NOTE:  Scroll down for an update to this post and a list of names!  (Original post written on 2/23/2010 – updated on 6/13/2011)

You know the saying, “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned?”  Now that I have received this e-mail again and see that these leeches are still out there scamming, I’m quite ready for retribution.  I hope you will review this information carefully and share it with your fellow professionals.

I received this e-mail request for proposal today and immediately recognized it as a scam.  How did I know?  Well…, keep reading…

Please do not mistake me for a really smart person.  The reason I knew the e-mail I received today is a scam is that unfortunately, I fell for an eerily similar e-mail on June 9th, 2009:

“Mr. Woodgate” and I corresponded via e-mail from 6/9/2009 through 6/22/2009.  Our e-mails centered around the issue of payment more than any other topic.  I frequently expressed concern that his fiancé “Daisy” did not care which date in October we chose for the wedding, as well as the fact that he never inquired about specific locations in Atlanta.  From my very first response to him, I requested that we speak by phone and even offered to call him in “London”, but he was always conveniently unavailable.  He insisted that deposits be made via Credit Card, yet he refused to use PayPal.  At this point, I replied that we would need to speak prior to moving forward and despite my many polite attempts to follow up, I never heard from him again.

From doing a little research on this scam, I learned that they forward you credit card details to pay for initial deposits (to yourself and other vendors as well), then ask you to process payments to a specific vendor (of their choosing) or to a “logistics agent” that is unable to accept credit cards.  Initially, it seems that the credit card has been processed, and that money has been deposited to your account, but later, the credit card is identified as stolen and you are on the line for the money. 

It also seems that Mr. Woodgate has many aliases such as:  Engr or Mr. Randy Wrye, Dr. Gibson Whyte, Dr. Mike Ashley, Owen Fletcher, Paul Atkinson, Frank Anderson, David Walter, Leonard B. Frank, David Roy and the list goes on and on.

The scammers have expanded their operation to include requests for proposals to dance studios, restaurants, and even scamming women on dating sites.   There are over 200 entries on this site alone:  Topix – Wedding Scam.

A fellow planner shares her story and some great recommendations on her blog here:  Perfect Memories Events.

It seems that they are refining their game as they go.  They are targeting vendors that are new to the industry.  They are providing more and more details regarding the wedding, and in some cases are now even providing phone numbers (that someone seemingly legitimate answers) and mailing addresses.

I was very excited to help Mr. Woodgate and Daisy with their wedding.  I have a lot of home town pride and was thrilled that they wanted to be married in Atlanta.  Admittedly, there was that element of international intrigue.  I always have that feeling I call “new client crush” when I am approached by a potential client – it’s an honor to be a part of making someone’s dream come true.  I was excited to take their business to vendors that have been so kind to refer me over the years.  I fell for this hook, line and sinker, and would have proceeded if not for the red flags with the financial arrangements.

I hope this information helps you avoid wasting time or money on scammers.  Please feel free to pass this post along to others, and contact me if you have any questions at all.  Has this happened to anyone else?  Feel free to share your experience here.

UPDATE:  I received the e-mail below on 3/17/2010

I replied as follows:

Amazingly, I received a reply that “he” would call.  Simultaneous to speaking with me, the scammers were also corresponding with my sweet friend, Teras at T Evenire Atlanta Invitations & Event Planning, also in Atlanta.  The very next day, I received another request for proposal from him.  When I pointed out that we had corresponded, he replied that we had not.  I forwarded him our series of e-mails and that is the last I heard from him.  I entered an update today on the Topix.com Forum dedicated to the scammers.  I suggest that anyone receiving one of these scam e-mails comment below to add to the list of names below.  We will likely never see the scammers brought to justice, but we can work together and share info to keep our wedding and event planner friends from getting involved with them.

The Wedding Scammers:

Engr or Mr. Randy Wrye

Dr. Gibson Whyte

Dr. Mike Ashley

Owen Fletcher

Paul Atkinson

Frank Anderson

David Walter

Leonard B. Frank

David Roy

Peter Woodgate – woodgatepeter03@gmail.com

Kenneth Smith – m.smith231@yahoo.com

Floyd Hilbert – floydhilbert@gmail.com

UPDATE 6/13/2011:  Ransom Taylor & Kimberley Reeds – ransomtaylor1@gmail.com

Have you had a run in with The Wedding Scammers?  Tell us your experience here.