Nigerian scam aimed at wedding photogs

[Denis]

Hi guys, just wanted to let you know, so that you don't waste your time on this: Nigerian scammers target wedding photogs with typical introductory message like this:

Hi,
This is hope,i will like to book you for my son wedding photography can you let me know if you are available on 30th march 2012 and do you also accept credit card payment too.
Notice: what area do you serve too,Thanks.
Sent from Hope Faith <hope_faith002@yahoo.com>, with another typical name being Mark Pil <mark_pil@yahoo.com>
Google for the email addresses if you want the details on how it's supposed to work.

P.S. I suggest this thread is made sticky

[ricktas]

I moved your thread. The Wedding forum is a MEMBERS PHOTOS forum is only for posting photos for critique.

[I @ M]

So how much did they scam from you Denis?

[Denis]

From me nothing, but quoted is the actual message I received :)
They misspelt email address as hope_fait002@yahoo.com, so my reply was bounced. I went googling for possible alternative address spellings and found out about the scam :)

[KeeFy]

From what it seems, they just make use of your credit card facilitates to skim money from stolen credit cards.

[reaction]

"Notice: what area do you serve too,Thanks. "

Isn't this a dead giveaway?

"I'd like to give you money for your services, but I don't know anything about your services."

Any reply to an ad with generic words and no specifics.

[Wayne]

And how do they skim $$ from a stolen credit card if YOU are processing the card via your merchant facility? You will be receiving the funds, and unless you do the wedding based on payment via the stolen card or provide them with some other goods/services, then they have achieved nothing other than perhaps identifying the card is legitimate and not reported lost/stolen if you provide confirmation of a deposit...

[KeeFy]

And how do they skim $$ from a stolen credit card if YOU are processing the card via your merchant facility? You will be receiving the funds, and unless you do the wedding based on payment via the stolen card or provide them with some other goods/services, then they have achieved nothing other than perhaps identifying the card is legitimate and not reported lost/stolen if you provide confirmation of a deposit...

They ask you for a favour to help "pay" another "company" as that company does not accept credit cards and possibly you getting a small token for doing so.

[aweiss]

I also just got one of these scam emails ... a little bit different take. They just want to book a wedding in Melbourne and ask for availability. As a second email I got a message that they have some trouble paying the deposit. And in a third email a lot more details about the wedding.

Looks like they got a little bit more clever. Let's see where it ends up. (I am still in contact with the guy ... ).

As mentioned before they usually pay you with a stolen credit card. In most cases they overpay you ... and want that you transfer the money to a different wedding supplier. At some stage the transaction will be reversed (as the CC was stolen) and in case you paid the other company you would be out of pocket. Clever system ...