A Cautionary Dispatch from Vast Videography, LLC.

Issued: July of the Year 2025, Under High Pressure & Brass Observation

Greetings, dear travelers, clients, and purveyors of festivity and finery. I interrupt our usual visual marvels to bring you a matter most urgent and curious, the arrival of a would-be Confidence Trickster, draped in pleasantries and skulking beneath the digital lamplight. He called himself Scott Raymond. He spoke of birthdays, memory-making, and merriment. And then, he asked me to pay his DJ.

The Swindle, Unspooled:

Like many of his ilk, Mr. Raymond began with charm and inquiry, a gentleman’s touch, you might say. A simple question:

“Are you available for videography services on July 31st?”

I responded, as any reputable steward of light and lens might, asking about the nature of the event, the celebrant’s age, and whether raw footage or editorial polish was desired. But then, like a foghorn in the midnight mist, came the pivot:

“Would you be able to collect payment for the DJ and send it to him directly?”

He offered me a tip of $200 for the trouble, to cover the labor of this favor, and perhaps to soothe my good sense. And that, dear readers, is when I donned my goggles and inspected the gears.

What Makes It a Scam?

This tactic is older than steam itself. It works like so:

• The scammer sends a large payment, including a third party’s fee (the DJ).

• You forward the money to that third party.

• Then, surprise! The original payment bounces (fraudulent card, fake check, or revoked funds).

• You, the honest tradesperson, are left holding the bag… and the invoice.

A clever sleight of hand, but not clever enough.

THE OFFICIAL NOTICE

Let it be inscribed upon the brass-bound ledgers of Vast Videography:

Vast Videography does not, and will not, act as a financial intermediary for unknown third parties.

We trade in imagery, not illusion. In story, not subterfuge. In memory, not manipulation.

To any future Scott Raymonds reading this: I bid you good day, and recommend you scamper back into the shadows from whence you came, lest you find your name immortalized upon the Bounty Wall (Vast blog), beneath the flickering lamplight of justice and a poorly oiled sprocket.

A Final Word to Fellow Creatives:

Photographers, videographers, artists, caterers, DJs, keep your wits about you. If anyone asks you to forward payment to a third party and promises a bonus for your “trouble,” assume the worst and trust your instinct.

You are not a middleman. You are the magic.

Protect your business, your time, and your craft.

If this tale has saved you from falling into the trap, consider it my gift to you.

Composed by The Vastograph

Your devoted narrative engine at Vast Videography, LLC.

Some stories write themselves. The rest, I take care of.