Dear Music Teacher:

If you have a studio policy or other information online about your teaching, associated with your email address, please be aware that there are a lot of con artists online, internationally, who target music teachers with emails. You probably have received or will receive an email something like this very typical one:

This is Jessica Lauren.I am from the United Kingdom,my son will be coming for an holiday in the United State,and i wont want him to be less busy,so i just want to know maybe you can always come and teach him great things on BRAZILIAN Lessons every afternoon.If this is possible,i will want you to get back to me with the cost of your teach ing for two weeks in November (1st-14th).Looking forward to read from you.

Please be apprised that this sort of thing is a scam. If you accept a check, you will find that the account has no funds or the check is stolen. The fraudster will request a refund, and hopes that you will send this before discovering the check is worthless. If you're naive enough to give them your bank information "to transfer funds," they will clean you out.

These are serious criminals, and occasionally they're caught and imprisoned. And the emails come, not just from Malaysia and, most especially, Nigeria, but I've heard about a college student in the US who was doing this, and was caught.

I have a Teacher Directory and an online Studio Policy, and I frequently receive these types of messages. Starting today, I am archiving these messages on this page, along with their IP numbers. If you received one of these emails and would like to add it to the page, or if you have a story to tell about this, please WRITE ME.

The IP numbers quite frequently tell a very different story than that which is written or implied in the email. Getting an IP number is very easy. Just configure your email client to show "Full Headers" and then get the "Originating" IP number from the header: it is a series of four numbers, with periods in between. Then you can copy and paste this number into ARIN WHOIS, and get the location and even an email address to report abuse, if you care to.

Another reader adds:
Hey Connie,
That's a good idea, giving more info (and some examples) in re fraudulent email aimed at teachers. Thanks for doing that, as it's obviously becoming a bigger problem all the time, and many folks just don't realize how nasty it can be.

One comment: to get IP data in Outlook and Outlook Express, right-click on the message in the Messages pane and choose "Options" from the pop-up menu. The actual originating address shows up on the first line, and you can tell pretty quickly whether it's likely to be spoofed or not.

I got a phishing email the other day that was so well done that even I wasn't sure (and I'm very savvy about these things). In that case, I check out the target for any internal link (right-click or hover) and see whether it points to an address that I would expect. In this case, the mail absolutely appeared to come from Chase Bank (one of my credit cards), but the link pointed to another organization. Grrrrr.

Nice site, by the way.

*****************

Let me add that one of my readers asked what they should do about this. At that time I did not know; now I do. TO REPORT FRAUD: contact the Internet Crime Complaint Center. The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C).

What I now do is to respond with the following remarks:

3.Tuition address aswell
Note: my son David is just a beginner. so plaese kindly teach him well. Hope to read from you back soonest...
Best Regards,
Mary.
+447011121619

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Got another one from a teacher. Wonder how many of these sorts of emails go out every day:

Date: Thu, March 1, 2007
From: albert_hoogen_allied008@yahoo.com

Hello, I am pleased to contact you, my name is Albert Hoogen from Belgium.I saw your Profile as a Music Teacher , hence, my purpose of contacting you. I just mail to confirm if my 14yrs old son (Paul) can join you in your tutor so that you can help me teach him how to play Violin,piano . I so much would love his dreams to come true as a very good player and I am ready to support him both morally and financially. I will want you to give me the price of the tutor for 3 months as I will want the tutor to hold 2 times in a week and last for 1 hour daily. Note that my son once had a tutor last October who lost his wife in a car accident and decided to stop teaching inorder to take proper care of his family. Additionally, I would like to know the location (address) where you normally tutor your students, so that I can have idea of where the lessons will be taking place as we are presently out of US,but arrangement have been concluded for Paul to come to US. Awaiting your swift response

Best Regards
Albert Hoogen

[Ed. note: Mr. "Hoogen" is apparently a busy man. See March 15th entry on Reader Feedback page.]

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Another Craigslist fraud:

Date: Thu, March 1, 2007

Greetings, I am Dr. Lawrence from the Ireland,my son will be coming for an holiday in the United State and i am contacting to confirm may be you will be available to take him for two weeks so that he can come around and teach him on how to learn great things on Violin Lesson everyday at your convinent time .If this is possible,i will want you to get back to me with the cost of your teaching for two weeks in March(16th-30th).He will be coming to your house for 1 hour each a day and i will like you to get back to me with your best time for the teaching hour and the cost of the lesson per hour. I have someone that will always drive him down to your house or any situable place of your choice where you think you can take him the lesson and His name is Danny, 13 years old.I will want you to calculate 1 hour per day from Monday-Friday for the whole 2 weeks and get back to me Asap so that payment arrangement can be discussed. Looking forward to read from you.

