Scam targeting Home Stagers

2/7/2017

Good Morning!!

I wanted to share with you that there is a scam going around targeting home stagers.
This morning I received a text message from someone named Barbara, telling me she got my number from Houzz and they were relocating to Canada.
She wanted to know if I was available to do styling (staging) of items they just have ordered for their new apartment starting February 24th. She asked me to confirm I was available sending an email to [email protected]
When I read this text, I thought something wasn't right so I googled the email address they have provided and found other people that went thru a similar situation, some of them got a bit further involved, investing longer time exchanging emails and getting no-where!

It seems the scam artists are trying everything to see if they can con home stagers into sending them money!
In this scam the home stager/interior designer is contacted by a “homeowner” that lives out of the country by email or text. The sender leads you on about a project and tries to build a rapport all in the hopes of tricking you into handing over your money.
In some of the comments I read, looks like the person contacting the stager/designer is very unclear about the details of the home, they avoid answering the questions that the stager/designer asks and they focus more in whether or not you have credit card processing abilities. One of the stories they tell is about being deaf, having two children and being a single parent.
They are using names like Mary Bruce, Mrs. Mahonne, Catherine Raeder, Alice Smith, Mrs. Kate Anderson, Doran Laurin, Jessica Morgan and Wendy Lydia Wilson,

Please be careful and don't fall into their trap!

If you have a story to share of something similar that happened to you, please leave your comment below.

Thank you and Safe Decorating everyone!

79 Comments

Kathryn link

10/15/2019 07:58:33 am

Thank you for sharing this! I just received a home staging scam email stating the same thing that she found me on houzz and was relocating to my town. The name used was Kelly Martins.

Teresa Phillips

10/15/2019 05:52:54 pm

I am a stager, designer in Comox Valley on Vancouver Island and Kelly Martins just sent me an email today wanting me to prepare her home prior to their arrival in December....very vague list of items and wanted to send me deposit. Glad to confirm it is a scam.
Thank you

Delta link

12/7/2020 08:11:23 am

I literally just got an email from Kelly Martins as well (supposedly Deer Group Inc owner or something like that) saying he is interested in my makeup services for his DEAF Fiancé. He sent me the whole list of details as location, how many people was in the bridal party and is very willing to send me a cashier check now to book the services. He is not in the country. I had a feeling this was a scam and after reading this I know it is!

Thank you!! And watch out everyone i guess they are trying in all types of markets.

Joanne Parker

11/22/2019 12:56:04 pm

Me too!!

Mike link

2/24/2020 09:46:58 am

‘Kelly Martins’ just sent me an email about my painting service’s. Odd thing was it went to my junk folder. Googled her company and name and glad I did! Had a very similar experience a few years ago. Things didn’t add up and so I declined the job. Glad I did.

Caroline Veiga

6/11/2020 07:53:34 am

She’s coming after makeup artist too! I just received an email inquiring for hair and makeup. What was weird was that she wanted me to do her sisters (bride) hair and makeup and everyone else. She was “out of the country” and wanted to pay me via a cashiers check. Never in my 10 year career as an artist has anyone ever offered payment via a cashiers check. Then I found this post, thanks god. Now I know my gut feeling was right.

Jessica

6/11/2020 04:07:34 pm

I just got the same exact email yesterday and when I replied with some pricing details she said it was for her sister’s wedding and mentioned the cashier’s check. That was the red flag! Thank God I googled this.

Taylor

6/16/2020 10:09:36 am

Hi! I am a makeup artist who just experienced the same thing and same story. I looked her up because it seemed very odd that she wanted to pay me via cashier check, she was "out of the country" and wanted to pay for everything in full. Thank you for making this post. She had a lot of info for me as far as the venue and other details like venue.

Megan

6/16/2020 02:51:28 pm

I also got an email from Kelly Martins a few days ago for makeup for her sisters wedding. She had conflicting dates marked on my contact form and then what she wrote down. Cashier check was a big red flag!

Judee Jo Georgeles

6/23/2020 08:40:17 am

Yes! I am a makeup artist and I just received the same email about cashiers check, out of the country, etc.
So tired of these scams!!!
Thank you for publishing! I hope by doing so we all can save future business' from these scammers!

Nicki

6/23/2020 06:46:03 pm

I am a MUA and also received a suspicious email from Kelly Martins. Thank you for posting this.

Kristi

7/4/2020 07:41:21 am

I got the same email

Tharani

7/5/2020 12:24:34 pm

Hi, I received the same email. Glad I did my research too.

