There was a pet photographer who used to do yearly Christmas shoots at our local pet spa/shop. The first year we took our dogs she had to shut them in the office to keep them from wandering (two dachshunds). One of the shots she did was of them facing the door to get out. I had it framed and hung on the back of our front door. The dogs are gone but I always smile when I look at that picture
There should be a local photographers Facebook or Reddit group, and they might have luck if they post there looking for someone. St. Louis is big enough I’d be surprised if there really isn’t anyone available and willing.
How much are they willing to spend? My sister is a wedding photographer and travels fairly regularly out of state and she does what @Spiderman suggested - charges for a couple of nights at a hotel plus the cost to actually get there. So it wouldn’t be cheap but it could certainly be done.
That’s exactly what they are doing. My friend’s wife who is extremely competent is on this and will get it done one way or another. My friend is staying out of the way as he has been for the entire wedding planning.
They should also ask their current vendors if there’s someone they can recommend. Caterers, florists, etc. frequently work with photographers and should have some contacts.
Good luck to them, sounds like a mess.
Great suggestion
Just got an email saying my student loans had been flagged and to contact this person within a day.
Never had a student loan in my life, and my degree is dated 1986.
0 points - unoriginal and unresearched
In a similar vein, according to my inbox this morning not only will my nonexistent storage unit (mentioned above) be auctioned off, but my nonexistent photos deleted and my nonexistent documents shredded. I can’t claim to be the brightest bulb in the chandelier, but three separate-but-almost-identical threats in the same email feed might make even me a tad suspicious.
You can send off 10,000,000 emails to Sally Womack, claiming she has a parking ticket in her name and she has to sign into this web site and give her info to confirm her identity to get it dismissed. And while 9,999,999 of those emails just get deleted, one of them ends up with someone who is really named Sally Womack, and she falls for it and you have her identity.
Those returns on investment are worth it to scammers given that they are generally located in a jurisdiction that makes them immune to consequences, and it’s so cheap to send this shit en masse that they end up making a profit somehow.
Most likely cloud storage; I’m a pretty frequent target for scammers claiming that my iCloud account is about to be closed.
Aside from work-related stuff, which uses Microsoft OneDrive, the only cloud storage I use is on a local network drive.
I’ve seen a lot of claims about my crytpo account or account on some crypto exchange site making a massive transaction.
I’ve never and will almost surely never own a single bit of crypto.
Last week I received an email from my domain registrar telling me that my domain was expiring in 3 days, and I urgently need to renew for $12/year.
This week I received an email from my domain registrar telling me that the price of registration is going up from $16/year to $19/year.
Guess which one was a scam?
Possibly both from some perspectives, but unfortunately the first one was sending me to namecheapi-4872.twil.io, and the second to actual namecheap.com.
I would by default guess the first one, since it has language about it being urgent, which is a common scam tactic. Make the mark panic, make them move quickly, so they don’t have time to think or do any research or double-checking, and potentially to see through the BS.
Also, the first one is asking you to do something. The second one was just providing information. I don’t see how anyone would profit from telling you that your price of registration was going up, unless they also said that if you act now, you can reduce that price, or something else along those lines.
There seems to be some delay in receiving my 9.8 million dollars and brand new Mercedes car I won last Friday from Winners International. I chose the red car. Here are some of the text messages back and forth this week beginning on Monday and continuing through this afternoon.
C. J: B*udreaux: I’ve tried to call you a bunch of times today and you never answer. Maybe you will get this text. I sent Damien Echols to town this morning and he went all the way down to Naturita to go to the new Family Dollar store to get some Cokes, Mountain Dews, and Fanta for the crew. It’s amazing how much more work you can get out of people if you let them have all the cold drinks they want. He tried to get the $500 Money Pack Card but the girl said he couldn’t buy more than $25 without talking to the store manager fi8.t. The store manager said that he wouldn’t sell one for $500 unless he knew the source of the funds, the details of what it was for, who it was going to, etc. Of course Damien didn’t know any of this other than it was my money. The manager also said he couldn’t get around all that by buying a bunch of $25 cards. The manager’s name is Leonard Czolgosz and his number is (719)-2*7-1*78. Please call hlim. You could probably explain it better than I can.
