does this sound like a scam?

[ABEL]

last year after going to vegas, i submitted one of my photos to picture.com for a photo contest.

later on i got a letter saying that my photo would be printed in a hard bound book of photography that they were making. of course they wanted you to buy a copy of the book but it wasn't necessary, but would give the photographer a discount (the book was originally priced at around $60, i could have gotten it for $40). of course i didn't feel that i should have to pay for it so i never sent anything back to them.

now suddenly i get two emails from them in the last two weeks.

the first email says that i've been selected to be honored at International Society of Photographers Annual Convention and Symposium to be held in Washington, DC, April 2nd - 4th 2004, and that i'd won some Outstanding Achievement in Amateur Photography award. the first letter was for making a reservation to the convention, but they needed $500 something dollars from me for the convention dues.

the second letter says that they're sorry i will not be able to attend (because i never replied to the first email) but they are asking for $169 to "to cover the costs of the time and effort required to present your photography before the convention attendees" and something about it being displayed on a 20-foot tall Giant Screen located in the Grand Ballroom of the Washington Hilton.

it sounds like a scam to me. i hope it's not, it would be nice to win some kind of award even if my photography isn't displayed there, but it kind of smells like a scam to me. don't worry, i have no intention of sending them any money

anyway, here's the photo i took, since y'all may be the only ones seeing it lol.

 

[MrBrau1]

That pitcure is awesome. And it sounds like a scam.

 

[smooshcat]

yup, sounds like a scam to me too.

love the photo though

 

[MrBrau1]

Abel, do a google search for :

International Society of Photographers

It actually does exist. Maybe it's not fake.

 

[ABEL]

but why would they ask you to pay to receive an award? that's the part i'm questioning, not if they actually exist or not.

 

[oliveu2cm]

No, I'd be willing to bet this is definitely a scam! One of the first signs of scams are, just like you mentioned ABEL, people offering to give you something "for free" or "honorary" AFTER you pay them! I'd be very verrry wary.

I mean, asking you to pay them for work you didn't ask for in the first place??

 

[wolfeden]

anytime they ask you for money, it's a scam.

nice pic tho...

 

[super fly guy]

It sounds like a scam...but you never know.

 

[ABEL]

isn't this convenient...i tried replying to the email to ask them a few questions, and it came back undeliverable.

i'll have to do a little more research and find an email address for them.

 

[nbcrusader]

Don't send a dime.

Track down the International Society of Photographers and contact them about the convention. They should be able to verify if this is true AND explain why you should be sending money.

Even so, you have no obligation to send money.

 

[ABEL]

well now i'm sorry i even entered the thing...i haven't found out much more about it, but while searching i did find this website with some information...i havent' read over it completely, but it looks like sadly, the whole thing is a scam

http://www.acecam.com/photography/11079.html

 

[fah]

Nice picture.

Better to find out now it's a scam than later.

 

[meegannie]

Somebody should warn this girl:

"From an international panel of top professional photographers, Judith Young has been designated to receive "The Outstanding Achievement in Amateur Photography Award for 2004 for her photo "Pasta Man". She has been invited to speak about the story behind her photo at the International Society of Photographers Annual Convention and Symposium to be held in Washington D.C. , April 2-4, 2004."

I'm sure there's actually a convention, but I doubt it costs them $500 per every person they're honouring to host it.

 

[deep]

substitute photogragh for poem


I had a friend pay some bucks because her poem won and was published.


of course she paid $60 for a little paperback

 

[ABEL]

 

[Bono's shades]

The same thing happened to me a long time ago, only it was a poem, not a photograph. I didn't send them a frickin' dime.

 

[BVS]

The same thing happened to me a long time ago, only it was a poem, not a photograph. I didn't send them a frickin' dime.

Yep here too, when I was in high school. I didn't send a dime...thank God.

 

[Mullen-Girl]

That's terrible. I wouldn't believe it either although it would have been cool to have you up my way ABEL

I promise I didn't send it LOL j/k

It is a nice picture though

 

[U2NSTLOU]

Please don't send them a dime. In 1997 I sent a photo to picture.com a few months later I got a letter saying I was a first place winner and my pic would be showcased in some book but I had to send them 80.00 in order for them to do it. I think I got another 4 letters after that asking when was I going to send the money. They also told me the name of the book which I looked for but was never published. It just screamed scam. Way better off safe than sorry. Your pic is beautiful.

 

[ABEL]

thanks, glad y'all like the pic.

what sucks even more is they send you a letter and copyright info for you to fill out (which i don't think i ever got around to doing anyway) which made it seem more legitimate. that's why when i got the announcement about the award thing i was surprised and a little suspicious that it was just by email and not some fancy letter via snail mail.

 

[BAW]

I'm sorry this is turned out to be a scam ABEL...I know you were really happy about it

On the bright side, it is a really great picture