I wish they could find a way to stop all these unwanted emails like they did with the no call list for telemarketers. I have been getting spammed with unwanted emails at the rate of over 100 a week.
Diane
I bumped into this on the web sounds like a lot of work but worth it if you 100 spam emails a week, the way i do is i keep my old yahoo email and when i register on website except cake central i give out my old email when i request information that gets sent to the old email i know what to look for and i keep my personal email only to my friends and family the same thing with my phone i simply don't give it, out stores will ask your email too and i just i rather not share they can't make you give it to them
hope this link helps
http://www.obviously.com/junkmail/
I've been hit with PayPal emails twice..No Cake emails. The last PayPal email said they lost thousands of customer data due to hardware issues and they needed to recover this data. Let's see what they come up with next. Please be aware!! and Thanks for posting!!
I received an email from a local bank something about their security and my account and gave a link for me to click well I dont even have an account with this bank so I deleted the email and blocked the sender a couple of weeks later I got the same email from the same bank but with a different email addy so I deleted that one and blocked them as well. Now if I did have an account with them I might have been stupid enough to open the link but after reading all of your problems I will be a lot smarter even from places that I DO have business with thanks everyone for sharing your horror stories I'm a lot smarter than when I signed in here today.
Glad I had just read this thread. I just received two emails from paypal. Not that I would have given them the info they wanted anyway, but after reading this I didn't even open the link. Just deleted the whole thing and sent out a reminder to my parents and grandparents to watch out for the same thing. Hopefully no one fell for it.
CC saves the day 
Glad I had just read this thread. I just received two emails from paypal. Not that I would have given them the info they wanted anyway, but after reading this I didn't even open the link. Just deleted the whole thing and sent out a reminder to my parents and grandparents to watch out for the same thing. Hopefully no one fell for it.
CC saves the day
I have also received the paypal emails. I don't even have a paypal account. I have visited e-bay but have never bought anything just looked around. I know there are alot of ways they receive your info and this is scary. I immediatly delete anything that I do not know who it is. Latly alot of my CC replies have come in my bulk mail. I usually trash all my bulk. But noticed one day there were some CC replies. So now I at least check who send without opening anything. If I don't know them then they don't get opened.
My first experience with this was just last month and it wasn't cake related. I got an email from (supposedly) Paypal. Exact duplication of their logo etc. Saying they had noticed some outside the country attempts to gain access to my Paypal account. Reply to this email by clicking on this link to verify your Paypal information, if we do not hear back from you within 72 hours, unfortunately we will have to freeze your Paypal account. I clicked on the link fully believing it was from Paypal. Until they ask you to verify your account with the following information
Name
Address
Telephone Number
Credit Card Number and Expiration date
date of birth
And the ones that finally set off an alarm in my head
Your ATM Password and Paypal Password
I didn't fill out the information, clicked off, copied the email and pasted it to an email to the Paypal address on their official website. Also called my bank. There had been no activity at the bank but they put a red flag on my checking account to watch for any unusual transactions. Heard back from Paypal immediately. They had not sent the email and they would investigate. I changed my password on Paypal as well. From now on I will be smarter and if I ever receive anything like this again I will not ever click on the link they send. I will contact Paypal instantly. There has been no unusual activity on my Paypal account either, but if I had been naive enough to complete that information form that would have had access to all of my credit and bank information. Scary stuff this identity theft scam.
This exact thing happend to me a few months ago, and luckily like you Shirley I contacted Paypal imediately for them to verify sending the email, they did'nt...so they ask me to send the bogus email to them and gave me lots of information on the scams that are rife at the moment of people trying to get your bank details etc...I'm so glad I didn't respond to that email, my intuition must have been on overtime because that bogus email sure looked like it came from paypal.
(sorry, I dont know how to just post a small section of the quote 
)
I just wanted to say that I received a legitimate email the other day from my credit card company. It said that there was potential fraud use on my card. The thing that triggered me that this was legitimate was because they didn't ask me to click on another link nor did they give me a phone number to call. They told me to call the customer service number on the back of my card. Word to the wise: Do not click on the link to "update account info" nor should you call the number listed in the email (my poor little old dad fell for calling the phone number on a scam over the fax once). If you are unsure, call the phone number on the back of the card or the service number from your bill.
My credit card company phoned me the other day about a suspicious charge (fraudulent) and wanted to shut down my card. I told her to send me a letter on letterhead on it and 1/2 hour later I phoned the number on the back of my cc and sure enough -- it was a legit phone call! So I had them shut down the card and reopen another account which they did. What a world! 