--------------------
Hi,

Thanks for the response my name is Kelly Robert (The Groom) as i mentioned in my previous email my fiancé and I checked your previous work and we are impressed, so we decided to make you the artist (Makeup or Hair Stylist) for our wedding coming up on 31st October.
A Little about my fiancé(The Bride) her name is Susan she is deaf, she attended Sir James Whitney School for the Deaf where she achieved her highest qualification. I'm handling this for her because I'm the only one that understands her communication very well and also I will be the one to make the payment for your service.
Below are the details

** Wedding Venue:- Cecil Green Park House
** Wedding Address:- 6251 Cecil Green Park Rd, Vancouver, BC V6T 1X8
** Getting Ready Location:- same as the wedding venue
** Everyone should be ready by : 2pm max
** Wedding Date:- 31st October, 2020
** Ceremony Start & End:- 3pm-7pm (4hrs )
** Numbers of people to make up/ hair :- 6 (The Bride, Mother of the Bride and 4 Friends)

Kindly send the pricing/rates details and also i would like to know if you accept cashier's check for payment ?
Please Note: we are presently out of the country and i can only make the payment for your services by having my financial officer mail you a cashier's check / bank draft (Canadian check). I will do that immediately i receive the quote/estimate so as to be rest assured that we have secured your service and also to avoid any delay.
You can always ask me any question and i will reply asap

Thanks

KELLY MARTINS
Deer Group Inc
w: deergroupinc.wixsite.com/mysite
e: [email protected]
fb & twitter
Phone: (301) 660 6493

------------

Kerri

7/20/2020 01:56:21 pm

I too got this same email, we are a hair salon.
Thanks for posting.

Bree

8/21/2020 09:57:39 am

I just received the same email regarding my makeup and hair services. They offered to pay me with a cashiers check and I politely declined. I am so glad I looked this information up online and found these posts! Thank you!!!

Lyndrel

8/22/2020 06:39:41 am

I literally just received the same exact email! Kelly Martin is the groom and her deaf wife is getting married. When I saw cashier’s check, I knew something was fishy. Glad I googled and found everyone’s story.

Elizabeth Lopez

8/31/2020 10:44:09 am

I am also a makeup artist who got the exact same email, I had a bad feeling about it all, but we kept exchanging emails despite my gut feeling, we got up to the point where I asked Kelly for a deposit of $150 just to book the day and I told her she can pay the rest the day of the event, the next email she sent me she said her financial officer had sent a check of $4875, she said it was okay and that she trusted me and that I can deposit the check back to her and she would send me an address to send another check, obviously from me and my account, thats when I really didn’t wanna move forward and my daughter googled Kelly Martins Deer Group INC and found this, i’m really glad none of us fell for it and I think we should all expose this phony in our social media platforms to prevent it from happening to other people just trying to expand their business.

irene marcenari

9/4/2020 05:09:52 pm

Hi!
this happened to me as well. Ive been a makeup artist for 17 years. This is the first time anyone ever did anything like this. Same claims and wanting to get my info. I hope other ppl arent scammed. i looked up her name and i found so much fraud. Do not fall for this

Shannon Dawdy

9/29/2020 06:11:34 pm

Thank you!! Exact same name and situation from another Makeup Artist/Aesthetician. I have never been asked to accept a cashier's check either, super suspicious!!

Maci

10/1/2020 04:58:24 pm

I got the same email I am. Makeup & hair artist. but we exchanged back & forth and she eventually sent a check for 4875.25 to my house I failed to cash it for days & then she started blowing up my phone asking if I had cashed it. I never did I went to the bank to ask them if it was hot. It indeed was. The bank that the check came from was notified.

Angie Castanza

10/20/2020 03:54:14 pm

Just received this same email from Kelly Robert about his wife's wedding - glad I googled this! So bananas

Jean Yoo

12/5/2020 09:49:16 am

I was contacted by the same Kelly Martins via email and he was the groom and his bride is deaf and that's why he was taking care of all the arrangements. What was odd was the venue info he sent was a smog shop in the middle of LA and they were willing to pay via cashiers check and they were out of the country at the moment. Multiple red flags with his email.. so i respectfully declined. Crazy ppl out there scamming honest business. Sad that there are so many scammers.

Sharan

7/10/2020 10:41:38 am

Glad this is here. I'm a makeup artist and received an email from Kelly Roberts asking about makeup services. When I replied with follow up questions I received the same response (just opt out styling for artist, etc.). Apparently, Kelly Roberts (groom) made me the makeup artist for his deaf wife... without my confirmation and wanted to pay with a cashier's check because they're out of the country. It all felt and seemed like a scam, but that cashier's check just nailed it.
Thanks for this!

Denise

7/13/2020 10:41:54 am

I'm also a makeup artist in BC and I just received an email this morning form Kelly Robert of Deer Group Inc for a wedding Oct 31. I always do an online search of people who inquire and this came up. Thanks for spreading the scam info, helps us all!

Sheyy

11/24/2020 03:28:00 am

I am a makeup artist. Got the exact same email! Decided to check and saw this! Thanks all!!

Jenifer Baez link

11/24/2020 04:16:08 am

So pathetic how this person along with others are scamming makeup artists. I hope this person is caught.

