I got scammed!
Recently I was asked to write a custom song, from whom I presumed to be a fan of my music, for her son’s upcoming birthday. The person, “Samantha Patrick”, offered $300 for “a celebratory song that mentions his name”.
I agreed to the offer, and delivered a demo recording of the song, and a finished version that I had spent a bit more time on (which you can listen to, below)… only to find out, the next day, that it was part of a scheme to defraud me of $2,700.
Thankfully, I was smart enough to not fall for it long enough to lose any money.
But, I did fall for it, to the extent of spending time and energy on a project that had no real desire to be realized, and of believing in the existence of some people – the little boy, William, turning 6; his mom, Samantha, who I thought I was talking to; and her sister, William’s Aunt, who she wanted him to know will always be there for him – who are apparently also not real.
The full text of our conversation, which happened by email within my joe@joeeddie.com account, is written below. But first…
Here are the recordings of the song for William:
“Hey William, It’s Your Birthday!” – Finished Studio Recording:
Demo version, “Hey William, It’s Your Birthday!”:
Email conversation with “Samantha”:
November 8, 2024
Samantha Patrick:
Hey, do you write originals?
Joe Eddie:
Hi Samantha, yes I do!
Samantha Patrick:
Okay, I would like you to write a song for my son’s birthday—just a celebratory song that mentions his name. I’m willing to pay $300 for this.
Joe Eddie:
Okay, great! What a fantastic birthday gift!
What’s your son’s name, and how old is he? What are some of his interests? Would you like a jammin’ rock & roll kind of song, or something more poppy? Country music fan, or no?
If you’d like, we could schedule a Zoom call to discuss further, but I can do it with just some basic info by email too!
Thanks, Samantha!
Samantha Patrick:
Thanks for taking this into account! I’d like it to be a straightforward song with just your voice and an instrument you play. My son, William, is turning 6 on the 18th of this month, and his favorite color is blue. His best friend is his pet, Maxxie. I also want him to know that his Aunt and I will always be there for him.
November 9, 2024
Joe Eddie:
Wonderful! I’ll get to work right away and send you some ideas very soon. Thanks, Samantha 😊
Samantha Patrick:
Sounds great, thank you!
November 17, 2024
Joe Eddie:
Hey Samantha! I’ve got a first draft—sorry it’s cutting it so close! 🙂
Take a listen and let me know what you think: “Hey William” Demo Song.
I plan on re-making a livelier version today (Sunday) so it’s ready for William’s birthday. Let me know any suggestions or edits!
Samantha Patrick:
Thank you so much for considering this again. I actually have someone else who agreed to make the song for me, but they haven’t been able to produce it yet. Since you’re able to create one, it would really help me out, as I don’t want anything to spoil the surprise for my son’s birthday. Would it be possible for you to make another song today?
Samantha Patrick:
Where are you based?
Joe Eddie:
Yes, I’ll make a new recording of the song this afternoon and send it over. I’m in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Where are you? And I’m curious about how you found me? Google?
Samantha Patrick:
Sounds great! I came across your page and really enjoyed your content. I’m based in California.
Joe Eddie:
Cool! Hello out there in California! And Happy Birthday, William!
Here is a finished version of the song: “Hey William, It’s Your Birthday!”.
Let me know if you have any trouble playing it. You should be able to download and save it, too, and share the link if you wish.
I hope you like it! Let me know if you want anything changed—it wouldn’t be too difficult to make adjustments.
Thanks again, and I hope you and William have a great birthday!
November 18, 2024
Samantha Patrick:
Sounds great, thank you for making this possible. I’ll need your full name and email to write you a mobile check for payment.
Joe Eddie:
Great, I hope William likes it! 🎉
Full name is Joe Eddie, and email is joe@joeeddie.com.
Thanks, Samantha!
Samantha Patrick:
Good, I will let you know as soon as the check is sent to you. Thank you.
Samantha Patrick (later):
Hey! There was a mistake with the check. I requested $3000 instead of $300 from the account manager, and now he wrote a check for that amount. I won’t be able to request another check for another month. I’m trying to see what I can do. I’ll get back to you soon.
Samantha Patrick (later):
I just spoke to my account manager. Apparently, there’s really nothing I can do. Should I still send you the check, and you’ll just help me send the balance back? I know I can trust you.