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‘Free grand piano’: the scam playing on music lovers’ heartstrings
Scammers are using emotional emails about a widow giving away her late husband’s grand piano to persuade music lovers to pay fake delivery fees. The supposed instrument does not exist, and the scheme matters because individuals, churches and schools have lost money to this advance fee fraud.
The requested payment is typically £100 to £500, with one example involving a £300 fee for a piano said to be in storage hundreds of miles away. Piano businesses say people have sought advice before paying, while others have been caught out; warning signs include a valuable piano that cannot be viewed or collected in person. Suspicious emails can be forwarded to [email protected].
In short
- Fake piano offers target music lovers with emotional stories.
- Victims are asked to pay £100 to £500 for delivery.
- Report suspicious emails to [email protected].
Explained simply
Advance fee fraud happens when someone is persuaded to pay money upfront for something that does not exist or will never be provided. In this case, scammers contact people who may want a piano and claim that a valuable instrument is being given away after its owner’s death.
The supposed owner is often described as a widow, and the piano as being held in storage far away. The scammers ask for a delivery fee before the buyer can receive it; churches, schools and individuals have been among those targeted.
The scheme matters because people can lose money even though there is no piano to deliver. A request to pay before seeing or collecting a valuable instrument in person can be a warning sign.