KRYSTAL BEELER

12/10/2020 05:45:26 pm

I just got the same thing from the same name except they are asking me to style hair for a wedding...so glad I went with my gut and checked into it more!

Kylee Gardner link

10/15/2019 08:44:34 pm

I also received an email from our “friend” “Kelly Martins” tonight. The whole deal sounded suspicious. Thank for posting!

Brianne Bennett

9/29/2020 11:16:09 am

I GOT THE SAME EMAIL!!!!!!!

Kevin Gray link

10/26/2019 12:26:35 pm

we just received the same scam inquiry this week from Kelly Martin's. as soon as I receive the first email red flags started popping up and so I sent a reply email asking some questions and like the other people in this string received a veiglet items to go into the home and my biggest red flag was that any person wanted to do business with me always wants to know who I am what services I can offer how I offer those services and how I charge for those services. so the first mistake this cameras made was trying to elicit payment details saying they had to transfer money immediately. The interesting thing is, from a human interest perspective, I look at the scammers and think they have a decent level intelligence, what is the negative self-beliefs they keep holding within themselves that think they must use underhanded means to make money when they could probably use their intelligence to profit in the world in a positive way that is above the law..... Yes I'm an interdesigner but I do think 30 years of experience in this business has taught me something about human nature, and this experience was one that makes me actually feel sorry for these people. I'm glad there are enough of us with the intuitive sense know it's something is not right. Please pass it on!!

Barbara Milner link

10/29/2019 02:12:52 pm

I was contacted by a "Kelly Martins" on October 22 claiming she found me on Houzz and wanted to send me a deposit for staging/styling services as she was planning to relocate to to Toronto on December 21st. She sent me a list of generic items, the name of a major street in Toronto and a floor plan of the residence on Oct 24. There was a sense of urgency to send me money. My gut told me it was a scam. I replied with few detailed questions about the items and the residence. No reply from her since. Thank you for posting this!

Kevin Gray link

10/29/2019 02:48:30 pm

I'm glad you saw this Barbara. Make sure you 'block' that email address of the supposed Kelly Martins. You can also report it directly to Houzz as follows:
[email protected]

Kevin Gray link

10/29/2019 02:50:37 pm

I am sorry for how bad my spell check was in my first message to this group. I think my autocorrect was working in overdrive and it really garbled the words I was using. My oversight for not having noticed the mistakes before I submitted the comment. Thanks for your understanding everybody. Make sure you block any of these scam email addresses!

Laura

1/8/2020 07:25:53 am

I too have been contacted by Kelly Martin- she should change her name- lol! It seemed suspicious to me too, so I just kept googling for info and came across this post. Thanks to everyone for confirming!
Pardon my naivety, but if they are asking to send us money, and not needing our financial information, what are they hoping to gain?

Teresa Phillips

1/8/2020 07:59:43 am

I think the idea is paying you as general contractor and then asking you to make payments to others trades/ suppliers based on the money they send you...which you never actually receive.

Laura

1/8/2020 08:03:08 am

Clever....
Thanks for the info!

Lyndsay

1/22/2020 02:47:51 pm

Hi!

I was also just contacted by Kelly Martins, asking to stage her home as she was moving back to Canada from the States.
Apparently I am to meet the delivery drivers, and other tradespeople at the home. What made me suspicious, was that she said several times that as soon as I receive a check that I should immediately deposit it so that it gets processed and fully clears. I'm really glad I cam across this post!!!

Brad Dornian link

1/24/2020 12:29:42 pm

We are a painting company based out of the Fraser Valley, and we also just got emailed by Kelly Martin's. She's coming after us painters too! Hahaha. Glad I came across this post.

Brad

Derek

1/24/2020 07:11:12 pm

"Hi,

I'm Kelly, i saw your profile on Yellowpages, when i was going through professional painter page, i need a painter to help me do some painting in my house.
Kindly get back to me Asap so as to give you the job details.

Thanks
Kelly Martins

Kelly Martins

CEO: Ocean Holdings

Call/Text: 956 410 0259"

I just received a similar email as the people above mentioned.

Something seemed a bit odd so i immediately typed the "Kelly Martin" into google and it brought me here. I run a painting and design company and aparently they're targeting across industries. i didn't follow up for obvious reasons. Beware of any inquires from this person. Thanks to all that shared their stories.
Derek

2/12/2020 08:10:15 am

Wait!! You mean Kelly Martin's doesnt want me to paint her house???🤣🤣🤣.
All kidding aside... I've gotten a few or these scam emails now.. and I just play with em. Switch it around... demand money from them,, maybe offer a token of gratitude orc whatnot.
Some ppl just escaped Darwins law I guess...

Danny Wilson link

2/14/2020 05:22:26 am

Hi I was also just contacted by Kelly Martins of Ocean Holdings a couple of days ago. Glad I came across this Blog post. I was suspicious of the email requesting a quote for interior painting for a number of reasons but it was good to have these suspicions confirmed. With a name like Kelly Martins attached to the email you would expect a better command of the English language. Also the fact that the owners of the home had been in the US for two years and could not let me have access to look at the home as they had the keys with them. Who walks away from a home for two years and does not have a plan so that someone local has access to the house?