I received an email from a local bank something about their security and my account and gave a link for me to click well I dont even have an account with this bank .....
I've rec'd 3 or 4 of these in the past month or so. LLike you, I don't have accounts or credit cards with any of these banks!
FOrtunately, my hubby was 25 years in banking and part of his job was bank security and fraud investigation, so we try to stay up on a lot of this stuff and are very wary of these types of emails.
What I did on the first one was find the bank's actual website. The phony one looked exactly like the original. The only difference was the phony one had an "ng" at the end of the email address (anybanknh.com vs. anybank.com).
I'm amazed at how much time, effort and brain power goes into thinking up this stuff! If they'd only use their intellectual powers for good!
One more warning. I had some items listed on craigslist to sell (old chairs, etc). Well, I got an e-mail from someone along the same lines as the Beatrice cake e-mail. Just wanted to have movers pick it up, buying sight unseen, I trust you, blah, blah blah. Then they wanted my full name, address, phone, and a bunch more personal info(which I wouldn't give). I received two e-mails from them, but they had 2 different variations of a name on them (red flag) and wanted to pay by cashier's check (red flag). I said no way. Because of the Beatrice phoney e-mails you all have posted, this is right along the same line. So beware, it's not just cakes they are doing this on.
Me too with the PayPal - I just forward to [email protected]
The other day I recieved an e-mail from 5/3 bank, asking that I update infromation. We haven't had an account at that bank for a few years so I just deleted. That night on the news they told of a scam going around using 5/3 bank.
It breaks my heart that so many people fall for these scams. If I wasn't around my husband would be one of them. When we would get one of those post cards we won a free trip he always said call them it may be legit. Nothing is free, I am not going to believe someone is just going to give us a free trip.
And so many times I've recieved what looks like a real check in my name, another scam. Some of them even say that if you cash the check you are automaticly (sp) sign up for something.
Or those big checks they tell you to cash, you won and you just have to send them $300 for the processing fee. You send the check and in the meantime the large check they sent you comes back from your back as faud. And the crooks elsewhere looking for more suckers.
I've had people stop me in the street looking very business like and what to give me a free pass to something. Another scam.
This information can not go out enough. Sometimes it doesn't sink in their heads at first (like my husband). Then there are those who no matter how many times they hear about these scams they still fall for them.
...and wanted to pay by cashier's check (red flag). I said no way.
Ok, please enlighten me. Why is a cashier's check a red flag? I would think that they were legit because they are actually "purchased" from a bank (or wherever) by an actual person.
If any e-mails come in asking to check your account or confirm your account.
From anything- Stores, Banks or any online service.
Go to the web site you know is the true source and get their spam or phishing e-mail and forward the e-mails to them.
They like that you send the e-mail within a few days so they can try to track it and get to the source if they can.
I personally save these in my e-mail addresses under spam and when I get an e-mail I simply type in spam and choose the appropriate company.
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
I have received others, but only once so I did not enter them in.
There was a time I was getting 10-20 a day, I would simply press forward, put in the address and write: phishing? in the text. I always got confirmation that it was not sent from them.
We have changed our internet service and have put spam blockers on and since then I get only a few a day! Thank goodness.
lately we get e-mail from abroad from so called MGR of banks saying help us get this money out.. You give us $20,000 you will get $200,000. yeah right bye bye money!
The other has had this in the subject line:
Challenge Response] Confirm your email by visiting this URL http://204.225.125.4:32000/challenge/?folder=....
Again, they are just trying to get to your info, if they get an in onto your computer, they can keep track of all kinds of stuff, the most dangerous is getting to your passwords.
So keep safe, if it's sounds too good to be true, it's because it is. Do not be fooled.
I feel safe on this site, and this is the only place I post anything like we do here.
By the way, IMHO - I truely believe that myspace is the absolute worse place for kids to go alone without supervision!
Good Luck.
I have an extra e-mail account that did not need my personal information. That's the e-mail address I give when I order something. And I give bogus phone number 734-555-3886. But, not on places I trust like CC.
I just don't see a need for a place I do business with to have this information.
My husband gets mad because if we go to Toys R Us they want your phone number and I tell them I don't give out that information. Too bad, I am making a purchase they can ask for my zip code but not my phone number.
My husband gets mad because if we go to Toys R Us they want your phone number and I tell them I don't give out that information. Too bad, I am making a purchase they can ask for my zip code but not my phone number.
I like to give my phone number out to Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works. They mail you cards for free stuff. 
