This is actually quite funny. I get these sort of emails every month or so. Obviously these are spam at best; phishing attempts  in a worse scenario. These are email requests I get from my website, because one of my email aliases is out there for people to contact me.

Today, I’d like to share some of these ridiculous-to-the-point-of-being-funny spams I have gotten requesting “music lessons”! As you can see, the spelling and grammar are dead give-aways. When they don’t ever mention a banjo or mandolin (they just say ‘instrument’) you also know.

More often than not, the theme is that their son or daughter (typically 14 years old) is coming to the states and they want to know you instrument (duh!), rates, availability, etc.

Read on for a few classic examples. I’ve included a few comments with <> brackets.

#1 This is a typical theme. A teenage son or daughter. Coming to the states. Bad grammar. This one also refers to the son named John as ‘she’.

Hello,
How are you today?
I got your contact email while searching for Music and dance teacher on the internet. I have a son (John) who is interested studying music. John doesn’t have any previous in the instrument but he is ready to learn. She’s 15 year old with very sharp brain <well, that’s good, because ‘she’ sure didn’t get it from dear ‘ol dad :)>
If you will agreed to accept John as your student,please get back to me with the following information..
Total fees for one months lessons(Two hours lessons in a week)?
Your teaching location and phone number?
The instrument you teach?

I want the lessons to start by 5th of November.

PLEASE DONT REPLY ME IF YOU ARE UNAVAILABLE TEACHER.   Looking forward to hear from you.

#2

Hello,

I will like to know if you have available slots/times to teach my son for lesson 3 time a week. It will be useful if you could get back to me with your area of Expertize/Specialization and also your charges.
Expecting to hear from you soon so as possible to proceed with the arrangement.

Mrs <American-sounding name was here>

#3 This kind is interesting as they actually state some banjo-related information upfront. Horrible spelling, though; you know it did a number on my WordPress spell checker. From looking at the To: line in the email, it was also sent to many other banjo teachers, several being friends of mine. An obvious spam.

hello my name is will liams amd from uk, i saw your advert on www.banjoteacher.com and i want you to teach my son who is cooming down to Alabama for holiday how to play guiter or any thumb style rhythm guitar orScruggs, so i will like to hear from you soon..you can contact me at  <a Yahoo email here>
thanks

I wonder – how many successful phishing attempts come about from such emails? I don’t get enough to be annoying; maybe one a month. Still, it is amazing that people still propagate such stuff.

Needless to say, I did NOT respond to any of these!