Beware of this impatient, highly agreeable client. Can you say... scam?

A very common scam targeting items for sale on Craigslist, etc., has evolved. Watch how this unfolds. I immediately recognized this as a scam, but cautiously played along to allow the scheme to play out.

I received this text message on May 5th, from a phone number I did not recognize:
"I'm Tom, How are you ? I'll like to know your available date in June  for my family reunion (5 hours coverage). Also i want the family portraits done for the all the families coming together for the reunion. I want you to get back to me with your availability dates and do you accept credit card payment? I'll be looking forward to read from you with your full name."

The grammar is an immediate sign you're not dealing with someone that is being straight with you. My responses are in italics.

What date(s) is your reunion, and in what location?

This came back very quickly:

"Thank you for the swift response. I want you to check if you have available weekends between June 28th- July 11th. If you have a date open i want you to work on the estimate cost for the 5 hours photo coverage from 11am-4pm, and 6-16x20 prints family photo portraits because we have 6 families coming together for the reunion event. The event will be held locally here in the state about an hour or two drive from your location, i will cover the travel expenses. I got your information on the internet and i hope you can handle this event. I will like you to know that i am ready to make the full payment with my credit card so you will be able to make my booking confirmed also i will forward you the event venue once the event planner book the hall, so can you go ahead and give me the estimate now."

Sounds like a decent gig, but I have no details so far. I pull a figure out of the air and send this:

The fee for the coverage requested will be $1,850 plus travel expenses. Please provide your name, address, phone number, email address, date, and event location so I can send you a contract to approve, along with your credit card information. 

Another instant 3 replies:

"Okay my email address is tomm.xxyyzz@hotmail.com"

"Can you go ahead and email me right now."

"Okay.?"

Time for a bit of OCD treatment:

I'm sorry, my studio management software requires all the information I requested to generate your contract. I do not accept an assignment without a signed contract.

You guessed it, another instant response:

"I will like you to email me with the information you required"

Playing along, and becoming irritated, I resend the request for information via email. To this point, all responses have been in a rush mode, so I decided to slow things down and not respond for a couple hours. Besides, I'm supposed to be on vacation, and my wife is also irritated that I'm responding to these texts. Meanwhile, I get these:

"Hello are you there? Did you get my reply to your mail.?"

To get them to slow down, I reply with this:

Very busy with an assignment at the moment and cannot respond right now

The response is just an "Okay", and the conversation goes quiet for a moment, and switches to an email thread. Up to now, all appears to be reasonably normal. I know there's a scam angle, but it's not obvious yet. I have a prospective client that is a hurry to book, and wants to provide a credit card number for immediate payment. I get paid following processing the credit card, and unless they deny the charge, I'm not out anything.

When I finally get to emails, all becomes clear. Check this out:

"Re: Information required for your contract

Thank you for the estimate. I want you to know that i 

am in the ICU just recuperating from an ear surgery i 

undergo. The event planner handling the event does not

have the facility to receives credit card payment, i want

you to do me a little favor. I want you to add their 

charges to yours so you can have everything run on 

my credit card. The favor is that after you ran 

everything on my credit card and the total amount has

cleared to your account, you will sent their fees to them 

cos they accept cash only. Here is the final breakdown 

below :

Your service: $$$

Event planner: $1050

Tips & Gratuity : $100

3% CC Surcharge: $$$

In view of this i want you to get back to me with the 

grand total and i will provide you with my credit card 

details to run through ASAP.

Thanks, 

Tommy"

Okay, how this is supposed to work... Your "client" gives you a credit card number to charge your fee, plus the fees to pay the event planner, plus gratuities and the credit card fees. Rest assured that immediately after the credit card number is sent, your client will be insisting the Event Planner be paid immediately. If things work according to their plan, you will have received cash from the transaction and sent money to the Event planner before the original credit card transaction is voided and the money taken out of your account. Don't forget, you have also sent money to the "Event Planner", cash, that most certainly the one originating this scheme in the first place.

Note the warning signs. First, the bad grammar. There's an obvious lack of command of the English language. Next, all responses come back within minutes, and are insisting on you acting very quickly. Finally, notice the responses never reference anything specific. No specific date, time, location, or even a mention of the price you quote.

Now, my phone number could have been picked up from my website, or other online sources. However, when responding to prevent the sender from using my real email address for their fraudulent campaign, I used an email address that does not track back to either my personal or business accounts. After the request for the "favor" I replied:

I'm sorry. I do not process overpayments to pay other vendors. 

Needless to say, I haven't heard from them since.