Wedding Scam! A MUST READ for all wedding Photogs

Well, I can’t say that I ever thought this would happen to me, but here it is.  This is a must read for all wedding photographers out there.

I was recently contacted by a “Kelly Brown” requesting information about my wedding services for her upcoming wedding in May.  My radar was slightly alerted, but never the less, I sent off my price list to her.  There seemed to be a lot of weird traveling involved for her, but that’s what some people do for a living, so I thought nothing of it. It wasn’t until the last email from her in which she said she was sending more than my deposit and wanted me to forward the balance to the venue. If you have been contacted by this person, or anyone else who has asked you to do so, STOP NOW and call your police. These people have been trying this scam out for a while now, and I’m not sure if they’ve actually succeeded in getting money from photographers, but I know how hard I work and I would hate to see a fellow photographer lose out because of these people.  She apparently has number of emails that has been created for this purpose. I had received emails from these two addresses, hpharaon@outdoormedias.com and kelly123001@gmail.com, however, after googling this, I have discovered that this person has also used the following: brown15110@gmail.com, kellybrown1977@gmail.com, and brown14110@gmail.com.

Below is the original email that I got from her, sent from a Kelly Rodriguez

 Hi! I’m Kelly Rodriguez. Mike and I will be getting married soon. We will be needing some one ASAP to photograph our wedding occasion scheduled for , 05.12.2012 starting from 10;00 AM – 04;00 PM . So what I am asking is -;

A package which includes six hours of shooting time plus a 20 page custom designed album .

THIS PACKAGE INCLUDES:

* 6 hours of photography; Mix of color and black and white, creative effects.

* 350+ professionally processed wedding photos, some in print and on CD or USB)

* 20 page custom wedding album – all prints on archival quality .

Album in top quality, elegant and built to last a lifetime for the memory of our kids and families.

* 11×14 Portrait Print – We’ll choose any image from the wedding photos .

So some questions I have are ;-

- What is your base price fee for what I am asking? Is that negotiable?

- Your availability/ schedule for the 12th of MAY? You available?

- willing to travel ? considering both the lodging and the travels will be taken care of.

Please email back confirming your availability. Thank you

Kelly Rodriguez.
kelly123001@gmail.com

After I didn’t reply right away, she sent me another email, this time from Kelly Brown.

Hi, Good morning . This is Kelly . Still havent heard back from you … Just checking in to see if you got my previous email . PLEASE BELOW… I will want you to get back to me with your package price list . Thank you .

I was just going to be sure you got this right.  Ps: Wedding is May 12th,2012 . And in Ontario, CANADA . Like I said, Full travel (airfare, ground transportation and hotel) will be taken care of . We already have a booking agent set aside to handle that . You see, you probably wont understand how hard it is finding some one locally for the shooting of our wedding . They are either booked up or not good enough so we decided to check online a few websites including pdnonline, ppa, etc. So we’d definitely hate for this to be a waste of time.

I will let you know an exact address in the coming week(s)  . I have a friend working on that right now. I will let you know asap when something has been booked. So the address will virtually be The Artscape Wychwood Barns, 601 Christie Street, Toronto. Nothing on file yet . We are expecting about 100-150 guests over . Both indoor and outdoor shooting right from the wedding ceremony,reception etc…

It has been hard finding the perfect photographer for the shooting. But following your response to my introductory email . I’m optimistic about this arrangement working . So I put it you’re willing to travel . We are currently in Manchester, UK for an important visit ahead of my seminar. So I hope to work out an arrangement ahead of my arrival back to the states. You see, I am physically impaired (Hearing). So e-mail works fine for now . We can work out all of the details ( via email) .A quick question though, Will you be emailing us something like a standard contract agreement knowing for sure you will be available for the 12th?

E-mail your package price list and let us know if you will be available for the 12th.

Thank you .

Kelly .

Apparently, she has sent this email to a number of photographers all over, but just changed the location of the wedding.

Her most recent email was the nail in the coffin that it was a scam. When she asked me to accept a money order from a US bank for more than the deposit amount, then forward the remainder to their venue. When I replied that it would take 21 days for the cheque to clear from the US bank, I did not hear back from her. I think that scared her off.

Here is her last email that I got.

Hello Lauren,

Good morning . This is Kelly Brown. I sincerely hope all is well with you and your family as I still haven’t heard back from you . I hope you have been getting my emails . Like I said, I’m just waiting on Mike to go over the contract and then we will let you know what other items to add on .

I hope this finds you well. We are currently in the middle of putting things together as we plan on arriving back home to the states by Next Month ( Saturday, April 7 2012 ) . Also looking at the possibility of having the phone consultation at the time of our arrival back home so you can get to know more on a personal level .

With that been said, I will like to inform you that the deposit check payment has already been sent out to your mailing address  . We’re having an associate send it ( via UPS courier and from a US bank ) . So it should be fine as we are seriously considering you book the dates for us. However, we’ve had a little problem with the check payment having been issued out for the wrong amount. I trust it will be fine despite been for more than the deposit . What we’re asking is to kindly forward the remaining difference of the money for the booking of the hall reservation . The funds would have been sent out directly for the deposit of the Venue/reservation where the wedding ceremony will be taking place . I hope this is clear to you ?

As soon as you have gotten the check payment , we will want you to take it to your bank and deposit into your account . And then take out the remaining difference of the money to the nearest western union location around you to send him for the booking of the hall reservation.

With all been said, I will like you to confirm the receipt of this email . Just so I know for sure we are on the same page . Thank you .

Kelly Brown.

I personally will be reporting this to the Canadian Internet Fraud people this week. I hope they get caught. If you have been contacted by this “Kelly Brown”, or know of any wedding photographers, please pass this along to them. We have to stick together.