The Wedding Scam

Marc Peters · #1 (**permalink**) 12-03-2006, 09:19 PM

Advertise your services on the internet and you're guaranteed to attract the attention of the "wedding scam". These delightful little con artists play on the greed and egos of all of us to make a quick buck. Luckily they're almost as easy to spot as the phishing emails we all get every day (curiously I've yet to get a fake email claiming to be from a bank I actually bank with).

Typically the emails start with a very non-english introduction. When was the last time you sent an email starting with "greetings"? The email will also be long, and far longer than your average bride would spend on an email to merely get a quote. Although the email will be long, you'll find there's no specifics such as location of the church. A fairly important ommision for such a seemingly detailed email. You'll also find they'll massage your ego by claiming they want the best, but won't actually ask for a sample. They also call you a photographer even though you're actually a videographer.

The final give away is the 'money's no object' claim. Typically they'll be based abroad and will want you to charge your "best price". After all, the more money they can 'spend', the more money they can get back... because after all they'll pay you twice as much, then all you have to do is return half as much to them.

Best policy for these emails? Delete 'em.

Marc Peters · #2 (**permalink**) 12-04-2006, 06:09 AM

Not long after posting this I received the following email:

Quote:

Dear Photographer,
My name is Mr Tom Grant from London,UK, I was searching for Professional Photographers online, but i love your own professions, you're 100% Satisfactory to me, I could I have look for a local photographer, but our own personal photographer had departed for an occasion...Well..the reason for contacting you is that, My Daughter will be having a wedding ceremony in London,UK which is on Febuary 11,2007. and we will want to know if you will be around to come straight down to London,UK to photograph us for the whole party, church Holy Matrimony & Reception, and so much more, we will be responsible for your accomodation and flights from county to London,UK(Round Trip).

So, If you are Interested in working with us, you can get back to us with the Below Information. because we would need to make payment ahead of time and fax or mail you our wedding Invitation letter. payment would be made out by cheque or money order.

FIRST NAME:
LAST NAME:
GENDER:
MARITAL STATUS:
AGE:
YEARS OF WORKING EXPERIENCE:
ADDRESS:
CITY:
STATE/COUNTY:
POSTAL/ZIPCODE:
NATIONALITY:
COUNTRY:
PHONE #:
FAX #:
YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY CHARGES FOR (6) SIX HOURS:
We are looking forward to read from you, I believe you're a responsible and professional photographer.
Thank You,
Tom Grant.

komatoast · #3 (**permalink**) 12-04-2006, 08:36 AM

weel thats is some fantastic Inglish,UK!

yeebsy · #4 (**permalink**) 12-05-2006, 11:04 AM

Did you leave it at that or did you do a bit of scambating?

Marc Peters · #5 (**permalink**) 12-05-2006, 12:09 PM

Left it at that. Personally find the best way to deal with these jokers is to press delete.

The Guru · #6 (**permalink**) 12-06-2006, 08:46 AM

This is a variation of a scam which (for the uninitiated) works as follows...

A "potential customer" arranges to buy something, or books a service, from the mug.

Before it all happens, the customer comes up with an offer like...
"I come from a country where it's difficult to transfer cash, or I have to pay for each transaction so... instead of paying you £2,000 for my wedding video, I'll pay £4,000 and you give me the difference in cash. Wait until my cheque clears and the money's in the account, so there's nothing to worry about".

The customer will already be paying over the odds for the service so, in order to keep him, you agree. I mean, the cheque gets cleared so what's the risk?

This risk is...

Banks have to clear all cheques/transfers within a specified time but they do it on a provisional basis. In other words they put the money into your account on the proviso that if, in the future, the cheque (or money transfer) turns out to be bogus, they take the money back.

See what's happening?

By the time the bank's checked the payment fully and found that the money transfer or cheque isn't kosher, a few weeks or months have passed and you have to pay the full amount back to your bank. Needless to say the contact details given by Mr Angomo, Mr Valipatin or whoever, don't seem to be genuine anymore.

The old saying: "If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is." Really applies in this case.

komatoast · #7 (**permalink**) 12-06-2006, 09:03 AM

very clever! bloody scammers...

sooooo errr anyone want to do me any filming? i will pay you loads just make sure you give me £2000 back!

anyone?..................... no?...................... you have learned, well done!

Marc Peters · #8 (**permalink**) 12-10-2006, 10:23 AM

Another dodgy looking request:

Quote:

Hello,I'm Barrister Franklin Scank,am located in Uk i urgently needed a professional photographer on my Daughter's wedding day which will commence on the 21st, 22nd and 23rd of Dec 2006. let me know if you will be available on any of the day and get back to me with your last price of each day.Thanks,Franklin...

The Guru · #9 (**permalink**) 12-10-2006, 03:24 PM

Why don't you answer him, insisting that you only do quotes upon receipt of "admin costs" of £100?

Andy Lockwood · #10 (**permalink**) 12-11-2006, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Guru

...
Banks have to clear all cheques/transfers within a specified time but they do it on a provisional basis. In other words they put the money into your account on the proviso that if, in the future, the cheque (or money transfer) turns out to be bogus, they take the money back.....

Banks have the right to claw back funds up to six years after a cheque has been presented. As a for instance, if the cheque turns out to be stolen and the person whos cheque it was hasn't noticed the theft until maybe five and a half years after the event, the bank is well within its rights to claw the funds back from you and repay the money into the complainants account. It rarely happens, but it is possible. There is currently a scam going on with an Allied Irish account that has seen cheques cashed at cheque cashing centres all over the UK for anywhere between £1000 and £3500 each. They are from a company account, pre-printed and look 100% genuine. They are cloned from a genuine account and it is taking the clearing banks around 8 days to sus the payment is dud.

Moral of the day - Only take cash.