Plan a wedding for couple overseas...?

I received this email a few hours ago and replied like I would to any client and tried to be as normal as possible, but its not every day that you're asked to plan a wedding in under 2 months for people overseas who dont know when or where they want to get married..... i can understand wanting to be vague in an email sent through my website, but normally people have a date, location, SOMETHING! and then i saw the phone number and address and tried to look it up.... there are about 50 different businesses at the address and from what i've seen on here, that phone number is as fake as it gets...


Senders email: [email protected]

Hello,
My Name is Charles Anderson, I am looking for an experienced wedding planner who will handle my wedding and arrange dinner for a group of people who will be attending the wedding ceremony.we would be arriving seven days before the wedding day.
The wedding is expected to hold in the month of june, 2011, guests are expected to attend. As i do not know what the guests might choose for their meals and drinks.You are to arrange for a Videography,Music Entertainment,Photography,Officiant/Priest & Church,cake,flowers and hall.If there is any these items that is beyond your capability,you let us know so that another company can handle it. Get back to me with your response as we don't have much time with us so that we can process our accommodation within the region more convenient for you and us....
Payment Option Credit card.Hope you have a credit Machine.

Best Regards,
Charles Anderson
37b New Cavendish Street , London, W1G 8JR
Mobile: +4470457 68711
Office: +4470457 68738

Hi weddingplanner

This is a scam, the phone numbers tell me that straight away. 4470 numbers are British redirect numbers that scammers love to use. Your call is re-directed to where ever the scammers are, usually in West Africa, but this seems to be more an Amsterdam type with the language.

What will happen, the credit card is stolen/fake, they will pay for 150 guests, then about a week or so before the *wedding* date, will email you to say that 100 of them can't attend, could you please refund the money urgently as it is needed to get the other 50 people there.

You will refund the money, the credit card company will find out eventually the card details have been stolen or fake, and you will have no recourse to getting it back.

The address is also fake, as you noticed.

I'd just email back and decline the job.

Thank you for posting and bringing to our attention.

(UPDATE) He replied to my email. Again... Let me point out that he didnt mention What area he wanted to get married in or what his fiance's name is.. but so nice of him to let me pick out his flowers..
Thanks,
I'm really very glad to hear from you,
It is the wish of my fiancee to get married in your area and I have to give in to her wish and due to the fact I do not have any one there, you will be responsible for all arrangements. I will be arriving with my Fiancee 7 days before the wedding and I need you to also make arrangement for our accommodation. I will need you to book 2 double rooms for us for 7 nights and one honeymoon suite for the night of the wedding 18th of June 2011.
We have a budget of about $52,000 USD which includes payment for your fees, all the other vendors you will be working with and that of our logistic agent aside us, I am also expecting 30 to 40 other guest from UK, USA, Asia. My fiancee decided that the color for the wedding should be white and gold. For flowers, pink and red roses should be fine. She loves red roses and we'll want lots of them at the wedding. Please feel free to introduce any nice flower of your choice to make the venue more beautiful. For music, a DJ will be fine. For food, a buffet will be perfect. If there be any more information needed from me, do let me know. The wedding is a civil wedding... I need you to get back to me with a total estimate that will cover this arrangement so that I can make a deposit payment to enable you start arrangements as time is not on our side.

Get back to me as soon as you have the estimate so that we can start of all preparation for my wedding.

I await your response.
Charles/Benita Anderson
Mobile: +4470457 68711
Office: +4470457 68738

Before you get any deeper involved, my original suggestion still stands, Email back with a "sorry, am unable to schedule this" reply.

From what he has written

I need you to get back to me with a total estimate that will cover this arrangement so that I can make a deposit payment to enable you start arrangements as time is not on our side.

he will send a percentage to you, from this he will ask that you pay the other suppliers (flowers/caterers/dj etc) after which he will send the rest of the money required.

All he is after is the amount you send to the others, which he will provide details for.

The other option for him, is to still cancel arrangements/number of people attending and ask for a refund while still saying he is going ahead.

Are you able to post the full header of his email? Please read here http://www.spamcop.net/fom-serve/cache/19.html Find your email provider and follow the steps, then copy/paste the full header into here. We will be able to tell you where he is actually based.