Sandra Moore: I’m trying to call you and no answer.
C. J: B*udreaux: Everyone else seems to be getting through OK.
Sandra Moore: Do you have a FedEx clost by
Sandra Moore: I’m going to make you use FedEx
Sandra Moore: Do you have a FedEx clost by
Sandra Moore: I’m going to make you use FedEx
Sandra Moore: FedEx are Ups
Sandra Moore: FedEx are UpsI’m trying to call now
C. J: B*udreaux: FedEx are UPS?! No they’re not. Those are two different companies.
C. J: B*udreaux: Are you coming to the farm today like you promised? Don’t worry about the $500. I’ve got it right here in front of me.
Sandra Moore: I’m trying to call you
C. J: B*udreaux: I don’t think so.
Sandra Moore: call me
Sandra Moore: call me
Sandra Moore: call me
C. J: B*udreaux: I tried. Maybe you should call me. Are you coming to the farm today?
Sandra Moore: I’m hearing a lot of person talking about numbers in your back ground no is responding to me Oh far is FedEx from you
C. J: B*udreaux: Are you coming to the farm today?
Sandra Moore: Yes but you need the money pak I’m going to make you mail the $500 so the company can get the money pak for you
C. J: B*udreaux: Did you call Mr. Czolgosz at the Family Dollar store?
Sandra Moore: Yes no one answered I’m going to make you mail the $500 so the company can get the money pak for you
C. J: B*udreaux: Couldn’t you just pick up the $500 when you come to the farm and mail it when you go back through town on the way home?
C. J: B*udreaux: What time are you coming to the farm? I think the post office closes at 5.
Sandra Moore: You are the one of to mail it on have the receipt
Sandra Moore: FedEx is open
Sandra Moore: I’m going to give you the address so you could mail it
C. J: B*udreaux: Where are you right now?
Sandra Moore: Denver
C. J: B*udreaux: Denver is almost 8 hours away.
Sandra Moore: Can you go to ups on get a money order
C. J: B*udreaux: Why would you tell me you were coming to the farm today if you are still in Denver.. Sounds like pretty poor planning if you ask me.
Sandra Moore: [sent picture of 9.8 million dollar Bank of America cashier’s check payable to Charles J. B*udreaux]
C. J: B*udreaux: I don’t think the hardware store sells money orders.
Sandra Moore: No I was waiting on you to give me the go ahead when you get the money pak so I could leave out with your money You could mail it in cash
C. J: B*udreaux: Just mail the check. Send it registered mail. You will have to send it to my Aunt Josephine’s post office box because the post office won’t deliver mail to the farm ever since the bridge washed out. The address is: C.J. B*udreaux c/o Josephine Tuputamadre, P.O. Box 2*9, San Pendejo CO 81424. Be sure to include here name or the post office will send it back.
Sandra Moore: We cash your check already we have it in cash [sent picure of of several million dollars in straps of one hundred dollar notes] Member you told me you need it in cash
Sandra Moore: It of delivery to the form
C. J: B*udreaux: Damien Echols is going to the hardware store tomorrow to get some new bolt cutters. I swear, the damn Mormons working here can break anything. I wish we had more Mexicans. You can send UPS packages from the hardware store.
Sandra Moore: Turn off you phone and turn it on back
Sandra Moore: I’m hearing a lot of noise in the back ground no one saying hello
C. J: B*udreaux: My phone is on.
Sandra Moore: I’m saying hello
C. J: B*udreaux: if you’re going to pay in cash then I will have to file a Form 8300 with the IRS. I’ll need your name (Winner’s International, right?), address, and taxpayer ID number.
Sandra Moore: The company already covered the IRS for you the pay 95 percentage of you taxes for 5 percentage is left to pay on that’s $30,000.00
Sandra Moore: The company pay 95 percentage of you taxes for you already 5 percentage left to pay by you that’s $30,000.00
Sandra Moore: Give me a different number where I could reach you
Sandra Moore: Well there’s a lot of people talking when I call you I keep saying hello
C. J: B*udreaux: Yes, but I still have to file a Form 8300 for any transaction that includes more than $10,00 in cash. I file them all the time.
