A reader just sent us a head’s up about an email scam Pilates instructors should watch out for. Here’s her story… 

I am sharing this with you because Pilates instructors are now becoming the target of a new email scam.  This similar kind of scam has made it’s way across the massage therapy community as well.  What happens is someone from a foreign country approaches you and says they are coming into town and want Pilates sessions.  They want to pay with a US cashier’s check.  They then say they will send you a check for a larger amount for you to deposit in your bank account.  You then take out the money for Pilates sessions then send the rest to the client.  It takes several weeks for these checks to clear.  By the time they do, your client is long go and you are out the dough.

The first email I got was innocent enough, just looking for Pilates sessions while this person was in town on business.  Below is the second one.

 

Hello,
               Gooday and thanks for your mail.Am very pleased to read from you,You sound like a very nice person am sure Mr. Roveto will love working with you, he will be needing 1hr Private Pilates Session,  I just sent him a copy of the message you sent me, he said he will like to know  if the Pilates session can be done for 60mins in the morning before 12:00Noon as most of his photo shoots are  for 6:30pm and 4:00pm.
 
Mr. Roveto will be making reservations in the hotel below next week and he will give you all the details you will need as soon as the reservation is done and also his flight details.

Super 8 Motel
7300 N. Sheridan Rd,
Chicago, IL
 
Pls let me know if this hotel is close to you and if  the Pilates session  will be at the hotel or your office
 
Mr. Roveto said  will like to know if he can pay you in US money order? He said his boss gave him 4850usd in US money orders before he went on vacation, been payments for the Pilates session he will be needing and the rest for the modeling Equipments he will be renting for his photo shoots. He said he would like to know if he can send the money orders to you before his Arrival so that when you receive the money orders you take it to your bank and have it cashed, deduct the money for your services and help him wire the rest to his Equipment rental manager so that they can deliver his photo shoot Equipments to his Hotel before his Arrival.
 
He said he would have sent the Money orders to the Equipments rental manager himself but the Equipment rental manager said it will take 3 weeks for the money orders to clear in their country in (Dublin) as they are American postal money orders and can only be cashed in America. And if he sends the money to the Equipment place in Dublin it will affect the time frame of his job, so he said i should ask you if he can make the money order in your name so that when you receive the money order you take it to your bank and deposit it, when the funds are available you deduct the cost for the Pilates session and you help him wire the rest to the Equipment rental company, let me know if he can trust you to do this for him?
 
He will be coming on 15th of November and you will start work  on him 16th  of November

Pls kindly send the following to his email address:
{ cutesergirov@yahoo.it } so that he can make out the Money orders to you. He said as soon as he receives your message he will send you his schedule and some of his pictures.

1)NAME ON CHECK…………………
2)ADDRESS,PLS NO P.OBOX ADDREESS…………….
3)DIRECT PHONE NUMBER…………………
4) TOTAL COST FOR PILATES SESSION+ GRATUITY.( 1hr Private Pilates Session 2days per week for 6weeks)
         
Pls do make sure you get back to him will the above information and also let him know if you can take care of the transactions on his behalf.
 
Thank you very much and do have a nice day..
 
Regards
Annalisa…