phpBB Users beware - A con artist on the loose!

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LDM
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phpBB Users beware - A con artist on the loose!

Post by LDM »

Over the last year, there seems to be a trend of people (no doubt all the same person) joining up at phpBB sites to PM and email every member spamming their services. We had him on here and various PM reports were sent in and many members sharing their email address on profiles, also got mail from him.

He goes by the name of sameh nabil and seems to totally con people by his prices on phpBB work. I am not going to share the website he uses here, but many may already know anyway. On his website portfolio, he actually has an IPB site that I personally edited a style for, so it seems he just adds any site to it regardless of him actually working on it.

So if you get the following email, please protect yourself and your funds and go find someone reputable within the phpBB community that will not charge much, or just learn how to do things yourself.

sameh's email or PM:

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Hi
we are professional phpbb forums designers and developper ,, we have a long experience in the field of designing new unique styles to your forum and installing MODs that make the use of your forum easier than before .
we provide paid services , and it is a pleasure to tell you that our prices is the lowest among all services providers .

if you interested in :

having a professional unique style for your forum.
installing any MODs you like whatever its number or complexity.
update your phpBB2 to phpBB3 with its many features .
upgrading your phpBB3 forum and make it up to date with the final secure version ( 3.0.7) without affecting any of the database enteries .
solving any problems that may face you in this moment .


please contact us via this email for more details : 
And just to prove his prices are not "the lowest among all services providers .", I received this email conversation from someone just an hour ago, who luckily checked with me first to see if it was a fair price.

sameh's fair price:

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Hi ,
$800 USD for phpBB style is good price , I need to know all what you want in the new style , you will pay half of the fees before and the other half after the project is being completed . it will take 7 days approx. to be completed .
let me know . and please give me link to your forum .
thank you 
Then he seemed to suddenly up it to $1000?????

sameh wrote:

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ok I will make for you a professional style for your forum ,,,
let me know if you are ready to send to you an invoice of $500 USD ( half of the fees ) and start in designing it immediately after payment , then you pay the other $500 after we finish the style and install the MOD .

we can design the style for your wordpress also but may you please keep it after the phpBB style . 
Client:

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Can you give me an example of what it would be like please, I am looking to have the forum bits in red on white background. 
sameh wrote:

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you will be able to see the progression of the styling during the work , via accessing the forum , you can edit any part of the style like you want or see during or after finish of the style ,
you will be able to see initial preview of the style ( as a jpg file after 6-8 hours from payment )

let me know if this is suitable to start . 
So he wants $500 up front without any idea of how a client wants it to look like or by not showing any photoshop mock-ups! The guy is a cowboy!

Be wary folks, I am posting this to protect your funds, nobody in their right mind will charge you that and nobody should pay that just for a style they have no idea what it looks like!
zander
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Re: phpBB Users beware - A con artist on the loose!

Post by zander »

Hi
Thanks for letting us know.

I was just about to send them over $200 for some work on my site.

Just in the nick of time

:-)
munki
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Re: phpBB Users beware - A con artist on the loose!

Post by munki »

I got this email earlier today and laughed at the way he said he was professional but yet doesn't know how to use grammar or how to spell.
disabo
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Re: phpBB Users beware - A con artist on the loose!

Post by disabo »

When I'm doing development work, I do all the work on my servers and the client only pays when they can actually see it working. There are so many scammers out there, I couldn't see a client paying anything up front just because I sure wouldn't do so myself. In 8 years I've had 2 issues with clients not paying for their code, and I just keep the code and use it for other stuff.
Tommy
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Re: phpBB Users beware - A con artist on the loose!

Post by Tommy »

You and me both zander. I am the one that nearly parted with $1000 mentioned in that post.

I just received this email so now is pushing me for the work
hi .
please let me know if there is any thing wrong , or whether you need the project or no as there is a pending style , so if you don't want the work we will proceed in it , if you want it then we will start in yours first .
thank you
I have since learned he has used the same tactics at phpBB. I feel stupid now, I have a lot of cash to invest in my project and the fact that he sends mail through other sites, should speak volumes about his work.
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CerebralJam
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Re: phpBB Users beware - A con artist on the loose!

Post by CerebralJam »

Thank you for drawing attention to this matter. I've explored quite a few forums and helpful sites all over the net and am always amazed that the true professionals give so much support and time to people on the learning curve. It is sad, that someone else, wants to make a quick buck and can see this as a good way to do so.
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Matt92308
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Re: phpBB Users beware - A con artist on the loose!