Also, googling this sentence "My Name is Charles Anderson, I am looking for an experienced wedding planner who will handle my wedding and arrange dinner for a group of people who will be attending the wedding ceremony.we would be arriving seven days before the wedding day." gives these hits

http://www.websitecop.co.uk/latest.html scroll down a little way

http://www.topix.com/forum/source/wavy/ ... 3D1J5QG/p2

http://perfectmemoriesevents.blogspot.c ... alert.html

http://vrccreative.blogspot.com/2008/05 ... i-and.html

This is a standard scam script, in all likelihood, sent out in hundreds to every wedding planner he can find.

edit: I found this in the bottom link,

However when i send my credit card details, and i will expect you to run charges on it for the sum of $8,000. When you do that you can go ahead take your own deposit (retainer). Then i have arranged with an agent that will provide the Limo that we will be using, i have told him about you and i hope you will be able to work with him on this, you are meant to send him the amount of $6,000 to arrange for that too.

So inorder words, when you receive our credit cards, charge $8,000 from it, hold $2,000 which you are expected to take your deposit,then send $6,000 to the agent which his information will be sent to you once you have confirmed payment. I hope this is clear, i will expect you reply so that i will be able to sign your document immediatley.

I will need your

FULL NAME:
FULL CONTACT ADDRESS:
PHONE NUMBER:

This will be for record purposes and also as a clear indication that all i have said is understood and instructions will be handled with utmost care.

I will expect to hear from you.

I would say this is going to be the same script your scammer is going to use.

Hopefully this will raise awareness/give confirmation of scam to those who may have also received this e-mail recently (October 2011)...

Here is what I received- different name, same story:

Hello, My Name is Dr Karl Wallman, I am looking for an experienced wedding planner who will handle my wedding and arrange dinner for a group of people who will be attending the wedding ceremony.Seven will arrive few days before the wedding day. The wedding is expected to hold on the 20th January,2012 and 35 to 50 guests are expected to attend. As i do not know what the guests might choose for their meals and drinks, I will to make a prepayment as initial deposit for this booking via credit card once availability is confirmed by you. All checks and balances will be made with you on 17th January 2012 which is the final day of the booking, You are to arrange for a Videography,Music Entertainment,Photography,Officiant/Priest & Church,cake,flowers and hall.If there is any these items that is beyond your capability,you let us know so that another company can handle it. Get back to me with your response as we don't have much time with us so that we can process our accommodation within the region more convenient for you and us. Best Regards, Karl Wallman +4470457 72872

~~~I replied, like the other wedding planner, in the most professional manner possible- while still remaining weary of someone who lives in Europe wanting to have a wedding in GA, USA. Why would you want a wedding in GA when you live in EUROPE???! Makes no sense to me despite my love for GA.

SO- my reply is as follows, and listed after that was the scammer's response:

Hello Dr. Wallman,

I will go further into the details of this event with you, once I am fully aware of what you are seeking. Just to clarify- you are currently living overseas- and looking for someone to plan a wedding for you in the states? I am sorry if this sounds rude, but I see you have an overseas tele, and normally an overseas tele screams "scam."

I look forward to your reply.
Sincerely,
Amanda
I edited your business name so you don't get a bunch of copy cat contacts. ~Bubbles

REPLY:

Hello Amanda,

Thanks very much for your swift responds to inquiry which i sent to you about our up coming wedding on 20th January 2012, I am very happy that you will be our wedding planner on the day that me and Raylynn Hughes the love of my life will finally tie the Knot as Man and Wife.

Kindly find some information about my wedding below.

It has always being my fiancee dreams to get married in Georgia and that is one of the reasons why we contacted you.

I will prefer the wedding and reception to take place in one venue.

Time of the wedding Afternoon

Color/theme? Pink

35 to 50 Guest will be attending

My guests age range is 45 years

I will like you to assist me in making arrangements for accommodation for 10 of my Guest.

The Budget for the wedding is $ 80,000 USD

We want a catholic wedding .

Kindly advise the next step

Warm Regards

Karl Wallman.


Hopefully this will help other coordinators/designers/etc, to NOT get their hopes up!

Hello everyone! i am a wedding planner from Greece and i received this email from [email protected] too! Thank you for having shared your previous experience cause now i know he is a fraud! he s been sending the same email since 2011...this is unbelievable! Thanks again for sharing your experience with this guy!

On 6 Nov 2015 18:49, "Charles Anderson" <[email protected]> wrote:

Hello,

My Name is Charles Anderson,an oil rig worker seeking an experienced wedding planner who will handle my wedding and after wedding party dinner

* The wedding is expected to hold second week of June 2016, precisely 10th June, being my fiancée birthday

* Am expecting a maximum of 40 guest from United kingdom, Europe,america and very few from Asia

* You are expected to arrange for Videography,Music Entertainment,Photography, Church(Officiant), cake, flowers and hall


Please get back to me soonest if this is within your capacity


Best Regards,
Charles Anderson
Head of safety department,
DG Oil and Gas
Southburn, Driffield
East Yorkshire, YO25 9ED
United Kingdom