Sandra Moore: Your phone is a problem
Sandra Moore: I’m going to give you the address to send the $500 tomorrow
Sandra Moore: Use a different phone call me
Sandra Moore: Make me know when you are ready for the address to send the $500
Sandra Moore: Use a different phone call me
Sandra Moore: text me
Sandra Moore: text me
Sandra Moore: And use a different phone call me
Sandra Moore: Use a different phone call me
C. J: B*udreaux: I had my IT guy check out and test my phone. There’s nothing wrong with it. It works fine for everybody else.
Sandra Moore: What type of phone you got
Sandra Moore: download Whatsapp I will call you on it
Sandra Moore: download whatsapp on your phone I will call you on it
C. J: B*udreaux: My security guy wouldn’t like that.
Sandra Moore: Make me know when you are ready to mail the $500
C. J: B*udreaux: Damien is going to the hardware store in just a few minutes.
Sandra Moore: You want the address now to mail it
C. J: B*udreaux: Well? I’m waiting.
C. J: B*udreaux: Hurry up. We’ve got work to do today.
Sandra Moore: Address 36*** EW 1**0 Wewoka OK 74884
C. J: B*udreaux: OK
Sandra Moore: Name Brian R**pf
Sandra Moore: Make sure you get a tracking number when you send it.
Sandra Moore: Name Brian R**pf
C. J: B*udreaux: Is that the right address? It doesn’t look like a real address.
Sandra Moore: Yes that’s the right address
Sandra Moore: It’s correct
C. J: B*udreaux: OK. That’s done.
C. J: B*udreaux: Are you coming to the farm tomorrow?
C. J: B*udreaux: Answer your phone!
Sandra Moore: Send me the tracking number
Sandra Moore: I’m trying to call
Sandra Moore: I call you couple times
C. J: B*udreaux: Damien has got the receipt. I’m not sure where he is at right now but he is around here somewhere. Will call you later.
Sandra Moore: The call is not going through
Sandra Moore: text me the tracking number when you take the receipt fom him
C. J: B*udreaux: He usually doesn’t turn in receipts until Friday afternoon but I will get a copy of it if you need it.
Sandra Moore: Yes get the tracking number for mail it’s important the company need it
Sandra Moore: every time you all someone taking but no responded when I said hello that’s your security talking in the back ground
Sandra Moore: Can you please try to purchase a different cell phone
Sandra Moore: Call me on a different cell phone that will be better
C. J: B*udreaux: Are you coming to the farm today?
C. J: B*udreaux: When you get to the gate, ask for Mr. Hans Krebs. He’s my security guy.
Sandra Moore: Member the company of to get a copy of receipt so I could get the go ahead to come with your money
Sandra Moore: Send me the tracking number
C. J: B*udreaux: [sent a convincing counterfeit UPS receipt]
Sandra Moore: What’s the tracking number on it text it to me because it’s not coming up on the company system
Sandra Moore: Text the tracking number to me
C. J: B*udreaux: It’s on the receipt.
Sandra Moore: The mail doesn’t as yet
C. J: B*udreaux: What?
Sandra Moore: The mail you send doesn’t reach as yet
Sandra Moore: [sent same picture of UPS receipt that I sent her]
Sandra Moore: Can you see the tracking number on the receipt the last 4
C. J: B*udreaux: [sent picture of UPS receipt again] I’ve already given the receipt to Mr. Wilhelm Keitel, my accountant.
Sandra Moore: I am checking on it
Sandra Moore: Your not saying anything on the phone
Sandra Moore: Text me
C. J: B*udreaux: Are you coming to the farm tomorrow?
Sandra Moore: I of to wait on the mail to reach first
C. J: B*udreaux: I sent it overnight express. You have it already!
Sandra Moore: It doesn’t reach as yet I will check on it tomorrow with Ups
Sandra Moore: I’m waiting on the company there checking on the mail
Sandra Moore: I will make you know in the next 5 minutes
C. J: B*udreaux: Why do you hang up on me every time I call?
Sandra Moore: You are not saying anything I keep hearing different voices in your phone different person talking it seems like your security done something to your phone
Sandra Moore: I hear your security talking when you call
C. J: B*udreaux: Security does not do anything with the phone other than monitoring every call in and out of the farm. My IT guy does all the phone work.
