internet Inquiries

    Posted 09-23-2019 05:54 PM
    Yes, I have had the same inquiries. They want to know if you can do credit card transactions, then ask you to take payment for a consultant that cant do CC.  


    Regards,


    Jeffrey S. Ferweda, AIA
    AIA National Strategic Council Michigan Representative

    SEDGEWICK + FERWEDA ARCHITECTS


    410 E. Court St. Flint, MI 48503


    O | 810.238.9647   M | 810.397.3711

     
    Good Clients + Good Design + Great Architecture





  • 11.  RE: Internet Inquiries

    Posted 09-23-2019 06:16 PM
    ​I have received many like that. Initially I believed the enquiry and replied. Very soon I figured they are lying. Because I being a Real Estate Broker as well, I find out that the lot he is talking about, does not belong to him. He cannot even provide the survey. But he will too eager to pay you by credit card in advance. I am sure his goal is to find out your credit account information. Because I asked him to mail me the check before I can do anything. But he was insisting on credit card account. Same thing happened to me about four times. Later on any enquiry like that, I blocked from my email account. I hope you all will be careful about these easy clients appeared from blue sky. Thanks.

    ------------------------------
    Tarit Chaudhuri AIA, CCIM
    President
    Archicon Services, Inc.
    Houston TX
    ------------------------------



  • 12.  RE: Internet Inquiries

    Posted 09-26-2019 08:42 AM
    I got one of these last week.  I asked for the property address and looked up the tax info.  The name of the property owner and the "client" didn't match, neither did the  property size match what they told me.  I just told them I didn't want the job and they became abusive.  Blocked.
    Be very careful with these scammers.

    ------------------------------
    Ellen Hunt AIA
    Owner/ Architect
    Ellen Pulner Hunt Architect, Inc.
    Austin TX
    ------------------------------



  • 13.  RE: Internet Inquiries

    Posted 09-26-2019 02:11 PM
    I just wanted to thank once again everyone that replied to my post on these suspicious internet inquiries.   I have been so impressed with the response.  I really value these Knowledge Community forums, and the ability to share issues with other members of our Architectural Community.

    Thank you all for your time and insight.
    Best regards,
    Michael Kemp, AIA

    ------------------------------
    Michael Kemp AIA
    Principal
    Michael Kemp Architects
    Los Angeles CA
    ------------------------------



  • 14.  RE: Internet Inquiries

    Posted 09-28-2019 09:13 AM
    I've been following this thread with fascination, and this morning I received a similar email, sent to my personal (not work) account. The email address is: harry cole <adrianhills2365@gmail.com) - which already doesn't make sense. The message is brief and suspicious.

    "Hello, I'm Adrian Hills  How are you doing today? Do you do Architecture drawing and design planning for residential house also can i know your service area?"

    I agree with the advice of others - delete and block these messages. Do not respond in any way - not even to say "not interested". If you respond, then they know that yours is a real email address. If you have an IT department, work with them to ensure that these types of addresses are detected by spam blockers, etc.

    ------------------------------
    Shawn Cencer AIA
    Project Architect
    Kalamazoo MI
    ------------------------------



  • 15.  RE: Internet Inquiries

    Posted 09-23-2019 06:37 PM

    I received a very similar email just this morning:

     

    "I found your contact in the Architects Directories, Do you do Architectural drawing and design planning for residential houses Here is my Property address: xxxxx. Do get back to me if you if this is your service area so i can forward you the details and talk about the payment plan."

     

    The address given is a house for sale on realtor.com.  If they really found my work email in some "Architects Directory",  it would be pretty obvious that I don't do residential work.  I think it's spam.

     

    Karen S. Campbell

    Assistant Director & Architect

    LSU AgCenter Facilities Planning

    205 J. Norman Efferson Hall

    Baton Rouge, LA  70803

    (225) 578-8237  Phone

    (225) 578-7351  Fax

    kcampbell@agcenter.lsu.edu

     

    emailsig

     






  • 16.  RE: Internet Inquiries

    Posted 09-23-2019 06:58 PM
    Michael --

    Your fraud sensing skills are good.  It is a scam.  Someone brought this up in the Small Practice Forum a while back.
    They will send you a too-big initial payment, then ask for money back "oops I paid too much".  After the refund, you will find that they withdrew the initial amount somehow and you are out whatever they refunded.
    First time I got such - as a text - I played along and got the ridiculous list of rooms they wanted.
    Next time, I told them that architects and engineers were on to the scam.
    Next time - just erased the message.

    Any further questions like this, if I schnauzer I will just say that the biggest national organization of architects knows about their scam and has been advising architects to stay away.

    But just maybe there is someone who has funds from a foreign potentate that they have to get out of the country ..

    --
    best regards,
    Joel Niemi
    - Architect
    425.422.4276
    jniemiarchitect@gmail.com
    http://www.linkedin.com/in/jniemiarchitect





  • 17.  RE: Internet Inquiries

    Posted 09-25-2019 01:46 PM
    I ignore all those text. I would also not reply/answer them.

    ------------------------------
    Daniel Guich, LEED AP, CDT
    studio converge architecture
    San Francisco, CA
    ------------------------------