Fake check scam targets Maine wedding industry
SOUTH PARIS (WGME) -- When Candace Desrosier became a licensed wedding officiant in April, she was excited to help out a close friend.
The day was beautiful, she says, and though it had been raining all day, the sun came out just two hours before the outdoor ceremony began.
Two months after her first ceremony, Desrosier received an email from a "Bill McMahon." He was looking to hire her to officiate his own wedding coming up in just a few months.
"I was like, 'Oh great, finally, I get to do another wedding,'" Desrosier said. "And everything seemed OK."
The two spent a few days going back and forth on the details of the wedding: How many people would be in attendance, background on the happy couple, setting up a time before to properly meet. Then came the rate of payment.
She told McMahon she would like $100 for her services, and after a few days, she received a check in the mail.
“I find this FedEx package," Desrosier said. "I open it up and the only thing in it is this check sitting inside of this envelope.”
Written on the check: $2,150.
Immediately, she knew something didn't add up. But the overpayment was not the only red flag.
- "Bill McMahon" used different names in his emails.
- He asked her to use the extra money to pay for the DJ and catering.
- The bank’s address printed on the check led to a P.O. box out of state.
“I’m not doing this wedding after all," Desrosier said. "I just got run over, and I’m stopping it right here, I’m not gonna let you keep running over me.”
McMahon told Desrosier that his wedding would be at his home, and he provided an address when they were going over wedding details. Conveniently, this location was only a couple of miles from Desrosier.
When the CBS13 I-Team took a look for ourselves, no one answered the door. And from the exterior, there were no cars in the driveway, nor any sign of a wedding taking place in just a few days.
This story is not unique to Desrosier, in fact, multiple officiants reached out to the I-Team with similar stories of a client wanting to pay far more than their asking price; something Secretary of State Shenna Bellows has seen before.
She says the wedding officiant scam has made the rounds the last few years, particularly around late summer and fall during wedding season.
"It’s increased pretty significantly, and that’s a concern," Bellows said. "That means that the scams are working and that people are losing money to the scammers."
And they are. In FBI data obtained by the I-Team, Mainers lost more than $56 million to internet scams in just 2025, which is up almost 80 percent from the year prior.
The Secretary of State's Office urges Mainers to report if they suspect they are getting scammed. But the best way to protect yourself is to stay vigilant and look for key warning signs.
“Double check that they are who they say they are, do some of those social media or online searches to confirm their identity and never, ever give your bank account information or send money to a stranger,” Bellows said.
Desrosier didn't end up cashing the check, but she fears what could have happened if she did.
"If I took my money, took that to my bank, I’m limited funds, there goes my money, there goes my life,” Desrosier said.
If you suspect that you're being scammed, you can report it with the Maine Attorney General by clicking here.