Viktor link

2/17/2020 10:10:07 am

This is what I received. It just looks good to be true as well as I had las year similar case but I didn’t fall in to it
Hi,

I'm Kelly, i saw your profile on Yellowpages, when i was going through professional painter page, i need a painter to help me do some painting in my house.
Kindly get back to me Asap so as to give you the job details.

Thanks
Kelly Martins

Kelly Martins
CEO: Ocean Holdings
Call/Text: 956 410 0259
Email: [email protected]

Hi,

I'm Kelly, i saw your profile on Yellowpages, when i was going through professional painter page, i need a painter to help me do some painting in my house.
Kindly get back to me Asap so as to give you the job details.

Thanks
Kelly Martins

Kelly Martins
CEO: Ocean Holdings
Call/Text: 956 410 0259
Email: [email protected]

2/17/2020 10:36:29 am

Thats the one! Has anyone tried calling that number?

2/17/2020 10:48:17 am

So now I'm intrigued.. lol.. I've been playing g along with kelly... and heres the latest update on our emails... I tossed our an outrageous price to her/him/they/it, and this is the reply... I'll repost if a cheque arrives... along with the police incident number when I report em.🤣

Hi,

Just to inform you that the check has been sent. $12850 is the amount on the check, as an extra $8850 was mistakenly added to your payment($4,000 deposit) by my financial officer im very sorry about this and i do not have any problem with this provided i can trust your company on the extra amount so you have nothing to worry about.

The extra funds was meant to be used by the shipping agents to pick up some necessary items needed in the house.

As I mentioned in my previous email i can only issue a single check for now so i wont be able to cancel, void or reissue another check because of my present bank policy on the type of account I have and due to what I experienced few months ago.

Once you receive the check please do not return, void or cancel it because by doing so this will affect alot of jobs that is needed to be done in the house and will also cause a lot of delay for my family.

After the check clears all you need to do is to deduct your payment(deposit) and any tax involve, I'm willing to dash you addition $50 for any inconveniences this might caused you.

I will email/text you the details for the remaining balance to be send to, please kindly inform the CEO, account department or anybody in charge of the payment to be aware of this before the arrival of the check so that there wont be any complications after it's delivered this is very important and let me know if I can trust your company about this

Please reply to acknowledge your received my message

Thanks

2/19/2020 05:00:23 pm

UPDATE:
Ok... so now I've got a "check"..I cant make this up.... it even says "check #511" in the top corner!!!!!!! That's right,,, CHECK. It says CHECK!!!
I wish I could post of pic of it... its truly a master piece.. I even took it to my bank to give them a good Thursday chuckle. They confirmed that it was indeed a horrible replication and whoever made it should stick to using crayons. And those kids scissors that you cant hurt yourself with.
Also,,, it came from Ontario canada... NOT the USA,, where kelly says shes residing.

Either way... I'm kinda stumped here. and I'm hoping whoever reads this may be able to answer my question...
WHY WOULD ANYONE PAY MONEY TO FED EX ME A FAKE CHEQUE OVERNIGHT? How is this benefiting them? How is it they are attempting to scam me? I mean, only an idiot wouldnt be able to recognize the fraudulent piece of paper they call a cheque... or in this case CHECK.
Now heres the kicker folks.... I'm gonna copy this link and send it to good ol Kelly Martins, so she/he/them can see the internet laughing at their stupidity.

Hi Kelly!!! Thanks for playing this game with me... it was fun... but now, I've gotta give this CHECK to the proper authorities.

Michael Wiseman link

2/22/2020 12:00:46 pm

I too got an email from Kelly Martins. I'm a painting contractor.

Name Kelly Martins
Email [email protected]

Subject Painting
Message Hi, I'm Kelly, i saw your profile on Yellowpages, when i was going through professional painter page, i need a painter to help me do some painting in my house. Kindly get back to me Asap so as to give you the job details. Thanks Kelly Martins
Site http://rollingtones.com

Sent from (ip address): 105.112.57.132 ( 105.112.57.132 )
Date/Time: February 4, 2020 6:55 pm
Sent from (referer): http://rollingtones.com/contact/

Using (user agent): Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.3; WOW64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/69.0.0.2990 Safari/537.36

We emailed each other a few times. I was suspicious from the start. She wanted to know if I accept certified checks. She gave me measurements of the rooms to be painted - quite a bit of detail, though she didn't answer questions much. She also said that everything was white with no damage or stains. And she wanted it repainted the exact same white and same brand of paint. So why would they need painting? Why would I not accept a certified check? So I told her I could give her a ball park - since I have not seen the stie. She did not hesitate to accept. Her "shippings agent" was to deliver the paint. Since the only "address" she provided I asked her for the complete address. She said: 40 Combermere Dr. This address does not exist. I'm curious as to what the next step would be and how she planned to extract money from me after all this. I don't even know why I'm referring to her as a "she"... Furthermore "she" provided me with 2 phone numbers. One in New Hampshire, one in Texas. Both of them are Skype or Voip.

