Lethbridge Portrait & Wedding Photography & Design by Tanya Plonka

I was recently contacted by a bride out of the country who would be getting married in Alberta next month, and was quite desperate to book a photographer. She said her company had her traveling and that she could not be in Canada until only a week before the wedding. She described details of the wedding, details of her life, listed what photography products she wanted, asked for a quote, and it all sounded very legitimate… until one request that set off an alarm for me.

She asked if I could help them book their band. She would send extra money, and I would be responsible for the band’s arrangements. This had the makings of a 419 scam, but I gave this couple the benefit of the doubt; this was a straight-forward request, and when you are desperately trying to arrange a wedding from the other side of the world, you would want this type of help. I politely refused this request, suggesting they make arrangements with their venue as that is where the band would be playing. Furthermore, since I live 6 hours from where the wedding was taking place, I wasn’t in a much better spot to book the band than she was!

The next email that came around asked about what forms of payment I accept, and she asked if I accepted cashier’s cheques. Again, more alarms go off. Cashier’s cheques from other countries can take as long as 6 months to clear, and in that time they can make off with your money. I was also asked again to please take care of the band, as it would allow them to better “trust me.” Again, I politely refused and answered all of her other questions.

I am surprised they did not stop there; they agreed to book at that point, and I emailed a contract. I think that having a legal document scared them off, as I never heard from them again.

Occasionally this also happens; a prospective client will confirm they are booking, and then vanish out of your life and book someone else. In this case, however, I needed to be sure. I sent several follow up emails, all with no response, and finally contacted the venue in Edmonton they claimed to have booked. This venue confirmed this couple was not booked, nor had they ever contacted them.

We all laugh at some of the 419 scams we see because they are so painfully obvious: someone you’ve never met has left all of their inheritance to you; you can get a free car, but you just need to front a few thousand dollars for taxes. Unfortunately these criminals are finding smarter ways to target businesses and individuals by making money requests within the limits of what these businesses would normally offer. Especially now, with so many people concerned about the economy, we are leery about saying no to a potential client; we bend over backwards to make the sale.

It’s easy for a photographer to turn down an offer to forward money to another vendor, but what about wedding planners, who have to deal with other vendors so much? Be cautious of any requests you receive. Confirm these people are real before you make any financial transactions on their part. This is unfortunate for couples who are legitimately planning weddings from other countries… who can you trust?

I found a great thread on this topic; this scam is just variations on a theme, and it’s good for you to know what these emails sound like. Other sites offer very similar emails (all similar to the ones I received).

In retrospect, I wish I had been less trusting so that I could have scam-baited this person!