Competition or Business Partner Company

[onq]

This message popped through my e-mail yesterday.

==========================

Dear Mr. or Mrs.,
Thank you for spending your limited time on our E-mail.
We are Xiangyang Vonoble Import&Export Co.,Ltd.China. Our company mainly trades in wheelchairs. According to the requirement of Chinese Market, we need to seek a wheelchairs producing company who has better products and reputations and we become the general agent for him in Chinese Market. If the products are in your company’s range, please e-mail us with your detailed technical parameter, packing specifications and price lists about your products for our reference and confirmation.
We have a keen desire to build business relationships with you
Best wishes!
Yours sincerely,
Mr. Liu Mingyi

==========================

At first glance you might think this was a sincere and well meaning attempt to create a partnered business relationship from a distance
Read again, its like someone was trawling through your order catalogue to discover your detail product specification and price point.
I was immediately struck by the question - would a prospective business partner be seeking this information in this way?


ONQ.

 

[scwazrh]

I think there is a good chance that Mr. Liu Mingyi may also have an Auntie in Nigeria who needs to transfer some funds to your account

 

[onq]

Far be it from me to suggest or infer any impropriety on the part of Mr. Liu Mingy - apart from my initial query, which arose because of the strangeness of the request.

However, on reflection it seems possible that if the e-mail was answered with the requested information and if such an e-mail was intercepted by an unscrupulous third party, they could use this information to -

(i) Pose as the Company.

(ii) Supply to markets using the designs of the Company.

I think this comes back to the protocols - which so many of us seem to have forgotten