Is this a scam?

October 15, 2012 9:37 AM

Is this a scam? I am a wedding photographer and received an email that I have doubts about being legitimate.

The email came via weddingwire.com - a site I am listed with but do not pay to market on. The contents of the email sounded a little scammy, so I wanted to see if anyone may have encountered something similar before I consider persuing the job. The text of the email was this:

"I am XXXX XXXXX, We will need your service as i will be arriving back in the states from Nova Scotia for my wedding.We will be responsible for any expenses incurred in this process. We might not be able to meet soon to deliberate but we are willing to make a reservation for our date ahead of time and make a deposit to ascertain our commitment in hiring your service. Please respond asap. Regards, XXXX XXXXX."

A few of my warning flags are going up because of the distance, the talk of incurring expenses but not being able to meet, and the offer to rush to make a deposit. Am I being paranoid?

posted by rinosaur to computers & internet (9 answers total)

i would bet, as soon as you contact them, they'll want your information to send you the deposit. Which will be over the amount you quoted, and they'll tell you to just send them a check for the difference, and of course, their deposit will end up bouncing and you'll be responsible for the entire amount. I'd just ignore it.
posted by lemniskate at 9:40 AM on October 15, 2012 [17 favorites]

It sounds like most of the spam I get at work from people who want to hire us as their lawyers (we are not a law firm). Toss the email and forget about it.
posted by rtha at 9:45 AM on October 15, 2012 [2 favorites]

The awkward English makes me suspicious.
posted by Dansaman at 9:46 AM on October 15, 2012 [2 favorites]

This guy is a wedding photographer and got the same message from an Arnold Space. He says it's a scam. If the email is arnoldspacex, it looks like he's a craigslist scammer too.
posted by specialagentwebb at 9:47 AM on October 15, 2012 [3 favorites]

The biggest flag this raises for me is they don't say anything that relates to the specific "service" that you offer, or what expenses they expect.
posted by RobotHero at 9:52 AM on October 15, 2012 [9 favorites]

Thought so! Thanks for the confirmation. Double extra points for RobotHero, I didn't even notice they never mentioned photography...
posted by rinosaur at 9:56 AM on October 15, 2012

if it sounds like a scam, then yes, it most likely is (and it does sound like one). don't even question it. just delete.
posted by violetk at 9:58 AM on October 15, 2012

An earlier answer of mine seems relevant. Sounds like the kind of scenario asked there and alluded to by lemniskate.

Every time a project I was involved with got something like this (sounds somewhat cogent, asks for our services, out of town, etc.) we'd respond with a very unreasonably high quote. They'd say, "no problem, I'll send you a check for twice that," and we know it was BS.
posted by GPF at 9:58 AM on October 15, 2012 [3 favorites]

Got the same email, and I'm a clinical psychologist
posted by chaoscutie at 11:59 AM on October 15, 2012