2/22/2020 12:35:07 pm

I was curious myself... and played her/his/their game... see me above posts to see how far it went...
However.. that being said... heres my final update.

Lmfao! I told em my truck for stuck and I needed her to email me $500,, bc the cheque she game me, which I said I had the cashed and not to worry bc I had to funds to cover it.. but the money was in my office safe, and I had no wallet yada yada, and I need $500 to send her the $8800. I also said I would give her an extra $250. For her troubles.🤣🤣.
Some back n forth bs with me just demanding money.... and now they've vanished. Lmfao!

candyce

3/11/2020 08:42:04 pm

Im so glad I googled this person. Always go with your gut.

KELLY MARTINS
Deer Group Inc
Phone: 956 410 0259
Email: [email protected]

3/12/2020 05:30:59 am

I dunno.... it was kinda fun jerking em around... and I looked at it that the time they spent attempting to scam me would maybe save someone else from losing cash.

Kathy

5/7/2020 12:17:45 pm

I am so glad this post is out there. Apparently she is now looking for photographers to photographer her newly renovated home!

Name: Kelly Martins

Email Address: [email protected]

Subject: Need A Photographer

Message: Hi,

Would you be available on 1st August to photograph our newly remodeled house.
Kindly get back to me asap for details

Thanks

5/7/2020 05:28:26 pm

Lol.. it was kinda fun to screw with em,,, but sadly, the authorities are too busy to go after em.. at least here they are.

Sara Jackson link

5/14/2020 07:04:08 pm

Okay so...Kelly Martins just messaged me wanting to book hair and makeup services for her sisters wedding. Said she’s going to mail me the signed contract and cashiers check for deposit. Thought her emails worded kind of strange which sent up a red flag. Glad I googled her name.

Sujuane

5/19/2020 04:44:12 am

She contacted me as well for Hair & Makeup for her “sister’s wedding”. She actually contacted me on two different platforms (my website & WeddingWire) with two different wedding dates. She told me she could ONLY pay with a cashier’s check which was a red flag. I told her we only accept cards and good luck with her sister’s wedding. She sent me another email yesterday now saying she can “top up” my credit card, whatever that means. I’ve blocked her and reported her as a scammer on WeddingWire. I’m really glad she’s terrible at scamming people.

6/23/2020 05:46:34 pm

They tried to get me, but get this! They said it was her fiancé and that he is the one in contact because she’s deaf!

Hi,

Thanks for the response my name is Kelly Martins(The Groom) as i mentioned in my previous email my fiancé and I checked your previous work and we are impressed, so we decided to make you the artist (Makeup or Hair Stylist) for our wedding coming up on 26th September.
A Little about my fiancé(The Bride) her name is Kelly she is deaf, she attended Texas School for the Deaf where she achieved her highest qualification. I'm handling this for her because I'm the only one that understands her communication very well and also, I will be the one to make the payment for your service.
Below are the details

** Wedding Venue:- Mike Fretz Event Center
** Wedding Address:- 11545 E 43rd St, Tulsa, OK 74146
** Getting Ready Location:- same as the wedding venue
** Everyone should be ready by : 2pm max
** Wedding Date:- 26th September, 2020
** Ceremony Start & End:- 3pm-7pm (4hrs )
** Numbers of people to make up/ hair :- 6 (The Bride, Mother of the Bride and 4 Friends)

Kindly send the pricing/rates details and also i would like to know if you accept cashier's check for payment ?
Please Note: we are presently out of the country and i can only make the payment for your services by having my financial officer mail you a cashier's check (check will be a USA check). I will do that immediately i receive the quote/estimate so as to be rest assured that we have secured your service and also to avoid any delay.
You can always ask me any question and i will reply asap

6/23/2020 05:48:31 pm

There’s also a Knot website for a Kelly Martins getting married on the date they told me in NJ (for reference I’m in OK)

https://www.theknot.com/us/kelly-martins-and-anthony-belo-sep-2020/photos/2305663

Crystal

5/19/2020 03:25:19 pm

She also reached out to me through wedding wire and my direct website for makeup services for her sister’s wedding! She even sent me a timeline lol. She gave me the same story about the cashiers check. I’m glad I googled her! I knew it sounded scammy!

Jenifer B.

6/11/2020 07:21:05 am

Yup. The method of operation. I really wish these scammers wouldn’t prey on the hard working, self employed. Also, how ignorant to believe “she” wouldn’t be looked up on Google and Linked In.

