Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Groom books fake Tom Petty to play wedding in $165,000 scam. The story doesn?t end there.

Plenty of planning goes into making the perfect wedding day. From securing flowers to sampling cake, brides and grooms have a number of tiny details to take care of. Usually, booking the band is just another item on that long to-do list.

But Brian Valentine, a senior VP for Amazon, wanted to surprise his sweetheart with a live?performance?by one of their favorite bands, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. The couple was engaged at a Petty concert two years ago.

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    Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the 1stBank Center on Thursday, April 19, 2012. Photos by Glenn Ross, heyreverb.com.

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    Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the 1stBank Center on Thursday, April 19, 2012. Photos by Glenn Ross, heyreverb.com.

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    Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the 1stBank Center on Thursday, April 19, 2012. Photos by Glenn Ross, heyreverb.com.

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    Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the 1stBank Center on Thursday, April 19, 2012. Photos by Glenn Ross, heyreverb.com.

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    Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the 1stBank Center on Thursday, April 19, 2012. Photos by Glenn Ross, heyreverb.com.

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    Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the 1stBank Center on Thursday, April 19, 2012. Photos by Glenn Ross, heyreverb.com.

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    Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the 1stBank Center on Thursday, April 19, 2012. Photos by Glenn Ross, heyreverb.com.

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    Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the 1stBank Center on Thursday, April 19, 2012. Photos by Glenn Ross, heyreverb.com.

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    Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the 1stBank Center on Thursday, April 19, 2012. Photos by Glenn Ross, heyreverb.com.

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    Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the 1stBank Center on Thursday, April 19, 2012. Photos by Glenn Ross, heyreverb.com.

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    Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the 1stBank Center on Thursday, April 19, 2012. Photos by Glenn Ross, heyreverb.com.

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    Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the 1stBank Center on Thursday, April 19, 2012. Photos by Glenn Ross, heyreverb.com.

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    Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the 1stBank Center on Thursday, April 19, 2012. Photos by Glenn Ross, heyreverb.com.

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    Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the 1stBank Center on Thursday, April 19, 2012. Photos by Glenn Ross, heyreverb.com.

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    Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the 1stBank Center on Thursday, April 19, 2012. Photos by Glenn Ross, heyreverb.com.

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    Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the 1stBank Center on Thursday, April 19, 2012. Photos by Glenn Ross, heyreverb.com.

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    Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the 1stBank Center on Thursday, April 19, 2012. Photos by Glenn Ross, heyreverb.com.

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    Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the 1stBank Center on Thursday, April 19, 2012. Photos by Glenn Ross, heyreverb.com.

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    Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the 1stBank Center on Thursday, April 19, 2012. Photos by Glenn Ross, heyreverb.com.

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    Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the 1stBank Center on Thursday, April 19, 2012. Photos by Glenn Ross, heyreverb.com.

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    Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the 1stBank Center on Thursday, April 19, 2012. Photos by Glenn Ross, heyreverb.com.

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    Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the 1stBank Center on Thursday, April 19, 2012. Photos by Glenn Ross, heyreverb.com.

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    Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the 1stBank Center on Thursday, April 19, 2012. Photos by Glenn Ross, heyreverb.com.

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    Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the 1stBank Center on Thursday, April 19, 2012. Photos by Glenn Ross, heyreverb.com.

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    Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the 1stBank Center on Thursday, April 19, 2012. Photos by Glenn Ross, heyreverb.com.

Only Valentine was fooled, swindled, bamboozled, hoodwinked, take your pick. Valentine found a booking agency, Lund Live, which claimed to work with Petty. After discussing the fee, he paid owner Chris Lund a 50 percent deposit to secure the date ??$165,000.

After multiple failed attempts to reach contacts provided by Lund, Valentine spoke with Petty?s?management, who had never heard of the wedding plans, nor Lund.

After Valentine reported the scam to the FBI, Lund was arrested last week on felony fraud charges.

Luckily this couple still got their happily ever after. Booked through more valid means, Petty played at the July reception.

Because, you know, going to the?management?company first would have just been silly. ?-Kelsey Fowler

Follow our news and updates on?Twitter, our whereabouts on?Foursquare?and our relationship status on?Facebook. Or send us a telegram.

Kelsey Fowler is the 2012 Features Intern at The Denver Post, currently studying nothing music-related at Ithaca College. Help keep her in the loop on?Twitter.

Source: http://www.heyreverb.com/2012/08/06/groom-books-fake-tom-petty-wedding-scam/

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