This Is Why They Keep Doing The Cake Scams
Business By costumeczar Updated 2 Nov 2010 , 5:44pm by costumeczar
Because someone will fall for it! Luckily, this woman had a Western Union employee stop her before she wired money to someone, so she's only out the cost of the cake and the time to do it, nothing was taken from her bank account. http://southeastportland.katu.com/content/big-order-wedding-cake-turns-big-scam
You would *think* that this scam would be old news by now, but obviously we need to keep making people aware of it. I have no idea how anyone could think an order like that is real, but maybe that's because I've been running into variations of that scam for at least 10 years.
What people will try to swindle honest hard working people out of their money. I am so glad that the people at western union stopped her from sending the money.
Ah, now I get it! They credit card numbers are stolen. I didn't understand how it worked, before. Wondered how the scammers got any money when they pre-paid the cake plus shipping and then just asked for the shipping money back...
But if the card numbers were stolen, they are trying to make YOU eat costs when it comes to light that the cards weren't used legitimately.
Thanks for posting. Feel sorry for the baker.
My DH is a Police Chief, and you would be AMAZED at how many folks fall for these things. He gets so mad! The people are usually elderly or very naieve - and they really don't "get" it. We even have to tell his own mother time and time to delete any thing that remotely looks like a scam. We see it happen all the time - and nothing is ever done about it. The FBI won't even mess with it unless the loss is in the 6 digits.
That sucks... I really thought people knew that was a scam, but some people haven't been as jaded or exposed I guess. You feel very bad for the person who got 'taken' and you also want to b-slap the person that did it!!
Is this the same woman who is being talked about on another thread here on CC, or is this a second person in two days to fall for this?
I would never take an order like this. Cakes do not ship well.Has any of you gals (or guys) ever actually shipped a cake that far? Just wondering how you did it!! I tried to ship some sugar flowers to a gal about three provinces over and it is a good thing that I insured them as even though I packed them really well, they were destroyed! I have enough to keep me busy in the local community without shipping a cake. I also insist upon comfirming email orders by telephone (landline-no blocked numbers) before I do the order. This is such an old scam that just takes on new shapes. Too bad for the gal though...good thing western union was on their toes!
Jo
I don't understand why a baker would agree to ship an ordinary cake like that to some other place far away. There was nothing special about that cake - why wouldn't she tell the "customer" that she can get a good cake in Toronto? Isn't that taking advantage of the customer?
I don't understand why a baker would agree to ship an ordinary cake like that to some other place far away. There was nothing special about that cake - why wouldn't she tell the "customer" that she can get a good cake in Toronto? Isn't that taking advantage of the customer?
You are right, I saw the cake on the news, it was a plain iced cake, with a few buttercream roses on it. Very simple design, I wondered why the baker was taken in by this. You could get a cake like that at any grocery store bakery, and they wouldn't have to pay for shipping. I wondered why the baker wouldn't have told them that.
Also I spoke about this in another thread, i'm sure this is the same baker from Portland.
I know there are many different scams out there. We should try and set up an area that you can post about scams. No comments, just the scam and the details.
A section that is easy to find and you don't have to search for it.
OMG....I got an email from these scammers. I was contacted through the wedding wire that someone was wanting information about my services. I contacted the person back and told them they could view my website or contact me directly through email. I got an email and knew right away that something wasn't right. They wanted a 5 tier cake in fondant or buttercream to serve 300 with pink roses and Happy Married Life written on it, each tier boxed individually, to be picked up at 3 pm on Friday October 15, which was less than a week away. I replied back and informed them that I didn't take orders for large cakes via email or telephone, but would happily schedule a meeting and they could pay a deposit for the cake. The response was "this is disappointing, would it be possible to get cupcakes instead? In 21 years I have never had a bride wait until the week of her wedding to order her cake, so I didn't take the bait.
My husband took the phone call and now I've gotten the email for this same scam. I got one phone call from TTY and was immediately on alert for a scam but it turned out to be a legitimate hearing-impaired person. These scams are making it hard on people that are deaf because we immediately think "scam", at least I do.
My husband took the phone call and now I've gotten the email for this same scam. I got one phone call from TTY and was immediately on alert for a scam but it turned out to be a legitimate hearing-impaired person. These scams are making it hard on people that are deaf because we immediately think "scam", at least I do.
It is too bad...I got one of those calls last week and immediately thought scam too, of course it ended up being the scam. It's too bad that they can take advantage of the system lkike that.
OMG....I got an email from these scammers. I was contacted through the wedding wire that someone was wanting information about my services. I contacted the person back and told them they could view my website or contact me directly through email. I got an email and knew right away that something wasn't right. They wanted a 5 tier cake in fondant or buttercream to serve 300 with pink roses and Happy Married Life written on it, each tier boxed individually, to be picked up at 3 pm on Friday October 15, which was less than a week away.
I' ve got this one that same week, just few days before Oct 15th, they tell you something like this: I want you to bake me a cake... and then they give you details about how they want the cake. Nobody talks to you like that on and e-mail. Brides don't talk like that, and if they are paying for a 300 pp cake, they want to taste it!!!! Brides are sooo wise about how to spend their budget, why paying extra just for delivery. Please bakers!!!
My husband took the phone call and now I've gotten the email for this same scam. I got one phone call from TTY and was immediately on alert for a scam but it turned out to be a legitimate hearing-impaired person. These scams are making it hard on people that are deaf because we immediately think "scam", at least I do.
Me too! One time I thought I would be very direct with them and just kept saying "I know this is a scam. Go ahead." .... but that one turned out to be a real person! She ended up coming into the shop to order the cake a few days later
So now I play along until I'm SURE. Very unfortunate.
I am in a college town here, and thought I had a scam a while back....she wanted to order 2 pounds of cake. It ended up being legitimate - she was contacting me from India to provide a cake for her boyfriend here in Ohio. After wading through the difficulties of two languages we got it figured out....but yeah, I was thinking it was a scam at first too.
I also insist upon comfirming email orders by telephone (landline-no blocked numbers) before I do the order.
I don't even own a landline, and haven't for 3+ years..... just saying....
Wow, if "something" .... not only something pertaining to cake orders, but anything .... raises your gut intuition, then that should send up personal red flags for you. Your intuition (that empowering voice from within that tells you something is not right) usually speaks so loudly that you simply can't or shouldn't ignore it.
The lady who got scammed even said, "something didn't seem right." I know we all would like to get paid for our work, but sometimes some money is meant to pass you "by, ... buy, ... bye."
I am sorry this was very unfortunate but the only thing I can think of is $150 in supplies and 5 hours for a 5 tier cake!!! I think I may be doing something wrong my cost and time would be much higher.... just saying. I know it is irrelevant.
I am sorry this was very unfortunate but the only thing I can think of is $150 in supplies and 5 hours for a 5 tier cake!!! I think I may be doing something wrong my cost and time would be much higher.... just saying. I know it is irrelevant.
haha! It didn't look like a very complicated cake design-wise.
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