I'm just trying to get started with a small home business. I have a website that I put up through Homestead that is very simple. Today, I got a very strange email-----my first one,so I was excited until I read through it. I'm wondering where this person got my email address from or how they found the website to begin with. I've only given a business card to a few people that I work with:

Here it is:
Hi ,
This is Thomas,I will like you to bake me a strawberry cake of 5 tier that can serve approximately 310 guest.

I want the cake to be decorated with pink roses and the cake should be covered in fondant, handmade floral and packed in different boxes and let the inscription be writing on one as "HAPPY MARRIAGE LIFE".

I will prefer the cake ready for pick-up on 29th of March 10:00am.Kindly advise if you can fill in the date and I will be glad to inform you that I have a shipper that will come to pick the cake at your doorstep.

Regards,
ThomasCrew


Any insight you guys have would be great!!!!!

Crystal

Yes, sorry it is a scam. they will offer to send you a large payment to include shipping, you cash what will be a bogus check and send them the cash difference. Ha!

SCAM! The "language" of this e-mail indicates someone that has limited English skills. Delete it and Keep On Cakin'!

Beth

SCAM! DELETE BUTTON!

Beth

Yes it is a scam, the wording is exactly like others posted earlier.

Yep! I get those too. I can't believe they have started in on the cake ladies now! It is soooo anoying to get those emails.

sounds a little fishy. Proceed with caution. Go about it like it were a real order, tell them you need 75% up front and that you are a cash only location, also, if this person does end up coming to your house, make sure that there is another adult with you.

Yes, that's a scam.
I already got it myself; he kept insisting in sending me $1400.00 when I only quoted $700.00.

Here is the last email I sent this 'customer'.
________________________________________
Dear Frank:

The cake you chose is $3.50 PER SERVING so if you need a cake to feed 200 people, then the total payment I need from you is USD$700.00.

We do not accept any kinds of checks, CASH AND MONEY ORDERS ONLY.
Also an important part of the cake is the flavor, we have not spoken about that yet and I would like to arrange a flavor tasting I also need to know where I am delivering the cake, we only deliver in the XYZ County Area, we DO NOT SHIP our cakes and we DO NOT ACCEPT pick ups.

Please let me know about my questions before we continue further planning.

Best Regards,

Definately a scam. Do a search on here about Nigerian scams. This is DEFINATELY a SCAM!!

Dont even reply about a deposit. Dont replay, just delete. Some said if you replay, even to say leave me along, you're only verifying that your email address is in fact valid and you'll continue to get more of these types of spam.

way scary people out there!

It's a scam....DELETE. I got the exact same e-mail earlier in the week, and even posted about it. Some people are just losers and need some other way to fill their spare time. Hey, instead of of trying SCAMS to make money....here's something you might try.....GET A REAL JOB!!!! (I sure hope that the losers are reading this!) LOL.

Amy

yeah this is scam, sometime things are too good to be true. Please don't reply to it, just delete it, no sense in trying to work with them, there is no telling what other information they can get from you if you respond.

Yup, it's a scam. I got that email on Monday too and I'm not even in the same country as you!

In mine, he asks for 210 slices and needs it for March 15th.

HAPPY
MARRIAGE
LIFE

i got a bogus money order from the same people for 2500 bucks.

We get a couple of those a week here too!

You know who the real victim here is? That poor couple that is legitimately looking for a wedding cake that says "HAPPY MARRIAGE LIFE"... because you know damn well that we are all deleting that email.

My husband received these emails also. The peole sent him a check. He took it to our local FBI office. he left it with them there.

I can't believe I almost fell for this! A good friend of mine has started a catering business and received this exact request a few weeks ago and asked if I could help her out. Since the letter is fairly vague, we've sent emails asking for further information, including one earlier this evening. The date they were asking us was for March 1! He also wanted to pay with a credit card which she doesn't take.

I'm so glad I was going to ask you all about this cake and found this thread instead. I will sleep so much better tonight! Although I have to admit, the money would have been great.

It was the "Happy Marriage Life" inscription that had me wondering.

Thank you all!

Kelli

SPAM it!

Crystal74 I didn't see a link to your website... although I know that isn't what you posted for. Anyway, you mentioned your simple website so I wanted to look at it. Mine is www.selfservebaker.com/alice I like mine, I purchased some webspace so I host it there. If you want one that is free of ad banners PM me and I'd be happy to set you up one also (for free).