Today (2nd July 2025) we have been made aware of a sophisticated scam affecting suppliers – please spread the word to all your contacts in the industry!
What we know so far
A band on Gig Heaven booked a supplier to provide Sound Tech / PA / Instruments / Lights for an event in Spain. Upon arriving at the event the supplier didn’t turn up, although they had already been paid and had agreed a contract.
The bandleader has further researched the supplier “Steve Dan” who had created a listing called “Sound Engineer/ PA System Sevice” and has provided the following details about the scammer:
After further investigation and communication with other wedding suppliers, it seems this individual is part of a wider network of scammers operating in the UK with UK Bank accounts, a US mobile number and business links to the UK too. This individual is advertising fake services in Spain and France.
He’s pretending to provide Sound Tech / PA / Lighting / Instruments for UK bands gigging in Europe
The scammer goes by the name of Steve Dan (or Steve Dann, Steven Dann, or ST)
Phone: +14014000468
Email: stevedan458@gmail.com
Bank Accounts: He used multiple personal UK bank accounts under names that weren’t his own, including: Thompson Ajibola; Kerry Collinson; Awwal.Revolut:
Bridge Building Sp.z.o.o. BANK NAME: Modulr Finance
Further details have kindly been supplied by Nora & Josh (JBMAC):
Back in January, I posted on my personal Facebook page looking for a France based sound engineer for a wedding our band booked on the 28th June, 3 people I know shared it, and then a guy called Mark messaged me on Facebook saying he’d passed the message to his friend Steve, and that Steve would be in contact. I asked how Mark found my post and he said it was through one of my friend’s sharing it, I didn’t pry any further. Steve Dan emailed me and I immediately asked for a phone call, which he obliged. He said he had some of the gear we needed, had to hire some, and had to borrow some, but he seem legit and sent me pictures of all the gear he had that we’d book for the day.
We paid him half the fee upfront in January, £250 to this account (which he claimed was his wife’s British account): Kerry Collinson 00349663 04-09-17 and said the other half would be paid 7 days after the gig, which is our policy for all suppliers. And, as we booked the gig through Encore Musicians, and they release the funds 7 days after the gig, it aligned with that as well.
About a month away from the gig, Steve said that the only thing left to do, was to settle the final balance. I had been really clear about our payment terms being final balance after the gig, and he said that his policy was all fee before the gig. But after, I thought that, because he was French, that there was a language barrier and panicked that he might not show if we didn’t pay in full. I wanted to make sure he was happy and would turn up, so paid the 2nd £250 to this account which he claimed was his cousin’s: Awwaal, Frost Money Ltd. 00099718 04-09-72. We double checked details and names of the accounts multiple times, and he even adjusted his invoices to make sure it had everything we needed on it. At the time, this didn’t seem suspicious, especially as he only had a French account.
He also continued to speak and message me until the day of the gig, even though I’d paid him 20 days prior. “Did your flight get in okay?”, “anything else you need me to bring?”, which made him seem even more legitimate. From midday on the day of the gig, he blocked my number. I could tell, as the message I heard from ringing was different than when my friend rang the same number (who wasn’t blocked). My whatsapps also stopped delivering. And at 5pm, his arrival time, he didn’t show.
Since coming back from the gig, I’ve discovered that Mark from Facebook changed his name to Steven Dann, so it was the same person, recommending himself. Now his Whatsapp number is says ST, not Steve Dan. And this is his email address, number and IP address he confirmed the contract from:
stevedan548@gmail.com
+1 (279) 240-9671
105.113.58.184The business name we paid the second £250 into (Frost Money Ltd.) shows as JENNINGS, Andrew Willfred Mark (https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/NRF2mg_bbaSj-Kc3UgxUtpudiyA/appointments) on Companies House. And after looking around, he has 8 businesses and most of them were created in 2024. Which seems very suspicious. I think he might be the guy.
We also now know that this exact same thing happened by the same guy (Steve Dan) to another band in Spain on the same weekend. However, this band found him through Gig Heaven, another agency. He had set up a sound engineer profile on there. This band paid Gig Heaven a deposit and the final amount direct to Steve Dan (or whatever his real name is), who also didn’t show up to their gig. And I’ve seen a post on facebook as far back as August 2024 of someone also warning about a Steve Dan.
We were able to find another sound tech with very limited time and miraculously pull off the gig, this other band however, weren’t so lucky. It’s the stuff that no band leader wants to have to deal with.
If this has happened to 2 bands in one weekend, I dread to think how many more bands/acts he’s done this too as well. Please use this information and spread as wide as you can, so no one else gets scammed. And please get in touch with me if this has happened to you too!
Encore Musicians have issued their own warning regarding this scam:
Two separate bands contacted us, describing scams that were very similar. Both were playing weddings abroad and had posted publicly about needing a sound engineer and PA hire for a gig in Europe – one on Facebook, the other on a different music platform.
Shortly after, they were contacted by someone calling himself Steve Dan (or Steve Dann, Steven Dann, or ST), who claimed to be a local sound technician and offered to provide gear and technical support (sound, PA, lighting, and instruments). He came across as legitimate – he sent over photos of the equipment, issued invoices, and asked for payment upfront, in both cases requiring either a deposit or the full fee in advance. He used multiple personal UK bank accounts under names that weren’t his own, including: Thompson Ajibola; Kerry Collinson; Awwal.
What made this especially convincing is that he maintained contact all the way up until the day of the gig. In one case, he even messaged on the day to ask if the band had landed safely and whether they needed anything else, but he never showed up in the end.
This was clearly a coordinated scam, and we want to help ensure that no one else falls victim to it.
If you’re ever hiring a supplier or crew member independently, especially for gigs abroad, here are a few things that can help you stay safe:
What you can do to protect yourself
- Try to get on a short video call with the person – scammers usually avoid this.
- Ask for client references or reviews, and verify if they have a legitimate website or social media presence.
- Be cautious if you’re asked to send money to a personal account, especially if the name doesn’t match.
- And if something doesn’t feel quite right, slow down and ask questions. A legitimate supplier should be happy to help you feel confident.
If you’ve seen or experienced anything similar
If you believe you may have been a victim of a scam, here’s what you can do:
- Contact your bank immediately – ask them to initiate a chargeback or fraud investigation. Banks may be able to trace, freeze, or recover the funds, especially if the issue is reported quickly.
- Report the scam to Action Fraud – this is the UK’s central reporting hub for fraud and cybercrime. Action Fraud shares reports with the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB), which can then investigate patterns or escalate to local police. (https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/)
- Report the scam to the receiving bank – if you know the bank that received the payment, also report the fraud to that bank. Most UK banks have a dedicated form for reporting fraud. This can help flag and freeze the scammer’s account.
- Keep records of everything – save all emails, messages, screenshots of invoices, bank transfers, and account details. These will be useful for both the bank and Action Fraud reports.
- If you’re a Musicians’ Union member, report the scam to their team – they may be able to provide legal advice or support. (https://musiciansunion.org.uk/)
- Let us know confidentially at help@encoremusicians.com. We’ll continue to monitor the situation and share updates if more cases come to light, to help prevent this from happening to other musicians.
