03/21/2022
This past December Prairie Souls Photography was involved in a fraud situation that we want to share so that no one else gets taken advantage of. Luckily we caught on before money was exchanged.
The email we received was asking to book us for an 80th birthday party in January. In subsequent emails an event address was provided, and detailed plans for what was being requested. When asked how they heard about us, only a first name was provided saying their friend had seen photos we’ve done. The person wanted to pay in full so we were confirmed and there would be no disappointment on the day. I provided my address as they wanted to send a Cheque.
A few days later I received a UPS delivery of registered mail from an address in Ontario with an unfamiliar name. Inside was a Cheque for a large amount from a company in BC. I had no idea what it was for, and it had my name on the Cheque. I searched the company that was noted on the Cheque and called them. They said it was a fraudulent Cheque and they had reported to RCMP already. Interesting!
I then checked our emails and there was an email from the 80th birthday party client saying her son was paying for everything and she didn’t realize he paid for the event planner and photographer on same Cheque, so if I could cash the Cheque and etransfer the balance to the event planner which she’d give me the info for once Cheque was cashed. Of course at this point I linked the two and realized it was a scam.
I then got another email saying they were notified the Cheque was delivered to me and to let her know once I had gone to the bank. I contacted Winnipeg police to file a fraud report at this time and was advised to let the person know that authorities have been notified. That ended the communication from them.
This past week we received TWO more emails, very similar, one for another milestone birthday and one for a wedding. They seem so legitimate with many details, but knowing what we know, we have our spidey senses up. Both are fraudulent and have been reported. We wanted to share our experience in detail so that if your gut is telling you somethings not right, trust it! Thankfully we did!
A collaboration of two creative artists who take pride in capturing your special moments in life.
