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My name is Sasha Esquilin and I have been receiving emails from client who have wanted Home Staging service from me. The one client I have spoken to, she didn't seem like a scam at first. She sent me an email about her life and about her husband being a software Engineer and that they were moving from UK to New Jersey. So I was speaking to her for a month. Now the weird part is I have been receiving emails from some other potential client but their story line was the exact same way as my first client I was talking to. Also their husband was a software engineer moving from UK to the US. That's when i started getting suspicious about the email and the person emailing me. They also sent me a check for $5, 230 which was weird because my service is only $900 for the first client. Also the check came from Minneapolis and my clients are from New Jersey. I will attack the email I have received from these clients
Same happened to me. Husband is a Software Developer...she works with deaf children...same list of items they already have blah blah. Cheque came by Purolator, from Vancouver ...different Sender name...company is an Alberta corporation number but the address was out of Ontario. All weird.
Wow, I just got the same email! The excessive irrelevant details (why even mention the parking space?) and the typos and the awkward phrasing made me wonder if it was a scam. And sure enough, it is. I am so tired of this!
I got this today and have gotten them for a couple of years now. They come as a text on my cell always the same story . . . What a waste of time.
“Hi, I'm Mrs. Anita, I got your contact on houzz.com. Kindly email me at: anitaanderson955@gmail.com, I need an interior decorator to do installation and styling (staging) of items we have just ordered in our new apartment we are moving to next month. Thank you.”
Yep, I’ve now gotten two of these emails. I became suspicious when the first one asked if I would accept a certified check. I’m an edesigner who only accepts payments through my website. When I told them that, I didn’t hear from them again. Now I’ve just received a second one. It’s very frustrating trying to run a business and dealing with scam artists at the same time.
I just received s similar email. Although this one is more detailed I believe I have received around ten of these "fishing emails." I will report this to Houzz but not sure if anything will come of it. Thank you for sharing your experiences.
Hi Tiffany,
I received the exact same email down to the twins, "lift a pin", items purchased, "soonest"! Her name was "Agnes Rowney" and they were moving to Raleigh, NC. They wanted me to meet their movers on June 9th and have everything placed/staged down to toiletries and kitchen utensils. I became suspicious after I looked up the house they were supposedly moving into and it wasn't for sale. I asked if they were renting or buying the house and they said they were buying. They sent me a check for $4000 and my quote to them was $2500. They wanted me to use the rest of funds to shop for more items for them. When I said I wanted to return their check, because my original quote didn't include my time to shop for them they wanted me to buy them an Amazon gift card to avoid stress on them! There has to be a way to catch these evil people.
This same thing just happened to me! Almost identical. People are so horrible.. Im glad I found this website!
Here is the most recent "potential client" message from Houzz last Monday:
"You have a new message on Houzz
From: Nancy Heneman
To: lynli Home Staging and Design
Date: last Monday at 11:52PM
Contact Name
Nancy Heneman
Project Location
Staten Island, NY 10304
Phone Number
[protected]
Message
Hi, I'm Mrs.Nancy Heneman, I got your contact on houzz.com. Kindly email me at: nancyheneman@gmail.com
I need an interior decorator to do styling (staging) of items we have just ordered in our new apartment we are moving to next month. Thank you."
I emailed a response to this inquiry and have yet to receive reply. The phone number is comes up as Idaho, which may not mean much but adds to my suspicions. Watch your back and your bank accounts out there, fellow stagers!
Whatever you do, DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT cash any checks.
This is a check cashing scam!
Your bank may gladly cash the check but when it finally comes back to them,
YOU will be responsible for the money!
I am a stager too, and the inquiries via Houzz have been suspicious. If you have not done so, please post this to ASHSR and RESA and other stagers' associations so we spread the word and help each other avoid these scammers. My actual grievance is with Houzz and it's Pro-Plus program.
This is happening to me today from a lady named Carolina Lucas and her broken english and full details as shown here is the same MO. This is a scam and they should be ashamed.. Thanks for posting this it helped me.
I have had exactly the same scenario play out-twice-the same information:transferring from the UK, a laundry list of items they have already purchased, down to the Belmont 12 light chandelier(oddly, both clients bought the identical chandelier )! It's a shame that in this industry, which is already a "good faith" based business, you have to deal with these real thieves!
I have just received a similar email. Moving from New Jersey to some dump in Detroit( I looked at the Google Earth images) husband a software engineer, hard of hearing, etc. Calls herself ' Mrs Sharon' Gave way too many details about her life. Many red flags went up and here I am.
Thanks for posting this.