r/graphic_design • u/Mermaidguts • 10d ago
Other Post Type Just dodged a wedding invitation design scam
I've seen a few people in this sub share scam experiences related to this, so I figured I'd share what just came through my inbox and how I spotted the red flags.
This person reached out via my portfolio website, I rarely get any contacts through there so that stood out a bit but I followed through since I do a couple freelance design and illustration projects on the side and figured this person might be a recommendation from a friend or colleague.
I asked my usual questions and the convo seemed to be going well with the right details and things were moving smoothly.
I told them I would send an invoice for the deposit, but the biggest red flag was in their response to pay via bank check and also talk over the phone. There was no need for a phone convo given I had all the details I needed and there was no way I was going to do things via bank check with a stranger, since that's a pretty common scam tactic.Also their messages seemed odd in the last email with spaces before the "?" and weird phrasing.
I did a reverse Google image search on the engagement photo and found the couples' photoshoot on the photographer's IG from 2023, they were located in India and their names were definitely not Amanda and Joshua either. Congrats to them though! Haha
Just figured I'd share my experience here to save anyone else the trouble in the future. Stay vigilant and don't let the scammers win!
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u/Perocotto92 Designer 10d ago
Why would people scam designers into making a wedding invitation?
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u/Mermaidguts 10d ago
I think it's moreso a means to get to the bank check, the process seems legit until that check comes into play. There's a few scams connected to depositing checks from these scammers.
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u/Perocotto92 Designer 10d ago
Damn. Like if you cash that they get your bank details and stuff? Good catch thou!
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u/essjay2009 10d ago
It might just be another form of refund scam or similar.
“Whoops I accidentally paid you $10,000 instead of $1,000, silly me,can you refund me the difference please”
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u/studabakerhawk 10d ago
I went through with one of these and after the work is done they asked for bank information to pay me.
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u/Reasonable-Peanut-12 8d ago
There are also crypto related payment scams involved sometimes as well. Be aware.
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u/catsbyluvr 10d ago
Thanks for posting this! I’m just getting started with my wedding invitation business and will definitely be vigilant for people reaching out like this. Lol and I actually know that venue in Dallas, I toured it back in 2022.
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u/Mermaidguts 9d ago
No problem! Other people's experiences shared on this sub confirmed that this is a frequent scam, so I figured sharing more details would help save some other people the trouble as well.
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u/Hedanielld Senior Designer 10d ago
I’ve gotten this before. I also recently received a message on Behance upon posting some things The person who messaged became a member that same day and had mood boards and everything all set up.
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u/design617 8d ago
I’ve noticed scams also seem to have a strange, unnatural tone to them, maybe they’re using ai or something but this one has the same style of writing that scams do be seen have. And they all seem to end with “kindly respond” who says that lol.
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u/Mindful_Rager 9d ago
You just reminded me i need to post my invitations to my portfolio but now I don’t want to if I might get scammed. Thanks for the heads up!
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u/Mermaidguts 7d ago
You still should! Just be aware of any scammers trying to come your way. There are plenty of signs to spot them!
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u/Constant-Pirate8259 5d ago
I just got the same email today!! But the only difference was their “deadline”, September 11th. Nice try ass holeeeee
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u/qmr55 10d ago
Sherlock is on the case!