The Scammers Will Try Anything!

[Dan Schultz]

Two weeks ago I received an email asking if my band would provide music for a wedding reception and asked for a price. The emailer gave me a date of January 5 from 12:30 to 4:30pm and the name of a local rental hall.

After discussing the possible gig with my group I responded with a somewhat inflated price to start the negotiation. The party responded again saying the price was OK and asked if I would take a credit card payment to reserve the date. I responded saying that we do not take credit cards and they should have their wedding planner call me and put a check for half the amount in the mail. That's the last I heard from the emailer.

I called the venue yesterday and was told the venue IS NOT reserved for that date and time.

Looking back through the emails I see that all three of the emails are time-stamped within ten or so minutes of 1:15am (GMT -6:00).

That sort of explains the somewhat broken English in the emails. Had I not declined taking credit cards... I suspect the next step would be for the email to want to make a 'direct transfer' to my account.

[Three Valves]

Are the Chinese scammers clever enough to use Eastern European broken English to book the Polka Band??

[MaryAnn]

I have a similar but different story, this time I'd say with a sociopath. I have a Getzen Capri cornet all original in excellent condition on the local Craigslist for what I consider to be a very reasonable price. Some person claiming to be a high school kid (ha) offered me 1/3 of the asking price. I said no. Then started a serious of "emotional appeal" emails that ended up, after I finally said "STOP WHINING AND GROW UP" with yet another email, this one insulting about how a pro like me would have so little sympathy and treat the up and coming generation so badly. The reason why I say sociopath is because of the repeated emotional appeals, which they know work on most "regular" people. I am not most people and finally labeled his ridiculous blather as spam so I don't have to keep deleting it. I should have stopped sooner than I did but it took me longer than it should have that I was dealing with a sociopath.

[TheTuba]

I have a similar but different story, this time I'd say with a sociopath. I have a Getzen Capri cornet all original in excellent condition on the local Craigslist for what I consider to be a very reasonable price. Some person claiming to be a high school kid (ha) offered me 1/3 of the asking price. I said no. Then started a serious of "emotional appeal" emails that ended up, after I finally said "STOP WHINING AND GROW UP" with yet another email, this one insulting about how a pro like me would have so little sympathy and treat the up and coming generation so badly. The reason why I say sociopath is because of the repeated emotional appeals, which they know work on most "regular" people. I am not most people and finally labeled his ridiculous blather as spam so I don't have to keep deleting it. I should have stopped sooner than I did but it took me longer than it should have that I was dealing with a sociopath.

mabye he just really wanted your cornet

[tofu]

I have a similar but different story, this time I'd say with a sociopath. I have a Getzen Capri cornet all original in excellent condition on the local Craigslist for what I consider to be a very reasonable price. Some person claiming to be a high school kid (ha) offered me 1/3 of the asking price. I said no. Then started a serious of "emotional appeal" emails that ended up, after I finally said "STOP WHINING AND GROW UP" with yet another email, this one insulting about how a pro like me would have so little sympathy and treat the up and coming generation so badly. The reason why I say sociopath is because of the repeated emotional appeals, which they know work on most "regular" people. I am not most people and finally labeled his ridiculous blather as spam so I don't have to keep deleting it. I should have stopped sooner than I did but it took me longer than it should have that I was dealing with a sociopath.

Oh man - the insane persistent emotional pleas - went thru that a year ago selling an expensive house we inherited located in a wealthy community. I can't tell you how many hand written appeal letters (some going on for 3-5 pages) we got with offers to buy at a tenth of the value or less - everything from I'm a low payed school teacher who dreams to own this house and it would be so close to the school I "want" to teach disabled children at. This happened to be in a well paying school district with an average pay of a $125,000 (and the deceased homeowner we inherited from had been a school teacher in the district) and why we should sell to them even if they even were a teacher at an absurd price was beyond me. Life woes, disabled children, missing limbs, I'm a first responder / disabled veteran / nurse who can't afford to live in the community I risk my life for were all recurring themes in many of these appeals. One letter even stated it would help an unemployed / homeless family out and they would pay us when they got back on their feet. We must have fielded at least 20 of these offers among the legitimate ones. I assumed it was a tactic that is taught in one of the many buy houses for peanuts late night television pitched real estate classes. Some of the follow up letters would get nasty with lines like - you must not be a Christian to turn your back on the needy when you have plenty. Yikes!

[Three Valves]

WOW!! This is why I sold my car to a dealer and my first tuba through Baltimore Brass!!

[MaryAnn]

I have a similar but different story, this time I'd say with a sociopath. I have a Getzen Capri cornet all original in excellent condition on the local Craigslist for what I consider to be a very reasonable price. Some person claiming to be a high school kid (ha) offered me 1/3 of the asking price. I said no. Then started a serious of "emotional appeal" emails that ended up, after I finally said "STOP WHINING AND GROW UP" with yet another email, this one insulting about how a pro like me would have so little sympathy and treat the up and coming generation so badly. The reason why I say sociopath is because of the repeated emotional appeals, which they know work on most "regular" people. I am not most people and finally labeled his ridiculous blather as spam so I don't have to keep deleting it. I should have stopped sooner than I did but it took me longer than it should have that I was dealing with a sociopath.

mabye he just really wanted your cornet

I don't think so, because he made no effort to play test it. His entire focus was getting me to lower the price to 1/3 of what I was asking. Fascinating how some people use their energy.

[MaryAnn]

And a new one: I have my trailer on Craigslist (I know, but I've had a couple of actually real inquiries as opposed to what happened with RV trader, and CL is free.) The latest is a person wrote and asked me to send my phone number. I said no. Then they wrote and asked me to call them at an 888 number which of course would give them my phone number. And I said no. Then they went away. I suppose I managed to not get my phone number sold to umpteen spammers. I already get enough calls that I don't answer and which don't leave a message.

[MaryAnn]

BTW, sold for asking price on Craigslist in short order. I had to pay actual money to put it on RV trader, and nixaruba for that ever again. Fewer spammers from Craigslist.