Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Tuner-Technicians Forum "Andrew Bishop" phony piano repair request.

I've seen the story before: Guy with hearing loss now giving his two Steinway pianos to nephews living in "my state" and wants a thorough going over before they receive them. I played along this time long enough to find out what the scam really is. It's the "pay the shipper with cash and I'll cover it with my credit card advance to you" scam. I think most of you know not to do that kind of thing, but anyway, here's his most recent email (and final one as I'm not wasting more time with him).

It will have to be shipped from New York, to your shop if you can do the servicing for me as I'm currently recuperating from an ear surgery so i am paying with my credit card and i would have the piano's shipped to your workshop for the servicing, let me have your info also i want a full service for it okay and i hope if i get it to you then you. Can estimate me the amount it will cost,
Okay fine i have already make arrangement with the shipping company who will deliver you the pianos and i will need a little favor from you cuz i haven't pay the shipper who will deliver the piano down to your shop and he doesn't accept credit cards. So do you accept credit cards in your company so I will give you my Credit Card to charge my card and put through for $3,500 so that you can keep $500 as deposit for the servicing pending your estimation ... and you will send the remaining $3,000 through western union to the shipping company that will ship the piano to your workshop.
The shipper tel number is 424) xxxxxxxx. Try to call the shipper and regards my name to them and make arrangement with them.

I got this email about a month ago.

I didn't get one like this. I feel slighted and a bit insulted.

David,
Send your email and I'll refer him. I can also put your name in for any Nigerian princess who dies without any heirs, as well.

Uh, ... that's alright, Kieth. I'm kinda over it now. I did some yogurt exercises and several hours of self hypothesis and the sting is gone. Those Nigerian Princess letters always tear me up something fierce, so even though I appreciate the gesture, I'll pass.

David, I'm in London and someone stole my wallet. Could you please wire me $2,000 US?

There is another similar one about an aunt or grandmother giving a " Prized" Steinway away to a nephew who does not play and the aunt is miffed for whatever reason wanting to give the piano away to you yet wants you to use her cousin Guido's shipping company.

You can always be suspect by the bad grammar or spelling. I always just reply with I have too many already how about I sell you two for double the price?

Darn! I mailed it to Paris by mistake. My eyes filled up with tears and I was so emotionally distraught at your plight that I wrote down the first foreign city that came to mind.

I did not send him anything, because he did not pay me back after he lost his wallet in Manila!

But, I found his wallet under the Eifel Tower just after I bought it. (The tower, not the wallet) It will go so well with my new bridge! (London, not Tower)

See if you can get it forwarded to Nigeria, David. I have a hot date with a princess there...

Barrister Vonboygan (or something to that effect) has the money and says that the laws in France won't let him release money sent to him by a foolish sentimental American unless I send an $800 processing fee.

Hey could you teach that Nigerian Princess how to use the English language, particularly subject/verb agreement, spelling and sentence structure?

Well, I was definitely going to school her on something...

OT:

David, I just looked at your site. Is Kathyk one of your customers?

I'll go PM for the answer.