kerbscustom Loc: Valley Center, CA

Heads up! New Scam that just got tried on me...from Kelly Brown...urgently need a wedding photographer. "How much would you charge to provide the following services..." followed by an obvious copy of someones flier. After you respond with a detailed estimate, "she" wants to know if you are available in three weeks, and can you travel to Florida. She can't come by the studio because she is in the UK right now. Is hearing impaired, so email is the best way to contact her. A planner will coordinate the travel and make arrangements for you. When asked how she found your business, the response is that someone referred you, can't remember who...
I called our local sheriff's fraud group, who said it was a variant on a scam they have seen a lot of recently. The next step will be to send you a check, or traveler's check, etc. to cover your cost plus significantly more with instructions to take out your portion and send the remainder along to the "planner". The script that they send is good enough to get by your bank...but will bounce in three or four days. You are out the amount that you passed along to their "planner" plus a variety of charges your bank will hit you with.
If it smells like fish...anyway, you get the point.

RocketScientist Loc: Littleton, Colorado

And just when was the last time a "Gee I can't do this without your help" story from somebody you don't know not a scam?

I never thought all those dead millionares would be leaving me so much money.

Good suspicion on a newer variant of the age old scams. There are both people and businesses that fall for it.

sarge69 Loc: Ft Myers, FL

I'm saving up to send the $5,000.00 to cover this $450,000.00 inheritance check from a long lost uncle in Nigeria.

Sarge

Shutterbug_11 Loc: Yucaipa, CA

@kerbscustom: Thanks for the heads up on this info! It seems that I've been seeing alot of photography "scams" on my 'Skillpages' site also. Someone will post a notice that they need a photographer to do a "food" shoot and then when someone replies, the person that created the post never answers them. I saw this "food" shoot request and there were over 20 people that responded to the ad, but the location was never revealed. These photographers that responded were from all over the world. Just goes to show you these 'scam' requests will show up on any site dealing with photography. I hope you didn't lose too much money.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

It's really pathetic that these scams generate a fortune for the perpetrators. If someone is smart enough to use a computer, they should know that no one is going to give them millions of dollars. Many fortunes have been built on gullibility.

Falcon Loc: Abilene, Texas

Hey, Sarge, that was my uncle that died. Are we related?

kerbscustom Loc: Valley Center, CA

No, I caught on before that. But the fraud department of the San Diego County Sheriff confirmed that the schemes have become increasingly more sophisticated, and have been making the perps a lot of money.

snowbear

Tell the scammer that you need a non-refundable deposit, please sent certified check to your PO Box (they are cheap), US funds and US bank, etc.

kerbscustom Loc: Valley Center, CA

The advise is good...except, the instruments that they have been using, Traveler's checks, certified checks, etc. are good enough that they are getting past the banks (your bank's) screening. They just bounce 3 or 4 days later...and your bank takes the money back and charges you with the bounced check fees. In the mean time, you are instructed to pass the additional money on to the third person...in this case the "wedding planner"--that money now comes out of your hide when the deposited instruments bounce.

Not sure what your reasoning for using a PO Box is...they already know my address--it's a retail storefront on the main street in town.

AVarley Loc: Central Valley, California

Thanks for the heads-up kerb!

I got a text message on my Verizon phone the other day from "Apple Inc" asking me to be a tester for a new IPhone5 in "development" that I would get to keep after the test. All I had to do was open the link for "immediate acceptance."

iDont think so!

Gotta watch for those scammers everywhere these days.....