# ‘Free grand piano’: the scam playing on music lovers’ heartstrings

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/free-grand-piano-the-scam-playing-on-music-lovers-heartstrings/
- Published: 2026-11-08T07:00:33+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-08T07:19:08+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/money/2026/nov/08/free-grand-piano-scam-emails
- Topics: Business

## Key points

- Fake piano offers target music lovers with emotional stories.
- Victims are asked to pay £100 to £500 for delivery.
- Report suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk.

## Summary

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 report@phishing.gov.uk.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.