Wedding photographer says fake groom tried to dupe her

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - Wedding photographer Katie Coon loves to capture special moments on camera, but she says a con artist posing as a would-be groom captured her attention last week with one red flag after another.

"The first red flag was that he just sent me the check without signing the contract. We had only sent each other emails. We hadn't even spoken or text each other before he sent it," said Coon, who is based north Fulton County.

Coon said the man sent a $3,200, the full amount she said she would shoot a wedding and birthday during the last week of July. The man, who used several different names in contract and email, asked for a $1,300 refund via Western Union and insisted she Coon immediately deposit the check.

"He said the expenses were getting to be too much and he was canceling the birthday party and asked if I would send him the money. I told him I would not deposit the check because he hadn't signed the contract, but that I would give him the money at the wedding or in person. That's when he got angry," said Coon.

The photographer wants other wedding photographers and vendors to be wary of big spenders who share little information.

"He would not take my calls. He wouldn't even tell me the name of the venue and he got offended when I started asking him questions," Coon said.

She reported the would-be con artist to Milton police, but investigators did not take a formal complaint since the check was not deposited and a crime had not been committed.

"While I was at the police department, he was sending me all these texts and I finally just told him I have shredded your check. I know you are a scam artist and I reported you to police and theknot.com and canceled your contract. I just want people to use common sense because con artists are really good at what they do," said Coon.