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costumeczar
Forum Addict
Joined: Oct 18, 2007
Posts: 716
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 Posted:
Fri May 16, 2008 10:01 am |
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I've been getting a lot of calls with the number listed as "unavailable" on my caller ID. I don't answer those, because it's usually just telemarketers. So yesterday I got three in a row within two minutes, and the last time they left a weird message. It was a woman saying that she was the "Landline Only operator", or something along those lines, and that there was a message for me from someone who left their email address and requested that I email them. The message was "I will like you to make my wedding cake. Please email me at xxxx" with a yahoo email address.
So my first reaction was "what the hell was that?" and I'm not going to respond at all, but I was wondering if anyone else got a similar message. I thought this could be like that email scam that has the request for the pink 4-tiered cake with "happy married life" written on it, but I can't figure out what the point of doing it by phone would be. But if someone wants me to email them, why couldn't they just email me first? I don't get it.  |
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JoAnnB
Forum SuperStar!
Joined: Jun 09, 2005
Posts: 7414
Location: Salem, Oregon
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Fri May 16, 2008 10:17 am |
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The scammers are getting more an more irritating. Obviously, there is a smart person in charge. They should use their smarts to do something productive. |
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NICKY2
Newbie
Joined: Aug 30, 2006
Posts: 13
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Fri May 16, 2008 10:33 am |
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maybe the person is deaf and is using assistance. |
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Valli_War
Frequent Member
Joined: Apr 26, 2008
Posts: 259
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Fri May 16, 2008 10:37 am |
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I think so too. It is TDD assistance who left you a voice mail. One of my relative is deaf and when they call, it is like that and usually they translate and type and send it to their TDD machine or whatever it is.
I don't think it is a scam. |
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Tallmama
Junior Member
Joined: Mar 07, 2007
Posts: 87
Location: Sierra Vista, AZ
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Fri May 16, 2008 10:38 am |
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This might have been the operator for the deaf. They type to the operator and the operator is the one that talks to you. This could actually be the reall thing. I would email and see what comes of it. |
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ccr03
Forum Fanatic
Joined: Sep 16, 2005
Posts: 1476
Location: Independence, MO
Birthday: Jan 31
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Fri May 16, 2008 10:38 am |
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I got a very similar call MONTHS ago. I too thought it was a deaf person using assistance. I emailed the person and NEVER heard a single thing from her again. I haven't gotten any usual SPAM or anything like that. |
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sweetflowers
Frequent Member
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Joined: Dec 21, 2006
Posts: 380
Birthday: Nov 01
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Fri May 16, 2008 10:40 am |
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There is a scam out with other countries using our deaf assistance line (because it's a free service). I thought it had to do with trying to get the person to call them and rack up telephone bills to other countries. The e-mail is definitely suspicious. You can respond, but be really careful. I'd check out snopes.com to read about the 'assitance' fraud thing. I think it's on there. |
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SugarBakerz
Forum Fanatic
Joined: May 10, 2006
Posts: 1637
Location: South East Alabama
Birthday: May 24
Gallery Supporter Member
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Fri May 16, 2008 10:40 am |
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could you create a junk email account and email from it to see what you wind up with? I am wondering about the hearing impaired issue to.... |
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Lenette
Forum Addict
Joined: Dec 30, 2004
Posts: 893
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Fri May 16, 2008 10:41 am |
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I got the EXACT SAME call/message yesterday!!!
I don't answer those "unavailable" numbers either and the message really weirded me out. At first I thought it may have been someone who is deaf or had special needs but then I was like, "why didn't they email me??"
I totally think it's is some kind of scam. Plus isn't the assistance for the deaf a TDD operator or something like that. i think there is a different name.
And yes, they really need to take their smarts and do some good with it!
Everyone be warned and steer clear! On a positive note, what a wonderful thing it is that we can all communicate to prevent each other from being victims of this type of thing.  |
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jessfmaldonado
Frequent Member
Joined: Feb 18, 2008
Posts: 394
Location: Florida
Birthday: Dec 02
Gallery Supporter Member
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Fri May 16, 2008 11:00 am |
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| costumeczar wrote: | | I thought this could be like that email scam that has the request for the pink 4-tiered cake with "happy married life" written on it, but I can't figure out what the point of doing it by phone would be. |
What is that scam???? I have never heard of it. |
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CakesByBabycakes
Junior Member
Joined: Sep 14, 2007
Posts: 66
Location: Hastings, FL
Birthday: Feb 20
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Fri May 16, 2008 11:09 am |
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I think it is a scam. If it was from a deaf person, the operator would identify it as such. |
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metrocakes
Regular Member
Joined: Jul 25, 2007
Posts: 171
Location: Florida
Birthday: Jul 16
Gallery Supporter Member
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Fri May 16, 2008 11:17 am |
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I had the same thing happen to me twice. At first I thought it was a service for the deaf. However, the second time it happened I paid closer attention, and it was not. There is a service that you can contact online that will send messages for you. My son used it when his cell phone died, and he needed to contact me. It's the same concept; you type in your message, and the rep relays it to you via telephone. The calls I received sounded suspicious especially when one was for a 300 serving wedding cake, and she wanted it in two weeks. A contact name or telephone number was not provided, only a yahoo email address. I did not respond to either inquiries. I figured if this person was serious, they would attempt to contact me again. |
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SweetArt
Frequent Member
Joined: Jul 07, 2005
Posts: 478
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Fri May 16, 2008 11:19 am |
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playingwithsugar
Forum SuperStar!
Joined: Aug 31, 2005
Posts: 4918
Location: Happy Birthday, Scorpions!
Birthday: Nov 20
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Fri May 16, 2008 11:25 am |
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Before retirement, I worked for one of the major telecommunications companies here in the US. It's not that long ago since I worked there, so unless things have drastically changed, let me tell you -
There is no job title within the major telephone corporations called
LANLine Only Operator.
LANLine means Local Area Network Line, and is the line your home telephone runs off. These operators (we call them 0 operators) are not allowed to leave voicemail messages for customers.
State and Federal regulations prohibit the types of communication between all telephone operators and customers. For Instance - Outside of collect or person-to-person calls, only emergency communications are allowed. This is done through a secure department within the telecommunications company (not the 0 operators), which is only allowed to leave voicemail messages with only call-back numbers for the caller trying to reach them.
A TDD (telecommunications device for the deaf) or TTY (teletypewriter) Operator is required to announce themselves as just that, TDD or TTY operator, not LANLine Only Operator. They are not allowed to leave messages about wedding cakes, either.
Synopsis - there is no way on this green Earth that any legitimate telephone operator, working for any major telecommunications company here in the US, would ever be allowed to leave a message for anyone about baking someone's wedding cake.
Scam? Of course it is!! Thanks for sharing this with us. I hope all this information has helped you, and that others can be warned by it.
Theresa  |
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biviana
Frequent Member
Joined: Sep 14, 2006
Posts: 259
Birthday: Dec 17
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Fri May 16, 2008 11:38 am |
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theresa,
thanks for the info. Definitly a scam I'll say |
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