Best Regards

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Here's some more of this stuff, if you can follow it. Con artist at work:

From: The teacher
Re: Payment Details ...........
To: "Brandy Tune" brandytune02@yahoo.com
Hello Brandy. Let's do this another way. Here is my cell number (please do not share it). I will be available today around 2:00 pm Pacific time. If that is inconvenient, you can email a time when you will be calling. I'd like to chat about your son, his level of piano, expectations, etc. If we are in agreement, I feel it would be better for a certified check to be sent to me in the amount of $400, and one to be sent to your caregiver for $3600.

You are not the only out-of-country parent inquiring about lessons, and before embarking on an agreement, I desire a conversation with prospective students or their parents.

When your son arrives, have him call me so we can chat before he comes. I want to prepare to be able to help him at his potential.

Looking forward to hearing from you,
Date: Fri, 2 Mar 2007 21:02:58 -0800 (PST)
From: "Brandy Tune" brandytune02@yahoo.com

Thanks very much for the mail ,The time is okay with him. He will be coming with his necessary textbooks,i am from the United Kingdom I hope i will be able to trust you with my money, since this requires honesty and transparency have an associate of mine owing me the sum of $4,000 i will instruct him to write out the certified check to you,so when you recive it you will have to deduct $400 the cost of the lesson fee for two weeks and send the remaining funds to person who will be taking care of my son during his staying in the United State in April The remaining funds sent to him,will be for his feeding and other commisions So if this is understandable i will want you to get back to me with the following informations of where the check will be sent to

Name in full
Address in full
City
State
Zip code
Country
Conatct phone number

Looking forward to read from you

[Editorial note: why teacher would give "brandy" this information, is beyond me.]

Hi Brandy,
Thank you for your inquiry. Currently I am offering a 30 minute lesson each week at $80 per month, or $20 per ½ hour lesson. If you wish your son to have full one-hour lessons five times weekly for two weeks, then he would be taking time slots for ten students for those two weeks, for a total of 20 - 1/2 hr. lessons. This would add up to be20 X ($20/ per lesson), or $400 for two weeks.

I live in a SE Portland , Oregon suburb, called Milwaukie . I am 51 years old and have raised seven children. I have been involved in piano all my life. I taught piano students when I was a teenager and continued with my own children and other students. I’ve accompanied many choirs, musicals, and individual competitive vocalists. I also directed a children’s vocal performance group for five years. After returning to college a few years ago and completing my MBA, I recently decided to take on a limited number of piano students once again.

Because I have only recently decided to take on more students, if your son needs a full hour, five times weekly, it would be wise to let me know as soon as possible before adjoining time slots are filled.

If you are interested, I will email my phone number and schedule a good time for us to talk.

Thank you for your interest.



Brandy Tune wrote:
Greetings,

This is Brandy Tune.I am from the United Kingdom ,my son will be coming for an holiday in the United State,and i wont want him to be less busy,so i just want to know maybe you can always come and teach him great things on Piano Lessons every afternoon.If this is possible,i will want you to get back to me with the cost of your teaching for two weeks in April (1st-15th)..He will be coming to your house for 1 hour each afternoon,3pm-4pm.I have someone that will always drive him down to your house His name is Mattew ,he is 14 years old.I will want you to calculate 1 hour per day from Monday-Friday for the whole 2 weeks,and get back to me so that we can arrange on payment. Looking forward to read from you

Regards


[Here's yet another one, to the same teacher]

Date: Tue, 6 Mar 2007 01:50:42 -0800 (PST)
From: "Nicloe Shored"
Hello Teacher,
How are you doing today ,i can read your description and i am very impress and interested in your lesson you advert on www.craigslist.org ,my son is coming for an holiday pension in your area,he is 16 years old and he know a little about the lesson or private lesson, so i don't want him to be less busy in the time of the day and i have decide to let him atending your lesson ,so he will be coming 2 hours in a day(9 am to 11 am) or time that you will have chance,so i want you to calculate the cost for 1 week and send me the total cost and i will be paying you with US Cashier Check or money order that will be easy for you to cash in your country,so get back to me with your cost.I will like to hear from you soon via my altanative email address niicshored@yahoo.com

Best Regard
N .Shored



Date: Mon, 5 Mar 2007 15:09:54 -0800 (PST)
From: Teacher
Subject: Re: YOUR ARE OKAY FOR MY DAUGHTER.....................PIANO LESSON
To: "Samuel Badejo Delix" sam_badejo1@yahoo.com

I'm sorry Samuel. If those are the only terms, I am not interested. I hope your daughter enjoys her stay in Oregon. I'm sure that after she arrives, she will be able to find another piano teacher.

