4 minute read | Lou Simeone | Simeone Graphix
As a freelance illustrator, I occasionally receive fraudulent project inquiries through my website contact form. These messages often appear legitimate at first glance, but they follow patterns consistent with a known overpayment scheme that targets freelancers and small creative businesses.
Below are two examples, followed by a brief explanation of how this type of scam works and how to handle similar inquiries professionally.
Spam Email Example #1:
Wedding Anniversary Invitation Illustration
Initial Inquiry:
Hello Lou Simeone,
I hope you're doing well. I'm asking if you'll be available to work on the Wedding invitation design. I found your contact information on Behance
You let me know if you're available so we can discuss the details further, and I'll be happy to send over more information to your email.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Best regards,
Josuha
Josuha
My response:
At this point, I wasn’t completely sure whether it was legitimate. Rather than assume anything, I replied with standard qualifying questions, timeline, budget range, project scope, and why my style felt like a fit.
That’s part of my normal intake process for any new inquiry.
His Follow-up Response:
Compliments of the season,
Thank you so much for showing interest in this project. I am in need of a professionally illustrated design for a wedding anniversary invitation card, and I really want it to be something special for my spouse, our family, and our friends. I’ve tried putting ideas together myself, but as a ship steward, my schedule keeps me constantly attending to passengers, which leaves me with very little time for planning.
I’m organizing everything on my own, and it has been quite overwhelming, so your help would truly mean a lot to me. The illustration will also be used on our T-shirts, so getting the right look is very important. I believe you have the skill and creativity to bring this vision to life!
The deadline for the final illustration is January 27th, and I’ve set a budget of $600 for the project.
Here’s the event information that will need to appear on the design:
Welcome to Amanda & Tom’s Wedding Anniversary Ceremony
Date: March 21st, 2026
Venue: Arlington Hall
Address: 3333 Turtle Creek Blvd, Dallas, TX
Time: 12:30 PM – 5:30 PM
Preferred Color: Redwood
Date: March 21st, 2026
Venue: Arlington Hall
Address: 3333 Turtle Creek Blvd, Dallas, TX
Time: 12:30 PM – 5:30 PM
Preferred Color: Redwood
I can share a sample style reference and some photos from our photoshoot that will be turned into illustrations.
Please feel free to let me know if you need anything else, I’m here to help make the process smooth.
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Warmest regards,
Joshua
Joshua
What Raised Red Flags:
After reviewing the second message more closely, several patterns stood out:
- The first message was vague and didn’t reference a specific piece of my work.
- The second message included an emotional backstory unrelated to the actual design scope.
- The project expanded from “wedding invitation” to a fully illustrated design also intended for T-shirts.
- A firm $600 budget and tight deadline were stated immediately, without discussion.
None of these alone confirms anything. But stacked together, they form a recognizable pattern.
At this stage, I still couldn’t say with certainty that it wasn’t legitimate, but the structure felt familiar.
Spam Email Example #2:
Mother's Celebration
Hi,
I came across your profile on Behance and really loved your work. We’re currently planning a Mother’s Celebration and are looking for a graphic designer to create a simple event flyer.
We’re envisioning something warm, clean, and celebratory. All event details will be provided — we just need your creative touch to bring it to life.
Please let me know your availability, timeline, and rate if you’re interested. I’d love to explore working together.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Estimated Budget:
800
800
How did you find Simeone Graphix?:
Behance
Behance
Email Address:
Inbohe08@gmail.com
Inbohe08@gmail.com
You’ll notice a similar structure here:
- Behance reference
- Simple event description
- Clear fixed budget
- Minimal personalization
Again, nothing definitive — but structurally similar.
Follow-Up Response Requesting Payment by Check
After I requested additional project details and clarified deliverables, I received this reply:
“I wanted to ask if paying by check would be an option. Unfortunately, my bank is currently restricted and isn’t processing online transactions at the moment.”
This is where the pattern becomes much clearer.
Requests to pay by mailed check due to “bank restrictions” are commonly associated with overpayment schemes targeting freelancers.
How to Spot and Respond to these Emails.
Common Patterns In these Inquiries
Freelancers are frequently targeted because they handle custom projects, accept remote payments, and often manage their own financial transactions.
While each email scam is slightly different, they typically share the following characteristics:
- Event-based project (wedding, anniversary, celebration)
- A fixed budget is stated upfront (often overinflated to be intentionally enticing)
- Minimal detail about deliverables or usage rights
- Generic praise without specific references to past work
- Claims of finding the studio on platforms that may or may not be actively used
- Unusual spacing or formatting copied from reusable templates
- Free email accounts with random character combinations (Inbohe08@gmail.com)
- Some will even use a generic profile picture to appear legitimate
Legitimate clients ask about process, timeline, licensing, revisions, or file formats.
Scam inquiries often skip practical details.
How the Overpayment Check Scam Actually Works
The scam typically escalates after an initial response.
The individual agrees quickly to the quoted rate and offers to send a check, often for more than the agreed amount. They then explain that the excess funds are intended for a printer, event planner, or other third party, and ask you to forward that portion once the check is deposited.
Here is the important detail: when a check is deposited, banks may make funds appear available before the check has fully cleared. If the recipient forwards the “extra” money during that window, and the original check later proves fraudulent, the bank reverses the deposit. The forwarded funds come out of the recipient’s account.
The check was never valid to begin with.
The scammer’s objective is to receive real money before the fraud is detected.
How to Respond to Suspicious Design Inquiries
You are not required to respond to every inquiry.
If you choose to reply:
- Ask specific questions about deliverables, format, and usage.
- Require standard digital payment methods.
- Avoid accepting mailed checks from unknown clients.
- Keep communication within professional channels until legitimacy is established.
Professional clients understand and respect standard business practices.
Information You Should Never Provide
Do not share:
- Bank account or routing numbers
- EIN or Social Security number
- Copies of identification
- Home address
- Payment processor login credentials
- Verification codes sent to your phone or email
No legitimate client needs sensitive personal information during an initial project inquiry.
When to Disengage
Stop responding if the individual:
- Avoids direct project questions
- Introduces a third-party vendor early in the conversation
- Insists on sending a check
- Sends more money than agreed
- Pressures you for urgent financial action
At that point, end communication.
Final Thoughts
Professional clients are clear, specific, and aligned with standard creative workflows. If an inquiry bypasses the normal business process, it warrants closer review.
Maintaining clear payment policies and structured communication protects both you and your clients.
Understandably, these emails are frustrating, especially for small studios and individual freelancers. They steal our time and cast doubt and suspicion on emails that land in our inbox. Hopefully, this article helps you easily detect fraudulent activity, leaves you more time to tend to your business and be creative, and, most importantly, prevents you from being scammed.
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