I just got hired by Nordstrom!

STM

Senior Member
Man did this come straight out of the blue! I will be doing contract fashion work for Nordstrom'a online fashion blog. I got an email this morning from the fashion editor, Miriam Sternoff, who apparently saw my website, and sent me a message via the message page of my website and enquired if I would like to do contract work for their fashion blog. At first I was skeptical but I checked her out and she is legit, she is listed as the fashion blog editor for the site. They will work with an agency to send me one male and one female model per shoot, hire a make-up artist and fashion consultant. I have to coordinate all aspects of the shoot and let them know when and where I want to do it. I get $1000 up front before the shoot and $1500 when I deliver the images.
 

STM

Senior Member
Thanks all, I am pretty excited! I will get a check this week for $4900, with which I will pay the agency, MUA, and consultant and keep the $1000 for myself. When I deliver the images I get the last $1500.
 

Whiskeyman

Senior Member
Well done, Scott! Does this mean you'll be in Hogtown for a while? If so, I may look you up the next time I'm down there...

WM
 
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To be honest, this sounds like a scam. I've seen this in other businesses where a freelancer is contacted by someone ostensibly representing a well-known corporate client offering a dream job. I'd be willing to bet that your contact at "Nordstrom" used a Gmail address instead of a corporate address. That's a good tip-off that it's a scam.
You could wind up losing money, your checking account getting blocked, and your credit rating being damaged
Take a look at below. Scroll down to the comments; the Nordstrom scam is among the last comments.
https://fstoppers.com/business/how-spot-photography-scam-454382
Good luck!
 

STM

Senior Member
To be honest, this sounds like a scam. I've seen this in other businesses where a freelancer is contacted by someone ostensibly representing a well-known corporate client offering a dream job. I'd be willing to bet that your contact at "Nordstrom" used a Gmail address instead of a corporate address. That's a good tip-off that it's a scam.
You could wind up losing money, your checking account getting blocked, and your credit rating being damaged
Take a look at below. Scroll down to the comments; the Nordstrom scam is among the last comments.
https://fstoppers.com/business/how-spot-photography-scam-454382
Good luck!

This person sent it from an Outlook email address not Gmail. When I received the check in the mail, however, it was from "Ed's Iron Works" and not Nordstrom. Both the originator and coordinator for the modeling agency have been persistent to get me to deposit it and pay the coordinator quickly. I deposited it in my business account and there was initially no hold on the check. But when I checked the balance last night the check was back on hold. The coordinator phoned me and told me to just wire him the money and it would clear. He talked in a rather foreign accent like he was "fum dee I-lans mon" and I told him in no uncertain terms that I would not wire money to anyone until the check cleared. He said that was fine and thanked me for the quick response. Out of the $4250 I was to keep $1000 for my first of two payments (the second payment upon receipt of the RAW files). I am beginning to wonder that this could be a money laundering scheme, which I will have no part of.
 
Looks like you dodged a bullet.
This appears to be a variant of the classic overpayment scam, in which the scamster gives the victim more funds than expected (for a purchase, for example), with the request to remit the excess money either to the originator or a third party. In this case, you were requested to send funds to a "modeling agency". DO NOT (yes, I know, I'm shouting) send any money to anyone, even if the scamster demands a full refund, as there are no funds backing up the check, which will become apparent when the bank tries to collect on the check. As a courtesy, you might want to contact Ed's Iron Works to let them know that someone is issuing checks in their name – they're probably stolen. Your bank may charge you for depositing an NSF check; it might help to alert the bank.

Money laundering schemes usually involve genuine funds, and in larger amounts, such as overpayment for condos, etc.

Reporting this to the police probably won't do any good. They don't have the resources to track down internet fraud – they have their hands full dealing with local fraud such as driveway repair scams, bogus magazine subscription sales, etc.
Best,
Kevin Fulton
 

Bikerbrent

Senior Member
Hey STM, it really looks like you are the victim of a scam. Have you contacted Nordstrom directly as they should be able to verify that this is real assignment or not.

Also, thank you Kevin Fulton for your information.
 
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