Best of luck to you,



Samuel Badejo Delix sam_badejo1@yahoo.com wrote:
Hello,
Thanks and very glad to read from you once more again.I want you to understand that the payment would be sent to you through FED-EX COURIER SERVICE and a P.O Box address can't be delivered..an address would be needed.

About the payment,i want you to understand that i tried contacting this person we've already made payment to at the first time and i am been told that is not possible to have it done in that form because he has already prepare the payment just for him to fill in the information and according to my daughter travelling agent also,there is no way he can receive a check and have it cashed because he is presently right now in Turkey.so understand that once you agree with my terms and when you have the check,you take it to your bank,have it deposited and once it clears then you proceed further.

kindly get back to me

Teacher wrote:

Hi Samuel,
Let's do this another way. Here is my cell number (please do not share it). . I will be available today around 2:00 pm Pacific time. If that is inconvenient, you can email a time when you will be calling. I'd like to chat about your daughter, her level of piano, expectations, etc. If we are in agreement, it is better for you to have two certified checks sent individually: One to me in the amount of $960, and another one to your daughter's agent. I’m sorry, but I prefer not to be the financial middle man. Another out-of-country client requested this as well and I gave her the same information.

After you and I have connected via phone, you may send payment for Joyce’s piano lessons to: [teacher sends name and address!!] . If you are not able to make this phone call, please let me know and we’ll discuss some things through email, and then when Joyce comes to Oregon , she can give me a call. I want to prepare to help her at her potential. I would like to have the name / email address / and phone number of Joyce’s caregiver as well, for communication w/ Joyce during this time.

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Samuel Badejo Delix sam_badejo1@yahoo.com wrote:
Good morning,
How are you doing today.I hope all is going on fine.I am glad to read from you again and it is nice to know that you okay to teach my daughter.

My daughter will be around in a couple of weeks after we've got concluded.I am located here in United Kingdom and all arrangments for my daughter to join you in the state has been made before.

She has not experienced much but she is a very fast learner and will not potray any difficulties while you coaching/ teaching her. I want her to receive lessons as stated earlier on.From my calculations,this would sum up to $960. I'ld pay you the amount of $1000 for any extra time you might find available to teaching her.

For payment arrangement now,i will be instructing this teacher we've already paid for before the wife died of breast cancer in the U.S to issue you a certified cashiers check that can be cleared at your bank because it's easier this way,so it can be cleared up immediately which takes 48HRS to clear the check but for a U.K cheque it would take more time for you to get the money.This saves us time and because i want you to receive your fees before my daughter's arrival so that she is occupied immediately she arrives and does not lose any day of lessons except you not capable or physical fit to teach her for that day and due to incomplete arrangements between us.

so,understand that i would be having this teacher we've already paid for sometimes last year november to issue/send you the payment of the sum of $4,880 and once you have received the check,you are to take your own money for the lesson of 2 months as i stated,then you would have to forward the remaining money to my daughter's agent that would be arranging my daughter arrival into the State and processing of all her travelling documents.

Please send kindly get back to me with the following info for the payment to be sent :

NAME AS TO APPEAR ON THE CHECK:
PHYSICAL MAILING ADDRESS :
PHONE NUMBERS [home,work and cell]
so that i can instruct for the payment to be mailed out to you through FED-EX COURIER SERVICE.

I awaits your soonest response and God bless you so much as you help my daughter because i so much love her dream to come through.
And if there is any other arrangement or anything needed then,this will be done after she has been in the state..Okay.

Kind regards,

Sam Badejo Delix.
Contact me on :
{+44} 07024072061}
{+44} 07024072461}
Samuel Badejo Delix sam_badejo1@yahoo.com wrote:
Greetings,

How are you doing and your family.I got your profile from the internet hence, my purpose of contacting you.

I just mail to confirm if my 14yrs old daughter can join you in your tutor so that you can help me teach her better. I so much would love her dreams to come true as one of the greatest in the world by God's grace and I am ready to support him morally and financially.

I will want you to give me the price of the tutor for 2 months as I will want the tutor to hold 3 times in a week and last for 1 hour daily. Note that my daughter once had a tutor in November last years who lost his wife in a breast cancer and decided to stop teaching inorder to take proper care of his family after we have already paid him for 6 months tutor.

Additionally, please give me your address, so that I can have idea of where the lessons will be taking place, as we are presently out of US, but arrangement have been concluded for my daughter Joyce to come to the state.

Awaiting your swift response
Best Regards
Samuel Badejo.

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