PORTLAND, Ore. — DesignBand has been playing weddings and other events since the 1980s. They recently had something come up they've never encountered. Someone using the name "Matt" claimed to be a bridegroom and contacted Manny Keller, founder of DesignBand.
"Matt said, 'are you available — would love to book you for my wedding.' He sent a deposit check before I asked for it," Keller said.
The check was supposed to be for $1,500 but when the check arrived it was for over $3,800. The printed name on the check was for a school in California. Keller figured out what would happen next.
"Matt will want me to pay a videographer or photographer out of my pocket and then the check will bounce," he said.
Keller called the school on the check. They said they've been used in fraud schemes before over the last several months. Keller didn't fall for it and said there were a couple of red flags he noticed.
"The first one is...when he was eager to pay without a contract. Second, I looked up his address, I always want to get an address, and it was a $100,000 shack in Alabama somewhere," he said.
Keller has some advice for anyone approached in the way he was.
"As soon as they want money from you....don't send it," he said. "Do a little extra leg work on it."
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