Online scammers are getting clever. Their grammar is getting better. They are getting as detailed as possible to make us think they are legitimate. Sometimes they get the details wrong (sorry, I’m a harpist, not a violinist), and sometimes they don’t use our names in the greeting (they just say, “Hello” or “Pleasure be with you today” but not “Hi Anne”). If you miss those red flags, here’s the one big giveaway: scammers are too anxious to pay us. They want to know where to send a check right away to secure our services. I’ve been contacted by couples that are anxious to book me, but they are never anxious to pay me.

Insist on talking with the inquiring party over the phone. Don’t accept money without a signed agreement. Scammers don’t want to talk with you, and they certainly don’t want to sign contracts. And if you ever receive money in the mail from someone who has not signed a contract, and it is for the wrong amount, don’t cash the check! Instead, file a complaint with the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. In the end, if you doubt the legitimacy of an inquiry, there’s probably reason to be concerned.

—Anne Roos is the harpist on the 2015 Grammy Award winning New Age album Winds of Samsara; she resides South Lake Tahoe, California

First of all, trust your instincts. If something feels hinky, it probably is! Are the names odd? I’ve noticed that, almost invariably, it’s two first names such as Michael James or Susan Madison. Is the verbiage off-kilter? “I most desire your services for the marriage of my beautiful lady bride.” Double-check the venue. Often they will give a name or an address. Google the address. I’ve had it show up as a vacant field—or a dilapidated mobile home that nobody would hire a harpist to play at. If it is a legit venue, call them to see if, indeed, they have an event booked there under that name. 

They need a contract signed and payment made to you right away! “Your fee is being paid by my best man/mom/employer and they are leaving the country in a few days.” The person paying made a mistake and overpaid you. So you need to return the overpayment or pay the photographer or the dress shop or mail them the excess. The hours are wonky. Wedding ceremony, need you to play 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. Really?

—David Ice is both a harpist and a film editor in Glendale, Arizona

Here are the clues that make me suspect an inquiry may be a scam: very poor English, strange language usage, reference to other services (such as photography or catering) which you do not offer, lack of a phone number for the client, an inquiry on behalf of another person from “a friend” (as opposed to a fiancé or parent or event director), no date listed or an offer to choose any date that you’re available. Just because an inquiry comes through one of the online sites like TheKnot or Gigmasters doesn’t always mean it’s a real job offer.

If you engage with this person, a sure sign of a scam is if they want to send you a check before you have a signed contract. Do not accept certified checks—they are too easily counterfeited and the bank will not catch the error until it’s too late. If they want to send you a check for more than you charge or for some inflated amount so that you can send the overage to another vendor or someone else, never do it! Don’t be afraid to say no. It may be your smartest, safest choice. •

—Catherine Rogers is a freelance harpist in Atlanta, Georgia