SCAM Alert!

First off, congrats to all the Ravens fans out there! I guess if it can't be the Redskins, I'm happy to see our neighbors bring home the win!

Moving on...

Last week I received the following email:

From: Barbra Williams <barbra_sugardiva@yahoo.com>

Hi! Been to your website. I'm Barbra Williams. Tom & I will be getting married soon. We are interested in learning more about your CAKES. If you would get back with the necessary pricing. We are currently looking for a 3-4 tier tall wedding cake, cupcakes to feed our guest count of 200 people.

Safe to say we are looking for a 3-4 tier tall wedding cake to feed 100 people & 200 cupcakes in assorted flavors..

- wedding is Saturday- MARCH, 16th, 2013.. and in Virginia.
- No delivery is needed, we arrange to pick these up at your store OR at your preferred location...

Just get back with the necessary pricing information to discuss further.

Thank you
Barbra Williams

I responded with a very lengthy and detailed email explaining all the pricing, options, and even offered to set up a tasting with her. Her response was that she was "out of the country and hearing impaired." It sounded a little fishy to me and sent me googling her email address. The first result: SCAM ALERT! Ugh. I couldn't figure out how this person would benefit from this situation. So, I bake a 4 tier cake & 200 cupcakes and get stuck with them, what do they get out of it? A laugh? So, I read into it a little more. Here's how they get you. They send you a bad check for more than you asked for, to which they say "oops, I sent you more than I should have, please wire me the difference" and by the time you realize that their check has bounced, it's too late. These people are so persistent. I once tried to sell a laptop on ebay and had someone try to pull one over on me. Craigslist, same thing. It's so frustrating. Lucky for me, I am aware that these scams exist and can detect them pretty quickly. But there are obviously people out there who aren't aware and fall for them, which is why these scammers keep on keeping on. With the amount of time they spend thinking up new ways to scam people, creating all those false email addresses, and communicating with their targets, they could be doing something positive and maybe actually be a productive member of society. Anyway, I'm posting this in hopes that I can help someone else from being scammed. If it weren't for others outing this person online, who knows how much longer I'd be wasting my time with "Barbra."