INDIANAPOLIS — As soon as Teresa Shunk read it, her guard was already down.
“That’s an email that musicians get like fairly regularly,” she said.
Shunk, a music education major at DePauw University in Greencastle, said it’s not unusual for music students to be requested to play gigs. So when she got an email from her professor, forwarding a request to play at an event, it seemed to check out.
“They emailed my piano professor, saying that they were looking for a pianist to play for their wedding,” said Shunk.
Over the course of several days, Shunk communicated with the person, who went by Jennifer, discussing specifics through text and email.
“The only thing they weren’t specific about is when I tried to ask them, like what type of music do you want? Is this sort of music good? They were like ‘Oh it’s fine, whatever you choose,’” she said, “That was probably maybe one of the first warning signs that I could’ve picked up on like, hmmm… Why do they not care?”
When it came time to discuss payment, they decided on $200, and a check would be sent to Shunk through the mail.
However, when the check arrived, it was for $1,900.
“They told me that they had accidentally written me a check that was too large,” she said.
“Jennifer” claimed they overpaid Shunk, accidentally lumping the sum for both her and the photographer. To make up for the…
