Strange Request - Possible Scam???

RMThompson · Apr 19, 2007

Ok guys, I recieved a few emails recently, and they feel like a scam, but somehow this guy knows I am a photographer. I wanted to get your opinion, and if this IS a scam, I'll know soon and can warn others.

Here is the first email I recieved:

----- Original Message ----- From: HIDDEN (I hid it to protect his identity for now)
To: [email protected]
Sent: Wednesday, April 18, 2007 5:49 AM
Subject: Need YOUR SERVICE FOR MY WEDDING !

Goodday ,
Compliments of the season to you overthere.i think its important to formally introduce myself better to you and also to afford you better knowledge and the personality of the person talking to you here.......My wife Kimberly and I are planning to have our wedding on May 26th in Las Vegas Nevada .I am looking for a good photographer who will come take good shots of the event for a memorable future view and when i came across your advert i was impressed.At this time,we are on our way to Englands for our pre wedding honeymoon.Let me know your charges for your required services,presently all the photographer i contacted are booked and thats why i decide to get search from photographers directory, we will pay the transportation charges to and fro to the party venue so indicate in your email if you will be able to take care of our wedding shots for a future and memory view and your charges,what it will costs either via Plane or through Car transport to in Las Vegas Nevada, ! What is your services charges?
Best Regards,
Jason(read above)

Now, note that the header has the email address to "milobluphotography" which is NOT me. I looked in the complete header and can not even figure out HOW this email got to me. Neverthless, interested, I responded, told him that I've never formally shot a wedding and thereby I would charge $500 for a few hours of shots, plus airfare/hotel. (Not seriously thinking about would consider paying that.)

I also asked for more details about him specifically "Where are you located?" since he certainly sounds foreign.

I honestly never expected a response, and for 24 hours received none, until this morning when he wrote this:

Hello Ryan ,

Thanks for the swift reply to my inquiry and i am happy to hear that you are opened for the date of my wedding .i got your contact details fom modelmayem and i decided to contact you for my wedding shots .

However , i got your payments charges which is reasonable and affordable .
Here are some tips about the wedding and i believe this will help you to get the final quote of your charges .

1)The wedding will be held at a Bapist church in Las-vegas here and reception at the Hall.

2) The amount of visitor expected at the occasion is about 60 people maximum

3)We will require a Cd containing the shots of the wedding after the ocassion.

4)The wedding commence at 10a.m in the morning and your service will be needed for 7hours

Lastly , I will like you to chec the cost of the airfare to las Vegas and add it with your charges for the service . I will send you the booking funds and transportation fee .
Hope to hear back from you soonest .
Thanks
Sam

Now first thing I noticed is, the name has changed. He WAS Jason and now he's Sam... but then I thought, "This could be the Bride"... Giving the benefit of the doubt I wrote back, telling him that this is to fast and before I do any shoot I like to talk to the people in person, and unfortunatly gave my cellphone number. (He could've got this info from my website though, so not a big deal.)

His next reply was quick:

Hello Ryan,

the date of the wedding is May 26th in Las Vegas Nevada and i need a final quotation if you are going to be available .
thanks and check the detials in the previous mail i send to you .

No name this time, and he seems impatient to get a price.

So what do you guys think? Real? scam?

I don't KNOW how this could be a scam, except if once I give a final price, he does the old "I have a certified check for 5000, so pay me two thousnd and ill send you this check" deal.

Anyone every recieve anything similar?

The_Traveler · Apr 19, 2007

This is a scam and has been circulating to other photographers.

PNA · Apr 19, 2007

Sooner than later he will ask for your banking information so he can foward the funds to you. Once you see that request in any type of transaction.....forgetaboutit!:thumbdown:

darich · Apr 19, 2007

You'll probably find that any email like that where the English is not so good eg "on our way to Englands", "overthere" it's a scam from Africa somewhere.

Check out this web site for all sorts of scams.

You'll notice that the language/grammar/English used in most of them is very similar.

I'd say that someone has tried or is trying to scam you.

Give him/her/them nothing!!
:thumbup:

RMThompson · Apr 19, 2007

The_Traveler said:
This is a scam and has been circulating to other photographers.

As was my assumption.

To everyone else:

Yes the language and spelling and grammar all tipped me off here.

Thanks!

Mike_E · Apr 19, 2007

Wait!!! Please ask him (her?) to send a money order as the only way you will or can hold the date and OBTW here is a Contract [see attached] I need signed and faxed back to me within 7 days. Of course nonpayment or late payment is considered breach of contract and will cause forfeiture of the reservation fee and any monies paid to date.

Come on, you've got'em on the line, play'em!

mike

darich · Apr 20, 2007

Mike_E said:
Wait!!! Please ask him (her?) to send a money order as the only way you will or can hold the date and OBTW here is a Contract [see attached] I need signed and faxed back to me within 7 days. Of course nonpayment or late payment is considered breach of contract and will cause forfeiture of the reservation fee and any monies paid to date.

Come on, you've got'em on the line, play'em!

mike

Sounds like fun

Check this out for some classic stories!!

Mike_E · Apr 20, 2007

Sure! They have Western Union in Nigeria don't they?

lol

Olympus8MP · Apr 20, 2007

Haha play it back! You might make some money out of it, just don't give him any information!

RMThompson · Apr 20, 2007

I thought about it, but he has my phone number and personal email. I dont want to risk anything.

Mike_E · Apr 20, 2007

Hey, If the money shows up and the tickets, do the shoot!

mike

Big Mike · Apr 20, 2007

I think the typical scam is that they either ask for your info or they send you too much money and ask you to forward some of it on or send it back etc. The check they send you will be a fake but that sometimes take a while to figure out...and you may have cashed it already and sent the money...that's their plan anyway.

darich · Apr 20, 2007

Big Mike said:
I think the typical scam is that they either ask for your info or they send you too much money and ask you to forward some of it on or send it back etc. The check they send you will be a fake but that sometimes take a while to figure out...and you may have cashed it already and sent the money...that's their plan anyway.

Sending too much money and asking for the excess to be returned is apparently a scam also doing the rounds on ebay for lower priced items.

Mike_E · Apr 20, 2007

If they send too much money, tell them that you will refund the the extra when you see them in Vegas!

Alpha · Apr 20, 2007

Did anyone here ever read the p-p-p-powerbook story? It's true, and quite possibly the best ever scam of a scammer. It's unbelievably hilarious.

http://www.zug.com/pranks/powerbook/