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Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Does the Nigerian Prince Need Piano Lessons?

The other day I mentioned on Twitter that having been a piano teacher, I get the occasional spam email fishing for some personal info. Thought I'd share the latest one--this one's pretty typical. Perhaps I should start teaching private grammar lessons instead ;)

-Josh


Hello,

I'm Mr Kelly Freeman during my search for a music instrument lessons teacher that would always take my Daughter (Lara) and I found your advert.Your advert looks great and it is very okay to me since you specialize in the area I am seeking for her. My daughter will be coming to the United States of America before the ending of May for 2 Months. She is just 14yr Old and also a beginner,I want you to help me teach her music Lessons during her stay in the United States of America because i will not want her to less busy, i want her to engage in something to keep her busy during her stay.

So, kindly let me know your charges cost per week in order for me to arrange for the payment before she travels down to your country.I would also like to know if there is any Text Book you will recommend for her as a beginner so that she will be reading privately at home after the lesson during her stay.

Please Advise back on;

(1) Your charges per 1 hour twice a week for 2 Months?

(2) The Day and time you will be available to teach her During the week?

(3) Tuition address?

I will be looking forward to read from you soonest.

Best Regards,

MR KELLY FREEMAN


--Yeah, I'll get right on that!

5 comments:

  1. Awww but think of the trouble that this poor girl could find herself in on the mean streets of the United States of America!! How can you make this father suffer with worry about his daughters free time in the United States of America?? My goodness what has "your country" come to, thinking that every scam artist can't truly want to less busy their children with "music instrument lessons"? Gosh!
    :) lmao!
    Sissy

    ReplyDelete
  2. We also received the same Email, though the "Mr." Kelly isn't in ours (so we can't tell if the writer would be male or female). It was addressed to "undisclosed recipients," so that's a red flag, and the Email has a lot of vague things about my husband being just the person (s)he's been looking for. We're not usually suspicious or distrustful, but for various reasons, the Emails just don't smell right (if you know what I mean), and this kind of thing can be very dangerous. If you teach from your home studio, the individual would try to get (or has already found out) your home address and phone number, and if you give an appointment, you've no idea who will actually be at your place when you answer the bell expecting a lovely young girl. Also, the person sending the Email says (s)he wants to send payment in advance for two lessons a week for two months, so of course (s)he will want your bank account information as well in order to do a bank transfer. All this is just the ticket for identity theft. If the scam artist wants to keep his 14-year-old daughter busy with music lessons, as Sissy wrote, assuming there actually is a 14-year-old daughter, let him / her send the girl to a music school, of which there are plenty in New York.

    ReplyDelete
  3. P.S. I've found out more about this: See http://www.safefromscams.co.uk/MusicLessonScam.html
    and
    http://suzukiassociation.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1838.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Got one myself today which was almost word-for-word the same.

    I advertised as a guitar teacher on a website about two years ago. Since then the only emails I've gotten regarding lessons have been scammers.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ooh!! Got a new one today! Here we go...

    Teacher needed!!!!!!!!!!!

    Good day to you over there,i am Ried Steve,I need a private tutors for my Daughter (Grace),i got your advert while surfing through the internet and i really want my daughter to be taught by you.Grace is 15 year old and easily catch up.Although,i understand you are in your area, but I've arranged with my cousin sister living there,that my daughter is coming to stay with her for the period of tutoring and she had agreed with me,I want you to get back to me with following details...
    1)your present residence address and telephone number
    2)total cost of tutoring for 2 months(1 hours per day thrice in week)
    3)your years of teaching experience.
    4)Name that is going to be on the check
    NOTE......payment is Us certified cashier check........I can be reach on this number...(+44 7035906698)
    Wait to read for your mail.

    riedsteve@yahoo.com

    Steve

    ReplyDelete