We have been notified of a scam that has so far been targeting Pilates instructors, but which is now starting to find it’s way into Hypnotherapists mailboxes.

The email looks on the face of it like a client enquiry, but is a variation on a Nigerian email scam which has been doing the rounds since the internet was invented.

The key elements to the scam are:

• You are contacted by someone from abroad looking to refer a client for Hypnotherapy who is coming to the UK for a holiday. The scammers often pick a minor celebrity as the ‘client’ so you’ll think it is a genuine (but unusual) request.
• They will want to pay by international Cheque or money order.
• They will ask you to reply to an email address that is specified in the email, rather than hitting ‘reply’ to the email. This is usually a ‘free’ email address, such as a Yahoo address.

If you respond, you will be sold a story and asked to help by accepting a larger sum of money to deposit in your bank account. You then take out the money for the Hypnotherapy sessions and send on the rest to the client.

It takes several weeks for these checks to clear, and by the time they bounce, your ‘client’ is long gone and you are out pocket.

Here is an example letter:

Hello,
How are you today? My name is Mrs Danielle Darnell , i live and work
here in Chicago, i am 36yrs old. I have been doing massage since 1989. I
do a deep relaxation massage in which the muscles relax without pain, I also do
energy massage that helps people feel great when I am done. I am certified
to do pregnancy massage. I have lots of happy clients here in the US. I have
a client Miss Zaneta Bieciuk A Model here in America, She will be coming to
the Ireland in three weeks time for a modeling job and she will be residing in
Antrim temporarily until the neccesary arrangement for her job has been
made before she leaves,She’s having anxiety and low confidence, She will be
needing 1 hour Hypnotherapy session for 7 weeks

Miss Bieciuk asked me to come with her to Ireland but i told her i would
not be able to go with her because i will be going for a course in a
week time and because i dont know much about Hypnotherapy ,So i promised to
help her get a good therapist in your Area.

Pls tell me a little more about your self,how long have you been a
Hypnotherapist? and would you be able to provide her Hypnotherapy?

I will also need you to get back to me with the amount you charge per
session and also let me know if her boss can pay you with an European Check?

Pls send your reply to my personal email address (darnelldanielle84@yahoo.
com ) because i do check it frequently.

Thank you very much and do have a nice day..

Danielle Darnell
W Wacker Dr,
Chicago, IL