Sandra Moore: waell I am hearing a lot of voices talking on there talking about numbers 223 on other different numbers
C. J: B*udreaux: Maybe you should ask your company for a new phone.
Sandra Moore: no mail
Sandra Moore: no mail
C. J: B*udreaux: Are you coming to the farm today? Get a new phone.
Sandra Moore: You didn’t send the mail
C. J: B*udreaux: Yes I did!
Sandra Moore: The mail you said you send I call the hardware to chck on that mail they said they don’t knkow nothing about it
Sandra Moore: The hardware numbe 979-8*4-7**2
C. J: B*udreaux: Did you call UPS?
Sandra Moore: They can’t track it because one of the last 4 numbers on the receipt the can’t identify what it is [sent a picture of UPS receipt but with a green mark near a nonstandard character in the tracking number]
C. J: B*udreaux: I hid the cash inside a seed catalog. Your guy in Oklahoma didn’t throw it away did he?
Sandra Moore: Look where I mark they can’t identify it
C. J: B*udreaux: Who can’t identify it?
Sandra Moore: The hardware store
C. J: B*udreaux: Did you try the main UPS number? Did you try their website?
C. J: B*udreaux: Do you like weed? I’m strictly a wholesaler and I can’t sell you any unless you have a retailer’s license. But you can spend some time in our testing lab when you get to the farm. I don’t smoke it myself but most of my guys say it’s pretty good.
Sandra Moore: They need the correct tracking number I just call ups
Sandra Moore: That tracking number on the receipt is incorrect
C. J: B*udreaux: Why would they do that?
Sandra Moore: Send the mail with a correct tracking number
C. J: B*udreaux: I already sent it.
Sandra Moore: Make your guy go back to the place
C. J: B*udreaux: Why?
Apparently I’ve won the same item that I’ve never heard of from Costco and Walmart within an hour of each other! Amazing!
Yesterday’s crop, received between 10:57 and 11:08 (in an email account I only check once a day):
- Re: thatXXX gutXXX trick (Dr. TullbXXrgXXXzQ)
- thatXXX blueXXXfruitXXX secret (Dr. AttiXXXXXG0)
- Re: thatXXXtomatoXXX trick (Dr. GuptXXXXXgk)
Yep, those are gonna have me reaching for my credit card. I know it’s cold, but I have trouble feeling sympathy for anyone taken in by this sort of bushwa.
ETA: And in the one I referred to earlier, I’m now at risk of losing all my photos and having “all my defenses” turned off.
My wife almost fell for the “Costco Meat Box” scam today. She saw it on FB, and even though I’ve told her never to click on anything on social media for purchases, she almost took the bait. Luckily she called me in to look at it first. It’s basically a phishing scam where they promise to send you a box of meats if you answer a questionnaire. Has the the Costco logo and everything.
Okay, if you like chatting about your past due library account…
I’d say three-quarters of our spam calls are from our area code. They spoof our area code, and often our exchange (y’know, those first three numbers, like WEntworth 6, in Chicago).
I wonder how many of these bank and card scammers are traced, caught and prosecuted?
I got scammed by a “skimmer” reading my digits at an ATM in SF. Three withdrawls, right after I’d gotten cash from that machine. After a few calls, the SF bank decided it was too much work to even look for the security footage and gave me back the money.
You mean C0STC0 if you look close enough.
I got some worrying scam calls last week.
When I filed my taxes, I made a mistake, and the IRS sent me a letter saying I owed more money. So far so good. The letter was really from the IRS, and on double checking my return I really did owe more money, which I paid through the regular channels.
However, I have recently been getting spam calls and texts from people saying that they can help with my IRS issues for a nominal fee, and I should send them money and gift cards to settle my tax issues.
I’m wondering how they got that information. In this administration, it wouldn’t surprise me if the IRS is selling the information to scammers.
They send those spam calls and text messages to everyone, hoping that some who get it actually do have IRS issues and might fall for the scam.