Post by Matt92308 »

Thanks for the warning about this butt hole. I have at times received emails and PMs about mod work and such and always wondered about the credibility of the person. ...Matt...
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UdonTalkAlan
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Re: phpBB Users beware - A con artist on the loose!

Post by UdonTalkAlan »

Thanks for the heads up.
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Ricbyrne
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Re: phpBB Users beware - A con artist on the loose!

Post by Ricbyrne »

Sameh contacted me in July about doing some phpbb mods in my forum. He offered me 2 mods that would allow members to reach the new topics and posts easily among the many forum's categories for $40 USD. The offer seemed reasonable, so I asked him to send me links to some sites that used these mods, so I could see the results. Never heard from him again.

I must admit! He talked a good game. As a rule, I always delete spam. But since this one claimed to be a so-called phpbb3 Expert I did inquire. Just shows you need to be on guard and check them out before you give them your cash.

In the very least never pay money up front to someone you never dealt with before.
birdy
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Re: phpBB Users beware - A con artist on the loose!

Post by birdy »

Thanks Toby but you know I only ever trust you with things - I have posted this in my Forum incase anyone should be duped but I doubt they could afford his fees.
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Ashley
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Re: phpBB Users beware - A con artist on the loose!

Post by Ashley »

This clown is well known for this. I just got an email today and have lost count how many I have had from him. I think the latest is through the system at phpBB.com. I think he just has a mailer on his server now and sends direct through that, where he has built up addresses over time.
Ricbyrne wrote: I must admit! He talked a good game. As a rule, I always delete spam. But since this one claimed to be a so-called phpbb3 Expert I did inquire.
While $40 for two mods seems fair, I would be very reluctant to deal with someone you don't know. Anybody could say they are an expert, then take your money and run.

I have seen a few topics about him at places on the net, this just being one of them which shows he can actually affect your email addresses and get you blacklisted. http://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtopi ... &t=2095435

Vile person!
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Matt92308
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Re: phpBB Users beware - A con artist on the loose!

Post by Matt92308 »

birdy wrote:Thanks Toby but you know I only ever trust you with things - I have posted this in my Forum incase anyone should be duped but I doubt they could afford his fees.
Not to mention the fact that they could trash your forum as well.
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Re: phpBB Users beware - A con artist on the loose!

Post by aghapy »

It doesn't matter what you write !
It doesn't matter what you think about us !
we only care about our beloved serious customers who know how professionals we are , and they experience the difference their selves .
we will continue to help people , we will continue in our business and will let our work talk about us , and it is just a matter of time in which every one will realize who is the kind one , who is the bad who don't any one with him to work !
by the way : urban chicken form which is owned by Dean from UK has been designed and styled by us when they used phpBB software , and you can send to him asking if this is correct or no .
any way we wish you good luck in you business
thank you
Terminator
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Re: phpBB Users beware - A con artist on the loose!

Post by Terminator »

Thanks for informing buddy !! :good: :good: :good:
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LDM
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Re: phpBB Users beware - A con artist on the loose!

Post by LDM »

Well yet another name he's joined here under aghappy..

You had post approved cause everyone deserves their say, but lets be honest, the hole is too deep to dig out of isn't it.
aghapy wrote:It doesn't matter what you write !
It doesn't matter what you think about us !
we only care about our beloved serious customers who know how professionals we are , and they experience the difference their selves .
Yea, sure you're professional, you go to everyone's forums to pm and spam people about your service, thats plain professional that is!
aghapy wrote: we will continue to help people , we will continue in our business and will let our work talk about us , and it is just a matter of time in which every one will realize who is the kind one , who is the bad who don't any one with him to work !
Help people? By charging people unto $1000 for an edited style? What will you do now your name is all over phpBB.com, change it again so nobody will guess?
aghapy wrote: by the way : urban chicken form which is owned by Dean from UK has been designed and styled by us when they used phpBB software , and you can send to him asking if this is correct or no .
any way we wish you good luck in you business
thank you
More fool Dean then, I bet you blagged hundreds out of him, no wonder he was looking elsewhere for someone to help him after. He's been running IPB for at least a year now, so you best take his site off your portfolio. You probably got that work by one of your many spam mails in the first place. A pure professional!
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