I received an email, apparently about a month ago. The other day I noticed it in my Spam folder, and responded to it. It didn’t trigger any alarm bells at first, partly because it was so well targeted, the scammer asked for the exact services that I am literally preparing my portfolio to formally offer at this moment. These scams aren’t usually quite so Nail on the Head. However I should have noticed the little typos, and also questioned the fact that I had been contacted nearly a month earlier, but after responding, he proposed a job with a deadline at the end of this month. What exactly would his plan be if I hadn’t responded, because a month is already pushing it.
When the pictures of his “daughter and her dog” were about 30x30 pixels, I did a reverse image search just hoping to find a blog or something, and instead I found a lot more of his daughter’s photos with her dog, on various stock photo websites. Huh. And then Mr. Double First Name asked if a Cashier’s Check would be alright. I’m fully aware Cashier’s Check scams have been around about as long as Cashier’s Checks have been around, so I just started toying with him (after remembering 3 minutes later). He will never get one digit of my information.
I am posting the email exchange so people can be aware, and possibly get some suggestions on how best to fuck, or fuck with this asshole.
I figure as long as I string him along, that may be one less desperate kid or Grandma he scams. Thank you for attending my TED Talk. Emails are below. And if anyone also has a better community to post this to, I will.
The child is just a stock photo model. https://depositphotos.com/model/254557660.html?offset=300 , https://depositphotos.com/model/254557660.html?offset=100 He’s not having anyone pose, he just took a few thumbnail images and sent them. What’s funny though, is he could have taken a bunch of these and given me the different angles and shots I asked for, and a lot of them look more natural and candid. But he’s not even that smart.