matthewkane Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 Hello everyone, I recently have been in touch with a man from italy that is wanting to me photograph his wedding here in a few weeks. (Seems very last minute) however I am available. I have been in correspondence with him for roughly two weeks answering questions and the like. He seems very interested in my work and wants to book me. Well here's where it get's kind of strange. He says his girlfriend is in africa shopping and will be in the states next week. He is wanting to send me traveler's checks for the amount of $4000 USD. Some of which I will use for my retainer fee, the rest he wants me to send to his girlfriend in africa. He says he can't do so because he is in italy at this time. This is the verbatim line from the email "Also my girlfriend is done with shopping and she's been booked for a flight on saturday (nextweek). I'm sure there'll be an arrangement to meet up with you as soon as she arrives Denver so you could talk more about the wedding photography and optional items relating to that. But for now, i'll be sending some checks to you of about 4000$ from which you'll deduct 1000US$ which is the retainer for you to be sure you're our photographer. After which you can send the rest of the funds to my wife's travel agent in Nigeria for her airflight to the states on saturday. I know you might be wondering why i couldn't just send her the money directly instead of getting you involved in this, well it's just that i can't do much here because i am in italy and all i got is american express gift checks which i can't have cashed here because they're legal tender only in the US and possessions and i bought them in the states myself because i didnt want to take so much funds with me on the plane for security reasons. Please let me know if i can trust you to do this little favour for me, Okay. I hope you're having a nice time. Thanks and God bless." He isn't asking me for money. He is trying to send me checks though, and then have me send them elsewhere. Thoughts on this please! He has booked his wedding at the Donald Seawell Ballroom here which is one of the nicest venues in Denver. I want to believe this is legit, however I'm a bit skeptical. Has anyone ever heard of a scam related to this kind of thing? Shall I call the venue first and just double check that he is indeed booked at the venue for that date? Thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wedding-photography-denver Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 SCAM SCAM SCAM!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert_m3 Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 Scam. The checks will bounce in a week's time. He will take your money. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advance_fee_fraud#Auction_overpayment. 2C_fake_check">Link</a> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msoskil Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 Never heard of that scam exactly, but there's more red flags in your story than a matador conference. Stay away! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert_m3 Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 Oops, hit submit too quickly. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advance_fee_fraud#Auction_overpayment. 2C_fake_check">Link</a> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annealmasy Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 This is absolutely a scam. IMMEDIATELY cease communication with this man. If he sends you a traveler's check, contact the police and turn it into them. If you're still uncertain, contact the authorities. They will undoubtedly assure you that this IS a scam! Even if it weren't, would you really agree to manage a stranger's money this way? NO WAY! Bad idea all around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wedding-photography-denver Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 Oh, yeah, SCAM!! If you cash the checks a few weeks go by and your bank calls to say the funds were not in fact there when they presented them. In the first place they will apear to be legit, only after a few weeks time will you find that you have no money. NEVER send any $$ to anyone for anything even vaguely like this, unless it's me of course ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lb- Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 it's called a 419 scam, which I believe refers to the nigerian criminal code being violated. do a seach on line, you'll find endless info on it and all it's clever variations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ariana_daner Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 You can be pretty sure that anything with the word "Nigeria" in it that comes in via email is a scam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morthcam Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 Any time (repeat! ANY TIME) someone offers to send you too much money for any reason and they ask you to forward a portion to someone else it is a 100% guaranteed no-doubt certified slam-dunk scam. It's really that simple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_sokal___dallas__tx Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 These scams are the number 2 industry in Nigeria after oil. The US Secret Service, which police money in the US had an entire division dedicated to the 419 scams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly_flanigan1 Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 Nigeria scams go back to at least the 1960's, with foreign airmail stamps, weird envlope sizes, weird hand done,or typewriter written that looks like from a worn out machine. Then they went to Fax, to BBS, to the internet. Now over 4 decades later folks still love the lure of being suckered into parting with ones hard earned money, the sweet taste of a good con, ancient as mankind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephen hazelton Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 From what I've read of this, it works like this: They send you a cashier's check. You take it to your bank and ask if it's good and they say yes. You deposit, money goes into your account and all is well. Then you get the money out and send the scammer the change they requested. Then, 3 or 4 weeks later, it turns out the check is actually a counterfeit, and it bounces. So the bank takes the money out of your account, but you can't recover the money you sent off. In your case, that's all that would be done. In a lot of cases, this scam will involve a purchase of goods, and the scammer will have your goods AND the change you forwarded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marc_van_lommel Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 The moment you hear Nigeria ... hands off ... they find all kinds new scams. And now with the availabilty of e-mail and internet it's rampant. Just forward your e-mail to authorities in the US so they are aware that there is a new scam doing the rounds ... they can maybe contact Nigeria to get a hold of the IP number and internet cafe it's been sent from ... it's a crime in Nigeria too to do this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marc_van_lommel Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 Oh, one more thing ... you could maybe ask a copy of his passport to be e-mailed ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kai_griffin Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 You have got to be kidding. Of course this is a scam! It's precisely the same wedding photographer scam that's been going around for years. String this guy along for your own entertainment if you want, but considering he already knows your real name, roughly where you live, etc, the best advice would be to immediately cease communications. Playing with these scam artists can be fun, but best done from behind the cloak of a pseudonymn for obvious reasons (refer www.419eaters.com). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wigwam jones Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 Google for wedding photographer cashiers check scam and hit the enter key. Sit back and be amazed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly_flanigan1 Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 <a href="http://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial_s&hl=en&q=wedding+photographer+cashiers+check+scam+&btnG=Google+Search"><b>wedding photographer cashiers check scam - Google Search</b</a><BR><BR>@FIN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tholte Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 "He isn't asking me for money. He is trying to send me checks though, and then have me send them elsewhere." Mathew, you should never, ever make yourself look this dumb in front of thousands of fellow photographers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly_flanigan1 Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 This chap got paid in Nigerian Euros ! <BR><BR>http://www.davidphenry.com/NigerianScammers.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iskandar_azaman___kuala_lu Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 It is 100% a SCAM. If you've got nothing better to do, you could just frighten him a bit and tell him that you called the ballroom and there's no booking for that date. I'm quite sure you won't receive any emails from him anymore. Or you could give some b^ll$#!t story and tell him that you will do what he wants to do but in order for you to cash the cheques you need $50-$100 in cash to process it due to the large amount. So tell him to send the cheques as well as some cash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly_flanigan1 Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 <a href="http://spl.haxial.net/nigerian-fraud/"<b>Here is an interesting read about James T Kirk and the Nigerians:</b></a><BR><BR>@STOP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savagesax Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 If this weirdo is serious, tell him to put ALL of the funds in PAYPAL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry_ Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 If a dead fish smells like a dead fish, it is very likely a dead fish. With that stated, your 'deal' has the unique smell of a dead ______. Decline the great offer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matthewkane Posted September 1, 2006 Author Share Posted September 1, 2006 Thanks everyone. I knew it sounded bizarre, I had just never encountered this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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