}
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Internet Scams Targeting Wedding Planners
The internet. It is the tool we use to look up just about everything. It is accessible at our fingertips and allows us to research, post, request, bank, purchase, and play. While this is all wonderful and convenient, it is also scary when you think of such a tool with so many capabilities being in the hands of someone with the wrong intentions. It is very important to be aware of the possibility of scams on the internet and know how to recognize and report them. This is happening in our community of event planning as well.
Although some emails may be difficult to decode as a scam, others may be easy. A few red flags to look for if an email seems suspicious from a potential client or vendor are:
In this example of one scam artist, he promises to send a large sum of money without even meeting or speaking with the wedding planner. You should assume that if someone is going to provide you any kind of payment, there are going to want to have at least spoken with you first.
Most recently, wedding and event planners are receiving text message inquiries that ask your availability and if you accept credit cards. These are scam inquiries.
Also, remember to never provide any kind of bank account or personal contact information to someone you do not know or trust. Just a few numbers can unlock a world of problems for you if given to the wrong person. For more information on how to recognize phishing scam read this website.
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Hi all!
Adding to this post as there is a huge increase in scamming schemes due to the Coronavirus. I just received an individual interested in full-service wedding planning via The Knot. He then asked me for my phone number to reach out (which is not completely abnormal) then started texting me. He changed the location of his wedding (from North Carolina) to what happened to be my hometown – a tiny town in Central Minnesota. He then asked for the price of my services and said they were fine and he wanted to pay me in full right now. We never spoke on the phone and I did not have any information for his wedding. I asked him to call me and when he did he could not answer simple wedding questions (why did you choose the location you did? why style wedding are you looking for? What is your fiance’s name?)! He then hung up.
He has been reported to the FTC, The Knot/Wedding Wire (called Wedding Pro) and the Better Business Bureau. Please be wary and listen to your intuition.
OMG I am so glad I saw this. Uvray I am dealing with the same person! But he said he is planning his parents anniversary party. He event went as far as location, date, how many people, color theme, music (DJ), and much more. He wanted a proposal. I was actually working on it currently. I did hit his name and scam and nothing came up. Then I put in his name, scam and anniversary party and this is how I found this site and the information on Jack Miller and yes he emails from a gmail account and states is a seaman/sailor and moves cargo so he is unable to meet in person. Thank goodness I found this before doing any more work on the proposal. Crazy that he targeted the town next to me etc. He must of really did research on me. Geez what jerk!
Omgosh, sisters a wedding planner and I’m so glad I found this entry and these comments!
She’s been emailing with a “seaman/sailor” with “ear problems” who can’t call and hopes we can figure it out by email, named Jack Miller from a Gmail email address… All fine and dandy until, Jack says he “hired a band that’s flying in” but they don’t have a card reader to accept payment, and would like for us to combine their $14,000 fee with our deposit and charge his credit card. Full 🛑 stop. He refuses to answer questions like dates, phone numbers and how’d he hear about us. It’s crazy how advanced these scammers are getting his grammar was good too! Crazy! Glad we caught on before it got out of hand!
Thanks for sharing the experience your sister had. This is unfortunately all too common.
My wife runs a wedding and event planning business and received this same scam through her website. The email was from Joshua with a gmail address. He wanted to pay with a credit card to the tune of $16500 – all up front for a family reunion. Obviously knowing better, she told him to send it through Venmo and include a copy of his Drivers License. He didn’t respond.
Thanks for sharing your experience Eric. This is all too common in the wedding industry.
It is very important to be aware of the possibility of scams on the internet and know how to recognize and report them. This is happening in our community of event planning as well.
So true. Thank you for sharing your experience in your community!
I got a text message from a guy who says he was out of state and needed help planning his wedding. He wanted me to download and fill out some form so that he could pay me up front. I told him that I did not accept payments in this form and never heard from him after that.
That is a common way that scammers reach out and how they try to make a “payment”. Thanks for sharing your experience.
I have been communicating back and forth with a “Damian Grass”. What really triggered me to be on the look out is the email domain is to a “@vcatt.com” which I can not find anywhere on the internet. After checking with vendors and doing the proposal leg work. He immediately responded to the proposal to proceed “I believe you can bring a level of service that surpasses anything we’ve seen before in the past”. He also stated that he would send a check to me via USPS for the event amount in full.
But what really took the cake is he called from a “502” number with a thick African accent (with the last name Grass!?) telling me he would send a larger check then required because the car rental companying will not accept checks from him. This is so crazy to me. I am in the process of declining his business!!
Thank you for sharing! Glad you realized it was a fraudulent lead.
I received an email from James Petty with a gmail address asking for help with his mother’s 75th birthday party. Thankfully a wedding planner posted on her blog a similar scam with this same email back in 2008. I wanted to get this name and email address out again in case they try it with another planner.
Thank you for sharing this Kim!
Thank you!! I experienced this a few months ago. Got a call from a client requesting my services. After the initial call he requested we communicate via email. After a few emails I sent him my proposal. He accepted but before a deposit was made he kept asking who my credit card merchant was. Then he followed that question with “My caterer doesn’t take credit cards. Will you please charge me your fees and add the caterers total and you can then give them cash?” I said no of course and terminated and pulled my proposal. I told him that I don’t work that way unless I hire the caterers myself. Never heard from him again.
Great that you recognized this scam before it was too late. Thanks for sharing Mari.
I keep getting weird emails, from someone that works on a ship and wants to know how I accept payments, and asking if I do weird stuff, such as making chicken, and I’m an event planner//bridal shop. I don’t know how there finding out about me, but I just delete the message. Is there a way to turn this person in?
Gina, I don’t know that there is a way to report them except to mark their emails as spam in your email program.
I tried reporting a scam like this to the police, FBI, and Attorney General. They said there is nothing that they can do. Pretty ridiculous. My advice is to not ever pay anything out of pocket even if they have transferred funds to you. They will “transfer” the funds, which will never clear.
Great advice Lindsey. Thanks for sharing!
[…] out how the scam worked was easy after reading what had happened to others- Scams Targeting Wedding & Event Vendors. I then changed my search to Wedding Photography Scams- How The Scam Works. […]
Dear Debbie,
Thank you for posting this, it’s extremely helpful. We often let down our guards especially in a business in which we are surrounded by events that symbolize love and happiness. Scammers are everywhere and we need to be cautious. Thank you again!
Madalene
Thanks Madalene!