Scam emails

[ksmattfish]

It's the slow season, and I'm bored, so I'm actually responding to the scam emails I get. I get several each week. If you get a funny one post it here. Here's the one I got today from [email protected]

I am Mr Peter Werth i am writing to inform you about my loving
daughter forthcoming wedding that will be hold in

Date: March 25 2007
State:Kansas
Time: 10:00am

Between Rebecca my daughter and thomas
and your service as a wedding photographer will be needed.Notice this
is a civil wedding ceremony so i want you to get back to me with your
service fee for 5 to 6hrs and travel fee if applicable.I'll be
waiting your prompt mail. Many Regards.

Peter

I was 99% sure it was a scam, but you never know. So I sent this reply.

Hello,

I am available for Sunday, March 25th. My basic 6 hour package is
$1500. Where in Kansas is the wedding located?

Thanks,
Matt

His reply...

Hello ,
Thanks for the mail but i would have love to book an appointment with you so
that we can
arrangement for the ceremony but am presently out on a business trip and the bride
is also not at home but we can set up a meeting a month to the wedding so that you
can know the neccesary things you need to about the ceremony and the price $1,500
is presupose and payment which is in form of a certified check will be made out to
you immediately by my U.s based credit union agent who will be crediting me some
funds worth $3,900 on an earlier cancelled order. He has agreed to issue out the
funds to you since for the booking of photographs and the wedding coordinator so
the check will be send to you and once you've recieved the cheque you deduct $800
as pre-requisite fee and get the remaining funds transfer to the wedding
coordinator any other payment for your service will be made 2weeks before the
wedding day.For these am compesating you with the sum of $100 for the labour.I
will require your details for the payment and further reference as in the below
form.

Full Name that will be on the cheque.........
Full Contact Address/Postal Code .....
Phone(home,office and cell)............

Hope we can trust you with the transactions to fore see that the
enquiry for your service is okay.Looking forward to your soonest reply and
details soon.
Thanks And Stay Bless..

...and my reply...

Hello,

I'll need your mailing address so I can mail you a contract. All the
information you have requested will be included.

You may not be aware of this, but it is a commonly known internet scam
to send more money than necessary in a check that isn't any good. I
can't believe anyone falls for this, you'd have to be a complete
moron! But I'm sure you'll understand why I'll need a check or money
order for the proper amount, and it will need to clear before I can
take any further action. The deposit for the date is $300. The rest
of the payment is due in full 4 weeks before the wedding date.

By the way, I still need to know where the wedding will take place so
I can estimate travel charges.

Looking forward to hearing from you,
Matt

Gee, that's the last I heard from him.

 

[Big Mike]

Yes, that's a popular scam indeed. Some will say that you know you have 'made it' in the business when you get one of those. You must be really popular to get several per week.

I don't remember where I read it...but I remember reading a rather long account of how someone 'scammed' the scammer. It wasn't wedding photography...but something to do with a church but it was the same idea of sending huge cheques. The 'victim' strung the scammer along for months and even got him to spend a fair amount of his own money on shipping and even sending some money. It was all very funny.

 

[ksmattfish]

I don't remember where I read it...

I heard an interview on NPR about a writer who put out a book containing the email conversations he had with the scammers.

 

[Big Mike]

I think I read it on a website/forum somewhere. I'm sure I was linked to it from someone here.

I also had a good laugh when reading about a guy who scammed an E-bay scammer with a lap top. The buyer sends a bogus cheque...so this guy sends him a 'lap top' made out of cardboard. It was very funny.

 

[fmw]

Be careful. The scammers are criminals. Criminals can be dangerous. It may be a good laugh to try to scam the scammer but I wouldn't do it personally.

 

[Big Mike]

Good point. I probably won't do anything either.

Just report them to the appropriate authorities.