Hey everyone,

I'm not sure if this is like those email scams that go around or if this is actually legitimate, but it's smells fishy to me, so I just wanted to send out a heads-up in case anyone else has had this just as a possible warning. Again, it might be legit, but it might be a scam.

This is the 2nd time I've gotten a call this week from one of those hearing-impaired operators that reads relays the call from the caller. You know what I'm talking about? Anyway, the 1st time the caller said her name was "Mrs. Kate" and she was calling to place an order for her "lovely daughter and fiance" for April 16th for 250 people and wanted to know how much it would cost.

I am booked for that weekend already and told her I could not accept anymore orders, but even if I wasn't booked, I would have still probably "been booked" as the verbage the operator was using was very similar to how some of those email scams are "I will like to place a order for wedding cake for my lovely daughter." The operator has to read exactly what the person says, so I believe the verbage is too close to some of those email scams and the grammar is funky, so this was a red flag to me.

Anyway, I just got another relay call again for the exact same thing, same name, same exact verbage only they changed the date they wanted to April 21st. This time, even thought I wasn't really booked, I just felt like it was for sure something funky and told them I was booked. Ended the call.

Anyway, just a warning if you get this kind of call just make sure it is legit. I would hate to think these scammers are now thinking they can scam us by phone. Just a heads up. If it's legit....great. If not, I hope I can send out a warning to anyone else who may be targeted.

Have a great weekend!!

Yes, that's a scam. Been around quite a while.

Wow, I knew, thanks to this wonderful board, about the email scams, but the phone one is new information to me. Glad I followed my gut. These scammers are ruthless and creative, aren't they!

they still call me all the time

littlecake, what do you do when the call you? Do you take the call? I think if they call me again I am going to immediately tell the operator to write "I will not accept your call as I know this is a scam. Please don't call this business again." and then tell the operator I decline the call. It's one thing to go about the scamming with the emails because those are easy and quick to ignore, but these phone calls are just plain annoying.

i just don't accept the calls anymore.

I got that call twice. They hang up when I say I only take check or Paypal. They were trying very hard to give me their credit card. I'm not sure how they would scam me but from now on I will not take the calls.

I hadn't heard of that one yet! I think it is horrible to do that as it might make everyone wary of taking a call from a legitimate deaf or hard of hearing person, although I do believe that as you said tootie, you could tell it wasn't a real operator. I actually think that a deaf person would E-mail regarding a matter like this, I know as I have a deaf grandson, aged nearly 15 & he either text messages or E-mails. I wish these scam artists would apply their devious ways to do some good instead of evil! There are a lot of people who still use the TTY system.

I forgot to say that it probably wasn't a real TTY operator at all but the scam artist pretending!!!

I got that call 3 times one day. I finally laughed at the 3rd operator (different voice, too, nice touch), and told them, as if they *were* an actual operator: "Sorry. This sounds like a scam. Goodbye".

I agree--if they're actually deaf, they can go to the website and order by email etc. OR have a friend call or come in to order in person.

It's the lingo that blows it, though. There's always something WAY off about what they're asking for and how they're asking for it.

When I get the emails, I don't even answer them. Sorry I'll have to miss out on that--- "cake feed 450 persons to pick up on Friday April 16 11 am and to say happy wedding bride and groom and to have buttercream and fondant icing and to taste like strawberry and chocolate and vanilla cake and to please decorate with roses or flowers and please contact at early convenient, tell me if you can be available make this cake please."

Um...WHAT? Yeah...fishy, is right.

Sounded like a real operator to me. I kept waiting for the "client's" response and the operator and I were talking amonst ourselves that he was taking a very long time.