I received the following email today. Several red flags came into my mind, but I don't know if I'm just being paranoid & it really is a real cupcake request. Please let me know what you think & if it is a scam, what could they possibly get from it. Here is the what the email read verbatim.
Hello
Good day am Mary George i have a private party schedule i will like to place an order do you have cupcakes butter cream or vanilla flavor also do you accept credit card as payment so if you have cupcakes i will be needing this information
How much will 500 cupcakes will cost me ......
your address for the private carrier coming for the pickup
..............
and actually, i will like you to email me detail asap i will be waiting for the reply.
Thanks
best regards
WOW!!! I don't think there is even one complete sentence in there.
If it isn't a scam I don't think you really want to do business with someone like this anyways.
I received an email kind of like that. She also sent me a partial text from the email before sending the email below. It made me think scam too. I did reply saying I did not accept credit cards and that I would need a deposit well before the due date. I also did not give her the address. Here is the email:
The general gist of the known scam is this: they want you to add $400-500 to the bill for the cupcakes, then charge the whole thing to their (fradulent) credit card and give you the difference in cash.
At this point, these are basically people in third world countries copying an online example of a bad email in the hopes that somebody really will be that stupid.
Just this morning, there was a business call from overseas and a person with an accent so thick you could smell the curry said "his name was jon williams calling about my PC". I cut him off and told him I had caller ID and that he was to never call again.
It's Mary George again!
OP: You'll enjoy this: http://acaketorememberva.blogspot.com/2012/05/cake-scams-can-be-fun.html
AAmericans or people living in America don't use private carriers to pick up cupcakes!
ANever know. Id email back and ask for a phone number to discuss and if and doesn't respond then ok, you have your answer.
AHaha nevermind ...I didn't know thatspecific lady was a scammer. I just read that link a few posts up...eek!
It's Mary George again!
OP: You'll enjoy this: http://acaketorememberva.blogspot.com/2012/05/cake-scams-can-be-fun.html
Thank you!! I loved reading this!!
It's Mary George again!
OP: You'll enjoy this: http://acaketorememberva.blogspot.com/2012/05/cake-scams-can-be-fun.html
LOL. That cracked me up. Great read.
AHa! I got a good one today: "yes i will like to see if u cant make me a cake of the lady niki minaj the girl that thinks she is a barbie n how much i like the pink cup cakes i need to know how much it is n u cant do it for the cup cake i will need 4docens n how much"
Whenever they say "I will like..." then you know it's a scam.
I think they just copy and paste.
I asked them to call me and never got response, so...
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Original message sent by bnbmom
Ha! I got a good one today: "yes i will like to see if u cant make me a cake of the lady niki minaj the girl that thinks she is a barbie n how much i like the pink cup cakes i need to know how much it is n u cant do it for the cup cake i will need 4docens n how much"
Whenever they say "I will like..." then you know it's a scam.
I think they just copy and paste.
I asked them to call me and never got response, so...
AI too received the same email from Mary George and also a Becca Winston. Becca Winston was the first to email me a few weeks ago. She said she was hearing impaired that's why she hadn't called me. I never said if I accepted credit cards so I never heard from her again. Today good ole Mary George emailed with the same request so that's when I decided to look online for scams. After a minute I figured it out. So this was my response back:
Unfortunately, "Mary George or Jane" I cannot take your "order." You see, you contacted me as Becca Winston a few weeks ago with the same order.
I do my research. Your phony name is all over the Internet.
First, no one uses a courier to pick up orders. Second, your English and writing skills are atrocious!
Whoever you are, you should be ashamed of yourself for preying on innocent people. I will be sure to post this all over the Internet to ensure that noone falls for this ****. Disgraceful!
Don't ever contact me again using any names or email addresses.
i just got my first mary george email yesterday as well! i wanted to reply back with something nasty but i just ignored it.
It's a scam. A Cake to Remember VA has fun with them! Check it out....
http://www.acaketorememberva.blogspot.com/p/fun-with-email-scammers.html
Just this morning, there was a business call from overseas and a person with an accent so thick you could smell the curry said "his name was jon williams calling about my PC". I cut him off and told him I had caller ID and that he was to never call again.
BakingIrene, the way you have worded this is very offensive. There are many people on this forum from different cultures, i've seen many debates, but none of them have become personal about a persons culture. "...an accent so thick you could smell the curry...." Thats out of order. Please keep it clean.
Just this morning, there was a business call from overseas and a person with an accent so thick you could smell the curry said "his name was jon williams calling about my PC". I cut him off and told him I had caller ID and that he was to never call again.
Please EDUCATE YOURSELF BEFORE YOU CALL MY POST OFFENSIVE.
I use caller ID and I knew 200% for sure that this was an overseas call originating from a foreign country that has a very known bad reputation for overseas telemarketing using false names.
I live in Canada where firms have been fined $150 MILLION for breaking OUR telemarketing laws. These laws include stating the real name of the caller at the beginning of the call.
This has got nothing to do with educating one-self. I get Scam emails and phonecalls also but don't go slagging them off. No need to be so rude.
Oh sorry Shanter, that post was directed at BakingIrene after the last post she wrote. I agree for us not to be polite to scammers,but becoming offensive about someones culture saddened me.
Oh sorry Shanter, that post was directed at BakingIrene after the last post she wrote. I agree for us not to be polite to scammers,but becoming offensive about someones culture saddened me.
Saying you "can smell the curry" isn't offensive. If the shoe fits... They eat a lot of curry in a lot of places, India for example. If someone said, "In an American accent so think, you could smell the pizza and cheeseburgers" I would have a good chuckle. It wouldn't even OCCUR to me to be offended. If you think that Indians would be offended by "curry", I think that is more derogatory about their culture than mentioning they eat curry. It's like you're saying Indians have filthy tempers and can't take a joke.
Honestly, when I read it I found it a little offensive. I didn't say anything at the time because I didn't want to start an argument. Maybe it's because I'm an immigrant myself, or because I have many Indian friends who I know would be offended by that comment. It's not equal to saying an American smells of pizza and cheeseburgers, it's more than that.
Saying you "can smell the curry" isn't offensive. If the shoe fits... They eat a lot of curry in a lot of places, India for example. If someone said, "In an American accent so think, you could smell the pizza and cheeseburgers" I would have a good chuckle. It wouldn't even OCCUR to me to be offended. If you think that Indians would be offended by "curry", I think that is more derogatory about their culture than mentioning they eat curry. It's like you're saying Indians have filthy tempers and can't take a joke.
An American of Indian descent can have a thick Indian accent. An Indian person without an accent can also eat curry. It honestly was an offensive comment, though I am sure BakingIrene did not mean it to be.
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Original message sent by jennicake
An American of Indian descent can have a thick Indian accent. An Indian person without an accent can also eat curry. It honestly was an offensive comment, though I am sure BakingIrene did not mean it to be.
I really don't get offended, I consider the source, unless it is nit-picking. I hate a nit picker! I value free speech too much. Even hate speech is protected under the first amendment.
Not to continue the current (derailment? distraction? eh whatever) but I just looooooove when the overseas telemarketers give such obviously fake names. John Wilson? Margaret Smith? Rebecca? Mark? Ok right, my butt! Do they think it makes us take them seriously, like we think they're calling from the states, as if it makes a difference? I really laugh at it out loud.
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