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BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — With so few gigs this past year, local musicians have gotten desperate, and scammers are taking notice. A guitarist from Brighton almost lost a good chunk of cash from one of them.
Amy Griffin got an email offering $200 to write a birthday song for a 4-year-old, Joe, and the request was quite specific.
"I really tried to fit in all the detail," Griffin said.
She included details like the boy's favorite superhero, the Flash, or his favorite color, green. She stayed up until 4:00 AM writing the song.
There was only one problem: "Joe" doesn't exist. After she wrote the song and asked for payment, the scammer sent Griffin a bad check for $2000 by "accident," hoping she would cash it and send back the difference before the check bounced.
But Griffin was prepared, and found several other musicians who got almost the exact same email, and the same bad check drama followed every time.
"I felt embarrassed because I thought the song was honest, and sweet, and nice," she said.
Her warning to other musicians: you can't trust anyone these days.
WBZ's Matt Sharer (@MattWBZ) reports:
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