Scam Exposed: Don't Book This Gig!
Scam Contract, Letter of Invitation, and Various Correspondences Made Public
Thabo Makgoba/Ed Smart from Diocese of Christ the King, South Africa
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Dec 17, 2013
Last Updated
On July 1, 2013, SpeakerMatch reported the Thabo Makgoba/Ed Smart Scam to the speaking community. On December 13, 2013, we received several reports on a resurgence of the same scam. Through a fellow colleague, we were able to obtain various correspondences, the official letter of invitation, and contract.
If you've received emails like the ones below, please do not reply to them with any confidential information that may lead to a loss of your time and/or money.
How to Tell if a Speaking Request is Valid and Not a Scam
A Note From Bryan Caplovitz, SpeakerMatch Founder/CEO
Over the years, some of our speakers have reported receiving emails like the ones above. We refer to these as "phishing emails" because the alleged organizer "phishes" for personal/banking information from the speaker. Usually the alleged organizer is from a foreign country and directly contacts a speaker requesting them to speak but asks for bank account information or the speaker to put up funds in order to seal the booking or obtain a work permit.
To test the validity of an engagement, you can always agree to an invitation contingent on receiving half (or all) of the speaking fee up front, sent by money order, check, or through PayPal.
If you are ever unsure of a direct request you receive, please contact SpeakerMatch support at 866-372-8768 and forward the email to support@speakermatch.com. Our staff is happy to look into the validity of the engagement for you.
Remember: If they ask for any bank account information or for you (the speaker) to put up funds, it is likely a scam and you should avoid any future correspondence. Once they reply with a request for YOU to send money, we'll have some nice documentation to make the case that it is indeed a scam and report it to our community.
Sincerely,
Bryan Caplovitz
Founder/CEO
SpeakerMatch
P.S. When responding to engagements through the SpeakerMatch Job Board, you can be sure the speaking opportunity has been vetted, and in most cases, we have spoken directly with the planner to verify the details.