Erin

6/3/2020 06:24:05 am

Got to love google. I just got an email about makeup and hair for her sisters wedding. When she mentioned cashiers check my flags went up. Google brought me here. Thank you all!

PJ link

6/3/2020 06:48:40 am

Lol. It was a fun couple weeks I spent wasting her time.. I actually framed the certified “check” she sent me. Heheh. Glad to hear you didn’t get duped!

olympia Kent

7/26/2020 01:56:02 pm

I just got an email for the same thing and thank you all so much for this but the cashiers check got me too I thought it was odd they out of the country and have to pay with only that method when I have out of country clients that could still pay me any normal way

Jenifer Baez link

6/3/2020 09:12:21 am

Hi,
I am a makeup artist, not a home stager. I was recently contacted by a Kelly Martins. The email read that I recommended by a friend and looked at my site and IG and was impressed. I replied that she can contact me with the details. A week later I get an email stating she is out of the country and wants to know prices and would give me an American cashier’s check. (Hmmmm, no one has ever paid me by cashiers check). And by her bank officer. :-/. Other red flags, i instead of I. And, this site is the only site that pulls when I tried to research her. And her company, Deer Group Inc. I Googled it, and nothing pops up. Apparently this person is still scamming/preying .

Victoria Rivero

6/6/2020 05:25:35 am

I’m a hairstylist and I got an email from a kelly martins too, at first I thought it could be real. Then she sent me Information about the wedding. I found it strange that the wedding would be over by 7pm. Then she said she can only pay through cashiers check and her financial officer would send it to me, because she was out the country. That to me was the biggest red flag.

Karla

6/9/2020 08:56:09 pm

I also just received an email from Kelly requesting hair and makeup services for her sisters wedding. In her email she stated it was on August 1st and after I kindly declined the offer as I do not do bridal hair nor am I a makeup artist, she replied demanding I do the hair/makeup but on September 26th. Weird! Multiple red flags after she sent me the second email.

Rory Lee link

6/10/2020 07:32:28 pm

My company was also booked for Kelly’s sister’s wedding LOL - This is quite interesting; I didn’t feel comfortable giving her my mailing address before receiving the signed contract and was actually going to call the wedding venue in Miami tomorrow to verify... Her contact information was the same email as listed but a different phone number. Glad this information was made public

Ashley Akers link

6/11/2020 07:03:01 am

"Kelly Martin" just e-mailed me requesting hair and makeup services for her sister's wedding 9/26. She gave me the whole story about mailing me a cashier's check to secure services etc. I'm glad I looked her up, I knew it was a scam. Here's a copy of the e-mail.

Hi,

Thanks for the response i want you to be the makeup or hair stylist for my sister's wedding coming up on 26th September, 2020
Below are the details

** Wedding Venue:-
** Wedding Address:-
** Getting Ready Location:- same as the wedding venue
** Everyone should be ready by : 2pm max
** Wedding Date:- 26th September, 2020
** Ceremony Start & End:- 3pm-7pm (4hrs )
** Numbers of people to make up/ hair :- 6 (The Bride, Mother of the Bride and 4 Friends)

Kindly send the pricing/rates details and also i would like to know if you accept cashier's check for payment ?
Please Note: we are presently out of the country and i can only make the payment for your services by having my financial officer mail you a cashier's check (check will be a USA check). I will do that immediately i receive the quote/estimate so as to be rest assured that we have secured your service and also to avoid any delay.
Looking forward to reading from you soon

Thanks

KELLY MARTINS
Deer Group Inc
w: deergroupinc.wixsite.com/mysite
e: [email protected]
fb & twitter
Phone: (205) 679 8168

6/19/2020 07:06:09 am

I received the exact email only this wedding was for him (kelly) and his deaf fiancé.

Hi,

Thanks for the response my name is Kelly Martins(The Groom) as i mentioned in my previous email my fiancé and I checked your previous work and we are impressed, so we decided to make you the artist (Makeup or Hair Stylist) for our wedding coming up on 26th September.
A Little about my fiancé(The Bride) her name is Susan she is deaf, she attended Texas School for the Deaf where she achieved her highest qualification. I'm handling this for her because I'm the only one that understands her communication very well and also i will be the one to make the payment for your service.
Below are the details

** Wedding Venue:- The Bibb Mill Event Center
** Wedding Address:- 3715 1st Ave, Columbus, GA 31904
** Getting Ready Location:- same as the wedding venue
** Everyone should be ready by : 2pm max
** Wedding Date:- 26th September, 2020
** Ceremony Start & End:- 3pm-7pm (4hrs )
** Numbers of people to make up/ hair :- 6 (The Bride, Mother of the Bride and 4 Friends)

Kindly send the pricing/rates details and also i would like to know if you accept cashier's check for payment ?
Please Note: we are presently out of the country and i can only make the payment for your services by having my financial officer mail you a cashier's check (check will be a USA check). I will do that immediately i receive the quote/estimate so as to be rest assured that we have secured your service and also to avoid any delay.
You can always ask me any question and i will reply asap

Thanks

KELLY MARTINS
Deer Group Inc
w: deergroupinc.wixsite.com/mysite
e: [email protected]
fb & twitter
Phone: (205) 679 8168"

Inza F

6/16/2020 04:57:49 am

I received an email from “Kelly Martins” yesterday regarding bridal MUA services. I had this gut feeling something wasn’t right about it so as I normally do, I started googling the company and the name and found your website and a few others. Thanks so much! This was the email I received.