My husband gets mad because if we go to Toys R Us they want your phone number and I tell them I don't give out that information. Too bad, I am making a purchase they can ask for my zip code but not my phone number.
I like to give my phone number out to Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works. They give you free stuff.
They also harass you to death with phone calls and sell the number! (Don't ask me how I know that!)
They also harass you to death with phone calls and sell the number! (Don't ask me how I know that!)
Ok, luckily I haven't received any telemarketing phone calls (I'm on the Opt Out caller list), but it does explain how Frederick's of Hollywood and Venus Swimwear catalogs come addressed to me.
Edited to add: Sorry for getting off the topic of "Bad bad people and emails"
archanac, the cashiers checks are for more than the amount you are asking. The checks themselves are bogus, not really purchased from the bank or a reliable source, but they look really authentic (computers and good printers can do wonders). Then they ask for the difference back, usually several hundred dollars. You write them a good check for the difference, and then their cashiers check comes back as a fake. Same with money orders!
I receive a bogus Paypal e-mail every few weeks. They are often semi-realistic looking, so I see how some people might be fooled.
I received one yesterday, though, that looked extremely authentic. For one thing, they included a sidebar warning Paypal users against fraudulent emails! The nerve! I suppose they thought that would really throw people off. I forwarded the email to [email protected], and as I suspected, it was a fake.
Please, please, please don't be taken in, no matter how real the email seems!
And don't forget to warn your friends and family who may not be internet saavy. I think seniors and teenagers are probably especially vulnerable.
I hate to think that people fall for this and are hurt financially and otherwise. 
This happens everyday!
I say this one this morning, I only opened it to copy it in here.
The nerve of these people, 
I saw a report on TV recently and they were saying that most of these are currently comming out of England and Algeria and 2 other places which I forget.
The report mentioned that these guys think we will fall for this. They also said that many people do and that once these guys have your money they get mansions and they live like Kings and Queens. Sick!
They do not only go with stories like this one, 1 lady was pulled into a fake relationship online, and then ended up giving $$$ to this supposite boyfriend of hers. Another was about to do the same and got suspiscious when he did not show for their meeting. Good thing, she was going to give him lots ot $$ too.
-------------------------
Original Message:
From: Barr Ray Darrick <[email protected]>
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Cc:
Date: Tuesday, May 8 2007 04:53 PM
Subject: Notification of Bequest
From: Barr. Ray Darrick For Trustees)
Managing Partner Darrick & Solicitors
London - United Kingdom.
Notification of Bequest
On behalf of the Trustees and Executor of the estate of Late Sir. Martin
Wilczek, I once again try to notify you as my earlier letter was returned
undelivered. I hereby attempt to reach you again by this same email
address on the WILL. I wish to notify you that late Sir. Martin Wilczek
made you a beneficiary to his WILL. He left the sum of Five Million, One
Hundred Thousand Dollars (USD$5,100.000.00) to you in the codicil and last
testament to his will. ........ (this went on for a bit more.....)
Please be very carefull, if it sounds like a duck, I am pretty sure it's a duck!
Also Please check out this web site: http://www.snopes.com/
You will be able to look up any topic and get an answer if the e-mail you receive is for real or a fake. There are legitimate e-mails out there but so often there are stories that are fake or so old they are no longer valid. 
And if it not on there, send them an e-mail you will get a standard e-mail check and search our site at first, but if you did and there was nothing, then 3-4 days later you get another e-mail and they will tell you to check their site again or that they are working to check out the story!
It's a great web site kind of like CC, they are there to keep us safe! 
Take care, question everything you do not know to be fact and be SAFE.
Good Luck
I always check snopes before forwarding an e-mail. I get so many fake stories.
May, I take a moment to sway away from the e-mail scams. Recently on the news they were saying that a woman and a young child will stand beside the road as if they were stranded. When you pull over to help a man comes out of no where and they car-jack you.
Now back to our previously scheduled show.
We have never replied to any paypal alert, however someone still hacked into our account and "sold" things under our name and didn't deliver.... of course. and Ebay is still hounding us for fees we were supposed to pay on stuff we didn't sell in New Zealand.
So, be careful in all your transactions... they can still come back to bite you!
The same thing happened to me just recently. Someone listened 50 or more IPODS in my name on eBAY. I immediately contacted eBAY and Paypal, plus had a gazillion email questions to answer from people asking questions about the IPODS and why they were so cheap. eBAY acted on it right away, removed all the listings and had me change my password on my account. I didn't get charged for anything. I hate hackers!
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