My pyrate band has been the target (but not the victims) of a scam involving payment by money order. FYI this tale played out over a 2 month period.
We got a job inquiry through our web site, to do a wedding job in St.Louis.
We are a D.C. based band, but we have done jobs in that fair city before.
All correspondence was by e-mail.
A reasonable fee was agreed upon.
The contact person suggested that he send a money order to prepay.
Cool, we like prepayment.
When the money order arrived it was for thousands of dollars more than the agreed upon fee.
Well, our guy suggests that we just cash the M.O. and forward the difference.
It would be a big deal to get a new M.O., this is simpler, right?
I believe a P.O. box was suggested.
Our band leader, Brad, goes to his bank. The bank suggests that we might be cautious...sounds fishy. There would be a week or so delay between cashing the M.O. and the reimbursement by the M.O. company.
Brad tells the guy that we need a M.O. for the correct amount.
The guy fires out a second money order, which turns out to be a second overpayment, with the same suggestion to be just forward the difference.
Meanwhile the bank confirms that they are both counterfeit. No shock there.
So the job is bogus, and quickly became joke material between us pyrates.
The date for the supposed job passed in June but our contact was still sending Brad emails with excuses.
Cool, I guess this means that he wants to pay us without our actually working, right?
Brad tells the fellow that he need not send any more notes or money orders.
He gets this reply:
Hello Friend,
> I am so sorry for not emailing you back, The
> celebrant was involved in the London Blast as they
> went for honey moon in London and we lost both of
> them. The police has already found the husband corpse
> and and wife own is still being search for, and the
> assure us that she's dead. It's a terrible news.
> That is the reason why you have not hear from me.
> But you'll still receive the payment this week, and
> i'll do the best things that will satisfy you, just
> let me know as soon as you receive the payment. And
> you can go ahead and cash it.
> Thank you.
>
Does this suck the air out of your lungs, or what????