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.

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.

maybe the person is deaf and is using assistance.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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....

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.

I think it is a scam. If it was from a deaf person, the operator would identify it as such.

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.

I've gotten those calls too. It is a scam. They abuse the deaf assistance line to hide their accent.

Here is the thread that explains the "Happy Married Life" thing.

http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-587141.html

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

theresa,
thanks for the info. Definitly a scam I'll say

I received one of those. After a few minutes trying to figure out what it was with the operator and then some weird replies my call was interupted by the manager. The manager said the call fit the profile for a scam and that they were sorry. It was a real Tty service, but the person on the other end was abusing the program.

HTH Julia

It certainly sounds fishy, thanks for letting us in on yet another scam!

It is a scam.

Do not even waste your time replying.

The details may change slightly, but the basic structure is always the same.

Here is an article that explains it:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/ID/4781806/

Thanks for all of the responses. I just KNEW that I'd be able to get some kind of an explanation for this on CC! I knew this was a scam, but I didn't know how they were using the phone lines...That stinks that people are able to take advantage of a system that's set up to help people that way.

I never answer or respond to anything that sounds remotely odd, even if it could be legit, whether by phone or by email.

Besides, even if it really is someone who is deaf or disabled...and they're getting married, wouldn't it make sense that they would have their bridesmaid/best friend/fiance/wedding planner call and take care of dealing with their wedding vendors, so they know the details are being taken care of?

What a scam. Glad you brought it up!

oh the beloved "happy marriage life" scam...they called me using the deaf thingy months ago.

they hit a lot of us here.

Little Cake -

It is possible that they are lurkers in forums, and that they use contact information found in threads, or the e-mail buttons, to get further contact information for all of you.

How many of you, who have been contacted, have a telephone number on a website or blogspot?

Theresa

I think they got me out of the yellow pages....as far as i know i was the first one hit...i thought it was a handicapped girl from my town at first....until she wanted it shipped to canada....and she wanted me to pay her shipper.....

kate coker was the name they used....and it has been used many times since to people on the board.

i looked it up on the internet...and they said that the scammers use the deaf phone ...because uts free for one thing....and for another to hide the accent.

Here's a weird email I got today (my web site clearly says I am not taking orders now):

There is an attached picture of musical notes, and the return email address is [email protected]. I'm not responding, and will block the sender.

I'm waiting for the scam to hit me.

I have it all planned out on how I'm going to play along and am going to have the time of my life with them. Of course I'll blog about it as well as our e-mail exchanges etc.

When it gets to the point of where I want to play with a scammer and am just sitting here waiting... yeah.... I definately need a life.

With my luck I'm never going to get contacted on this one. So far I've missed every other scam out there.

HERE YA GO!

Kate Coker ([email protected])

HA HA HA...i looked in my email files...

tell her your friend declined...but you'd be more than delighted to do it....heck...lets all write...that'll keep em busy!

Yes, it a scam!!!!! I get 2-3 emails every month - need a wedding cake with writing "happy married life" and phone calls too.