Photography Text Scammers

I am already inundated with Photography Text Scammers,  tons of phone calls, emails and then now you are probably getting as well text scammers. Here’s how I combat them, and have a little laugh sometimes, but use caution, they’re getting nefarious. So use caution if deciding to play a prank on them or razz them up a little. Most of these text are harmless because the user who receives it knows that its a scam from the get go. I will explain later on how these can be harmful to your business.

Where do the scams originate from?

Most of the texts come from overseas, specifically from a google voice or other SMS service that allows them to obtain a number. Syria, Nigeria, and a few other locations as well as UK, Sweden, and latin america. Where there is a reduced cyber law enforcement teams. Africa, Middle east, and isolated areas in europe have the highest

How do the scams look?

They’re usually broken english, british english, European common spelled words and just requests that make no sense to the common person. To the starving artists, you might finding yourself excited. But ask your self, how did they get my info, and why did they not email or provide information that looks like a past client I booked. Here’s a few examples.

“Am Looking for a photographer that is under $3,000 or lesser. All the ones I have been looking into have been $5,500+. For both wedding and reunion” Reunion is a common scam word I see.

“I am ok with your total, I agree to pay, I am not allowed phone calls due to work, so can I pay your invoice online”

“Hello, I’m Linda Moore. How are you? I like to know your fees for my reunion” (Some reason they love reunions and I never get real inquiries as a photographer)

“I will pay you $2500.00 which is $1500.00 over your rate, please forward that to the planner who is involved, they will contact you shortly”

Scams from text are illegal, but prosecuting is impossible

This being the struggle, local law enforcement will not even do a report for you, even though they should, they won’t. You can force them, but still nothing will be done and no charges will be filed. That’s the problem, there’s more than $1,000,000 in scams every month but without linking, and subpoenas sent to google or whomever is offering the SMS services, nothing gets done.

What you can do when encountering Photography Text Scammers?

Nothing, I recommend doing nothing. Blocking the number is a good idea, replying will get you engaged with them. That sometimes leads to further trouble. No your phone won’t be hacked, and you wont be able to get malware installed on your phone. Engaging with them can lead to a laugh, a chat and finding how desperate they are. Sharing the phone numbers in a local communities such as groups can help provide others with which numbers are scamming. Subscribing to a caller ID system that allows you to report numbers will do the same, however they change numbers all the time.

Cloning – This one will confuse you but stay calm

We’ve seen this so much in the recent days where the scammers are using your own number to call you to get you to answer. It’s just to confuse you and give you a sense of hijacking or leverage against you. In the early days of voicemail, cloning worked to allow access to the phones voicemail. Now a days the phone companies have implemented security to prevent this from happening. If your number calls you, its a scam, just send it to voicemail. They’ll move on.

Nefarious actions

This is the worse of what they’ll do. Usually after engaging, trolling or being outright rude to them. The scammers are usually in poverty areas and will resort to dirty actions. One of those actions are to attack your business and require you to pay them to remove a review, bad blogger post, or even resorting to facebook to attack your page with recommendations. Once they leave a review, there’s generally nothing you can do immediately. You can file for the sites to remove it, which takes up to a few months. If you do want to have a little fun with them, use a google voice account, hide your information and ignore them. It will lead to them just moving on.

When you encounter a scammer just let them be, Say no thank you or just say no and block the number. They want money in the easiest way you can get it. I think that will make easier on you and them to just move on. If you do decide to have some fun with them, leave it in the comments below:)

Share some of your Photography Text Scammers replies here with me!

Yes, she said Sarah is going to a donkey show in Tijuana, the conversation just moved right along. 🙂
This is one way to determine if its a scammer, but again use words wisely!:) You never want a client to get the wrong impression.