Hot Times at Old Town

Appearing below are selections from the hard copy Hot Times. The objective is to highlight activities at the School and in the larger community, especially those featuring or of special interest to teachers and staff. Your suggestions are welcome. Enter a comment (under any item); it will come to me rather than automatically appearing.

We get mail: “Reservation Enquiry”

Earlier in November Hot Times at Old Town has received the following communication via email. We requested suggestions on how to respond. Shown below is the original request, a proposed response from one reader (among several submitted), and an explanation of the inquiry (which was a scam):

Hello,

I am Irkins Stewart,from MacArthur Stewart Solicitors, United Kingdom. I want to book dinner for my Staffs arriving from London. They will all come for dinner at your place as from the 26th, 27th and 28th December, 2007 by 7:00pm each day. They are 15 in number.

Get back with your response if there is availability in your restaurant.

Kind Regards,

Barr. Irkins Stewart
106 Bunhill Row London EC1Y 8TZ Phone:+447024062538
Fax#:+44-7005-806-775
email: irkins.stewart05@yahoo.co.uk

[End of email]

The winning response (excerpted):

Dear Sir,

As much as we appreciate having guests from the West Highlands, I cannot accommodate your group on these evenings in standard dining facilities. We have become a “destination”; only a short time back we hosted Australian solictors. Post xmas is especially busy.

While time to time we have placed a tent on the lawn for groups we could not otherwise serve, I should warn you that late December can be a bit cold in Chicago. We would probably have to provide each of you with mittens and scarf. Expect a surcharge.

Let us know.

Please greet McDermott on our behalf. We had a jolly time last he was here.

Submitted by
DBN
Chicago, IL USA

Chris lindberg, a restaurant manager in Rhode Island, commented:

This is a scam. We received the same inquiry. He wanted us to charge a 3rd party CC for 10k and transfer 8k back to him. It is a identity theft ring.

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For any of these and other items, explore the right hand menu or just scroll down.

Filed under: Uncategorized by Skip | November 10, 2007 |


5 Comments so far

  1. Floyd Standoff on November 11, 2007 8:31 pm

    Hot Times, I’m wondering if that’s the same Irkins whose the lead singer and fiddler for the London band, the MacArthur Stewart Solicitors. Ya don’t suppose they’re serious about dropping in to the OTSFM. Is the cafe even open those nights. Maybe we could get a freebe concert. Floyd

  2. chris lindberg on November 23, 2007 8:27 pm

    This is a scam. We received the same inquiry. He wanted for us to charge a 3rd party CC for 10k and transfer 8k back to him. It is a identity theft ring.

  3. Diane on December 27, 2007 2:15 pm

    We received the same inquiry via email. We tried to call the number provided and it does not work. The email read the same as above.

    DIANE WONG / EVENT & SALES COORDINATOR
    RENAISSANCE TORONTO HOTEL DOWNTOWN
    1 BLUE JAYS WAY, TORONTO, ON M5V 1J4
    416-341-5003 FAX: 416-341-5090 DWONG@RENAISSANCETORONTO.COM

  4. Diane Wong on January 2, 2008 1:12 am

    We received a similar email:

    ——————————————————————————–

    From: Irkins Stewart [mailto:irkins.stewart@yahoo.co.uk]
    Sent: Tuesday, December 25, 2007 1:36 AM
    To: Diane Wong
    Subject: DINNER COST

    Hello Diane,

    Thanks for your kind and complements of the seasons.Can you please forward to me your proposal of 3 or 5 different menus for each day.We will like to start with a 3 course menu for the first day.

    1. Number of guests: 15 adults

    2. Time: 7.00 pm every evening

    3. No dietary concerns:

    4. We are flexible on our budget

    5. Mode of Payment:Prepayment by credit card

    6. Booking dates: 5th,6th and the 7th of February 2008

    I want you to get me 3 different menus as well their prices.

    I shall be waiting for your prompt response so that we can proceed with the payment arrangements.

    Kind regards,

    Barr.Irkins Stewart
    +447024062538
    +447024091908
    Fax#: +44-7005-806-775

  5. Diane Wong on January 2, 2008 1:14 am

    —–Original Message—–
    From: IRKINS STEWART [mailto:irkins.stewart@gmail.com]
    Sent: Saturday, December 22, 2007 11:12 PM
    To: dwong@renaissancetoronto.com
    Subject: DINNER ENQUIRY

    Hello,

    I am Irkins Stewart,from MacArthur Stewart Solicitors, United Kingdom. I want to book dinner for my Staffs arriving from London.

    They will all come for dinner at your place as from the 5th, 6th and 7th February, 2008 by 7:00pm each day. They are 15 in number. Get back with your response if there is availability in your restaurant.

    Kind Regards,

    Barr. Irkins Stewart

    106 Bunhill Row

    London

    EC1Y 8TZ

    Phone:+447024062538

    Fax#:+44-7005-806-775

    Email: irkins.stewart@yahoo.co.uk

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