Maine Wedding Officiants Targeted in Fake Check Scam

The ongoing fraud wave relies on digital outreach from fictitious clients who overpay for wedding services and instruct officiants to disburse remaining funds to third-party vendors, according to accounts documented by regional news outlets and security agencies. In Maine, newly licensed officiant Candace Desrosier nearly fell victim to the scheme after receiving an email from a prospective client using the name Bill McMahon, as reported by local CBS affiliate WGME and syndicated coverage. Desrosier told the outlet that after discussing ceremony details, she requested a standard $100 fee, only to receive a FedEx delivery containing a check for $2,150. “I was like, ‘Oh great, finally, I get to do another wedding,’ and everything seemed OK,” Desrosier recalled to CBS13, noting that the massive overpayment immediately raised alarms. According to her statements in the coverage, additional red flags included shifting names in email correspondence, instructions to use the excess money to pay off an outside DJ and caterer, and a bank address on the check tracing back to an out-of-state P.O. box. “If I took my money, took that to my bank, I’ve limited funds, there goes my money, there goes my life,” she said.

Official Warnings and State Agency Responses

State officials and police departments are ramping up public warnings as the financial toll climbs. Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows told local media that the wedding officiant scam has circulated for several years but has accelerated noticeably. “It’s increased pretty significantly, and that’s a concern,” Bellows said, adding that “the scams are working and that people are losing money to the scammers.”

The Maine Department of the Secretary of State issued a formal notice via its Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions outlining the mechanics of the operation. The bulletin noted that multiple notaries public and marriage officiants have reported scammers soliciting services, issuing checks exceeding the agreed price, and then demanding a refund for the difference. Victims who wire or send back the refund discover days later that the original check has bounced or the digital payment has been reversed, leaving them financially exposed for the full refund amount. Bellows urged independent service providers to refuse initial overpayments, wait for funds to fully clear, and immediately contact local law enforcement if they have been defrauded.

International Reach and Law Enforcement Guidance

Nanaimo RCMP in British Columbia issued a public safety warning after a longtime local wedding officiant was targeted by an email scammer using the alias Linda Joe, according to reporting by Chek News. In that case, the officiant rejected the initial overture due to suspicious language, yet received a physical letter days later containing a $2,925 cheque with instructions to cover a photographer and return the remainder. “The complainant wasn’t buying it and could see that it had all the earmarks of a scam. Const. Gary O’Brien in a statement reported by Chek News. Police investigation revealed that the name and address printed on the cheque were non-existent, and the listed bank was traced to Florida. The Canadian police detachment directed residents to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre for tracking online fraud trends. As wedding season activity continues, authorities recommend that independent contractors verify client identities independently and treat any unsolicited financial overpayments as high-risk indicators of check-clearing fraud.”