Photography Services Scam

From: Mary Flower <[email protected]>
To: Michelle Banks
Sent: Sun, December 20, 2009 7:47:02 AM
Subject: I need your service

Goodday,
My name is Mary, i am preparing for my wedding which will come up on the 8th of Jan 2010 at location(Ohio). by 10;00 am, As i was searching for the best photographer who will come and snapshot on the D-day. I saw your advert and i am really impressed about your performance. How much will you collect if you are to snap a shot for us in the church and reception. we want about 200 copies which will be 5 by 7 size, both in the church and reception which will take place at the same place.And there are up to 40 to 75 people invited.
Just give me the precise amount, i will be paying or amount you will collect for your service. mind you i will be paying by a cashier cheque in your name. i will be looking forward for your reply.
thanks.

The scammer will be paying for your services by an overvalued counterfeit cheque and ask you to send the excess amount onto a fictitious third party by Western Union or Moneygram.

Received the same e-mail with differant date see blow:

Goodday,
My name is Mary, i am preparing for my wedding which will come up on the 21st of March 2010 at location(Ohio). by 10;00 am, As i was searching for the best photographer who will come and snapshot on the D-day. I saw your advert and i am really impressed about your performance. How much will you collect if you are to snap a shot for us in the church and reception. we want about 200 copies which will be 5 by 7 size, both in the church and reception which will take place at the same place.And there are up to 40 to 75 people invited.
Just give me the precise amount, i will be paying or amount you will collect for your service. mind you i will be paying by a cashier cheque in your name. i will be looking forward for your reply.
thanks.

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When you send Mary the bride your pricing information she will pick a package and tell you that "Publisher" will send a check for your amount and that you will need to return the rest....at this point it spells SCAM, Mary will actually stay in contact with you weekly but will not return a contract or call you, Just that the "Publisher" will send the funds ASAP...... My Mary is currently on honymoon in Holland and will return before the wedding date.
I get weekly e-mails from Mary the bride and I wish her well.

KevinW

Hi Kevin, welcome to Scamwarners.

Thank you for providing this information, I just wanted to be sure about one of your comments;

I get weekly e-mails from Mary the bride and I wish her well.

The Mary in this case exists only in the mind of a scammer, please do not reply to any of the emails and eventually they will go away.

Please be on the look out for other scams arriving in your inbox, scammers can be quite persistent when they believe they have a chance of scamming you and generally, the best way to get rid of them is to completely ignore them.

I just wanted to update this thread and say that Mary is alive and well as of August 2011, and still trying this scam for photography services. Here's the message I received from "Mary"

Goodday,
My name is Mary, i am preparing for my wedding which will come up on the 3rd of Sept 2011 at location(Mount Vernon WA). by 10;00 am, As i was searching for the best photographer who will come and snapshot on the D-day. I saw your advert and i am really impressed about your performance. How much will you collect if you are to snap a shot for us in the church and reception. we want about 200 copies which will be 5 by 7 size, both in the church and reception which will take place at the same place.And there are up to 40 to 75 people invited.
Just give me the precise amount. i will be looking forward for your reply.
Thanks.

I thought it seemed very scam-like so glad to see it referenced here. Thanks!
-Aaron