Hi,

Thanks for the response i want you to be the makeup or hair stylist for my sister's wedding coming up on 26th September, 2020
Below are the details

** Wedding Venue:- The Lakeside Reception Hall
** Wedding Address:- 4005 N Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, FL 32804
** Getting Ready Location:- same as the wedding venue
** Everyone should be ready by : 2pm max
** Wedding Date:- 26th September, 2020
** Ceremony Start & End:- 3pm-7pm (4hrs )
** Numbers of people to make up/ hair :- 6 (The Bride, Mother of the Bride and 4 Friends)

Kindly send the pricing/rates details and also i would like to know if you accept cashier's check for payment ?
Please Note: we are presently out of the country and i can only make the payment for your services by having my financial officer mail you a cashier's check (check will be a USA check). I will do that immediately i receive the quote/estimate so as to be rest assured that we have secured your service and also to avoid any delay.
Looking forward to reading from you soon

Thanks

KELLY MARTINS
Deer Group Inc
w: deergroupinc.wixsite.com/mysite
e: [email protected]
fb & twitter
Phone: (205) 679 8168

PJ link

6/16/2020 06:09:28 am

Lol. Looks like she’s given up on painters! I framed the “check” she sent us,, and it’s hanging in our front office for all to see and giggle over..
The stupid still walk amongst us...

Victoria Kuzma link

6/30/2020 07:55:05 am

Thank you for posting this scam alert! I'm a mobile hairstylist, and our friend Kelly Robert of Deer Group Inc. emailed me to book bridal hair services yesterday. I was immediately sketched out. Check out her email signature:

KELLY ROBERT
Deer Group Inc
w: https://deergroupinc.wixsite.com/mysite
e: [email protected]
fb & twitter
Phone: (205) 679-8168

The email address in the signature is not the one she used to email me - she used [email protected]. She also has an atrocious Wix website and no Facebook or Twitter profiles despite also listing them.

I've got a bit of time this week, so I'm going to send her an absolutely ridiculous quote and see how far it goes. I'm also going to inquire about her 'secret shopper business' and see what happens ;)

Debra Hurd link

8/2/2020 06:43:14 pm

OH THANK YOU ...! THANK YOU! So glad that you made this scam page about Kelly Martins. I got the same email about doing a wedding MU-Hair for (him?) and his deaf bride. My Scam-O-Meter went up when he said he would pay via a cashiers check and that they were out of the country.

Stacey Norris

8/18/2020 10:39:59 am

I own a salon in Pensacola and received a request for a quote for wedding day services. The exact story as shared above; deaf Fiancé etc. So glad my husband googled the name and this site come up! Thanks!!!

Lacey Jane

8/29/2020 12:50:01 pm

I am a bridal H&MU Artist who just recieved an email for service from Kelly Martin (groom) wanting to hire me for his wedding. Said he was handling the communications for his def bride-to-be because HE understands her communication best...(she is def and she cant type??? Oh poor little thing!). They also want to know if I take cashier check because they are out of the country at this time.

🤔 No thank you!

Ashley Emery

9/11/2020 12:26:44 pm

I am a makeup artist in Saskatchewan Canada... and I just received this email today! BEWARE!!!!!!!

Hi,

Thanks for the response my name is Kelly Robert (The Groom) as i mentioned in my previous email my fiancé and I checked your previous work and we are impressed, so we decided to make you the artist (Makeup or Hair Stylist) for our wedding coming up on 14th November.
A Little about my fiancé(The Bride) her name is Susan she is deaf, she attended Sir James Whitney School for the Deaf where she achieved her highest qualification. I'm handling this for her because I'm the only one that understands her communication very well and also I will be the one to make the payment for your service.
Below are the details

** Wedding Venue:- Turvey Centre
** Wedding Address:- 100 Armour Rd, Regina, SK S4P 3C7
** Getting Ready Location:- same as the wedding venue
** Everyone should be ready by : 2pm max
** Wedding Date:- 14th November, 2020
** Ceremony Start & End:- 3pm-7pm (4hrs )
** Numbers of people to make up/ hair :- 6 (The Bride, Mother of the Bride and 4 Friends)

Kindly send the pricing/rates details and also i would like to know if you accept cashier's check for payment ?
Please Note: we are presently out of the country and i can only make the payment for your services by having my financial officer mail you a cashier's check / bank draft (Canadian check). I will do that immediately i receive the quote/estimate so as to be rest assured that we have secured your service and also to avoid any delay.
You can always ask me any question and i will reply asap

