The Parking Lot Wedding That Wasn't

-

Recently I had someone attempt to scam me in my capacity as a celebrant, and I just feel like sharing it.

On the side I enjoy officiating weddings for people from time to time. I have a website for Dijiwan Ceremonies (that name is another story) and over the past couple of years I've officiating a number of weddings. This all goes back deeper into my backstory, as I was for a time a missionary in Brazil and a minister in New Mexico, before moving to New Jersey and eventually transitioning into technology and project management.

Anyway, it's not unusual now for someone to hit me up for a wedding because they've heard of me from previous clients. I receive texts and emails occasionally requesting information about my availability and cost. So it didn't seem odd the other day when I received an email at my celebrant address requesting such information. They stated they wanted the wedding to take place in Carteret, where I live, so I quoted them a very low rate. I don't ask for much in return for my services generally, but when it's in my current hometown I can be even more reasonable. They agreed to the rate and we set a date. Then it got odd.

After a couple of emails requesting the address of the venue, they finally gave me 85 Orange Street in Newark, New Jersey. There are two problems with this address. One is that it isn't in Carteret, as we agreed, and the other is that the address is for a parking lot. Challenging them on both points, the individual responded that the Carteret venue fell through, and pushed back on the fact it's a parking lot by saying the location was a gift and they couldn't refuse.

This was all so weird, and I was kicking myself for not having set up an initial phone call. I had simply assumed this was a referral without asking, and I was feeling like a scam or something worse was coming. Did they plan to get me to the parking lot and rob me? That's a lot of work for very little payoff. 

Finally, they sent an email that shifted everything into clear focus. They informed me that the check had been sent for my services, but that the amount was wrong. Their "Guardian" (yes it was uppercase) had mistakenly sent me the amount for me and for the photographer, totaling $1450. This was fine, they assured me, as I could simply deposit the check and return them the difference. 

And there you have it, the scam. They'd pass me a bad check and I, gullible fool, would give them the difference before the check finished clearing the account. Then I'd be out the money and be in a difficult spot with my bank. 

Of course I immediately informed them that I wasn't falling for it, would not be proceeding, and then blocked them both from my phone and email. So much for that. 

It's disappointing that people are like this, living to rob others. I wonder how many have actually fallen for it, and guess it must be often enough to make it worth it to try. In any case, that's the tale of my most recent brush with a scammer. 

Popular posts from this blog

The Technology Trap: Capital, Labor and Power in the Age of Automation (Book Review)

-
Image
In his compelling book, " The Technology Trap: Capital, Labor, and Power in the Age of Automation ," Carl Benedikt Frey offers a sweeping examination of the historical and ongoing impact of mechanization and automation on society. Starting with the onset of the first Industrial Revolution, Frey deftly navigates through the evolution of technology up to the modern age of artificial intelligence, presenting a nuanced view of how technological innovations have reshaped labor markets and power dynamics. Frey categorizes technological innovations into two types: enabling technologies, like the typewriter, which enhance worker productivity without displacing the labor force, and replacing technologies, such as robotic machinery in factories, which eliminate certain job roles altogether. This distinction forms the backbone of Frey’s analysis, as he explores the varying implications of each type of technology on different segments of the workforce. The book traces a historical patter...
Read more

The Dual Faces of Technology: Enhancing and Replacing Jobs

-
Image
Automation has been on my mind a lot lately, more immediately due to a book I read , but also because of the looming reality of artificial intelligence. To understand what's involved, making the distinction between replacing technologies and enabling technologies is crucial. As we traverse the timeline of the 20th century, we observe how each type of technology has distinctly influenced employment. Automated technologies have transformed industries by replacing manual labor with machines. Consider the automated switchboards introduced in the early 20th century. Previously, telephone operators manually connected calls using physical connectors on a switchboard. With the advent of automated switchboards in the 1920s and 1930s, many of these jobs were eliminated as calls were routed through electromechanical systems. Similarly, in agriculture, the introduction of mechanical harvesters like the combine harvester in the 1930s drastically reduced the need for manual labor. These machine...
Read more

Streaming Services Pivot: From Growth to Retention and Beyond

-
In a recent episode of the Retention Zone podcast (embedded below), media industry veteran Titus Bicknell shed light on the changing priorities within the video streaming sector. Having worked alongside Bicknell at AMC Networks for nearly two years, I have always held a deep appreciation for his insights, which offer a window into an industry undergoing significant shifts from aggressive subscriber acquisition to nuanced strategies aimed at retaining valuable customers. The Evolution of Subscriber Priorities Bicknell, a pioneer of mobile video in the early 2000s, has witnessed first-hand the explosive growth of the streaming market, particularly between 2015 and 2020. However, the focus, he notes, has crucially shifted. It’s no longer about amassing subscribers indiscriminately. "It's not any sub is a good sub," he remarked during the podcast. This reflects a deeper understanding within the industry that not all subscribers are beneficial for the business's bottom li...
Read more