Thanks

KELLY ROBERT
Deer Group Inc
w: https://deergroupinc.wixsite.com/mysite
e: [email protected]
fb & twitter
Phone: (323) 990-4127

cobie wells link

10/7/2020 07:57:53 am

we got the same email SCAMMMMM

Hi,

Thanks for the response my name is Kelly Robert (The Groom) as i mentioned in my previous email my fiancé and I checked your previous work and we are impressed, so we decided to make you the artist (Makeup or Hair Stylist) for our wedding coming up on 27th February .
A Little about my fiancé(The Bride) her name is Susan she is deaf, she attended Sir James Whitney School for the Deaf where she achieved her highest qualification. I'm handling this for her because I'm the only one that understands her communication very well and also I will be the one to make the payment for your service.
Below are the details

** Wedding Venue:- Lasalle Banquet Centre
** Wedding Address:- 50 North Shore Blvd E, Burlington, ON L7T 4J8
** Getting Ready Location:- same as the wedding venue
** Everyone should be ready by : 2pm max
** Wedding Date:- 27th February, 2021.
** Ceremony Start & End:- 3pm-7pm (4hrs )
** Numbers of people to make up/ hair :- 6 (The Bride, Mother of the Bride and 4 Friends)

Kindly send the pricing/rates details and also i would like to know if you accept cashier's check for payment ?
Please Note: we are presently out of the country and i can only make the payment for your services by having my financial officer mail you a cashier's check / bank draft (Canadian check). I will do that immediately i receive the quote/estimate so as to be rest assured that we have secured your service and also to avoid any delay.
You can always ask me any question and i will reply asap

Thanks

KELLY ROBERT
Deer Group Inc
w: deergroupinc.wixsite.com/mysite
e: [email protected]
fb & twitter
Phone: (323) 990 4127

Shanna

10/14/2020 10:50:34 am

Glad I googled and found this! “Kelly Roberts” emailed me with the exact same as ones above! The cashiers check definitely made me this twice, as well as the being out of country and wanting to pay upfront. The wedding is apparently in feb. Here’s a copy of the email:

Hi,

Thanks for the response my name is Kelly Robert (The Groom) as i mentioned in my previous email my fiancé and I checked your previous work and we are impressed, so we decided to make you the artist (Makeup or Hair Stylist) for our wedding coming up on 27th February .
A Little about my fiancé(The Bride) her name is Susan she is deaf, she attended Sir James Whitney School for the Deaf where she achieved her highest qualification. I'm handling this for her because I'm the only one that understands her communication very well and also I will be the one to make the payment for your service.
Below are the details

** Wedding Venue:- Wedding Dream
** Wedding Address:- 1540 Roseville Rd, Cambridge, ON N1R 5S3
** Getting Ready Location:- same as the wedding venue
** Everyone should be ready by : 2pm max
** Wedding Date:- 27th February, 2021.
** Ceremony Start & End:- 3pm-7pm (4hrs )
** Numbers of people to make up/ hair :- 6 (The Bride, Mother of the Bride and 4 Friends)

Kindly send the pricing/rates details and also i would like to know if you accept cashier's check for payment ?
Please Note: we are presently out of the country and i can only make the payment for your services by having my financial officer mail you a cashier's check / bank draft (Canadian check). I will do that immediately i receive the quote/estimate so as to be rest assured that we have secured your service and also to avoid any delay.
You can always ask me any question and i will reply asap

Thanks

KELLY ROBERT
Deer Group Inc
w: deergroupinc.wixsite.com/mysite
e: [email protected]
fb & twitter
Phone: (323) 990 4127

Tammy

12/4/2020 03:23:22 am

Just a note to let you know I received the same email. Something wasn’t quite right for me either. Did a little digging and found this. The phone number was a FL area code but everything else-including the name Kelly Martins was exactly the same as other artists are saying. Please be careful. Do a little research when your gut tells you something doesn’t add up. Funny how these scammers go to such great lengths.

Seen9t

12/4/2020 04:10:33 pm

Just received the same message.

Kelly Martins <[email protected]>
3:32 PM (34 minutes ago)
to me

Hi,

I'm Kelly i saw your previous work on Facebook and i was impressed. Will you be available for a wedding make up or hair styling in your area on 27th February 2021 ?

Sent from my iPhone

Rosemary Alva

12/10/2020 07:54:22 pm

Glad I found this! I knew it sounded like a scam when they said they wanted to hire me for makeup or hair for their wedding! I only do makeup! 🤣🤣

Calgary Staging Companies link

5/9/2022 08:17:04 am

Real estate agents might be the first people to be able to detect something fishy — and we’re not just talking about the strange smell coming from an old home someone is trying to flip.

Welcome to My Blog!

Scam targeting Home Stagers

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