419 scam emails have been around for a while now. You know the ones. “I’m the bank manager for the ex-president of so-and-so and I want to share $40MILLION DOLLARS with you”. I had one when I tried selling my sisters car (with her permission of course). It came from Robin based in “Amsterdam” whose driver would come with a banker’s draft. I called him, but the rain on the corrogated iron roof at his end made it difficult to hear him.

Today @BBCakesBath (aka the wife with the birthday cake business) received this email from the Rev Terry Brain:

——– Original Message ——–
Subject:
Rev Terry Cake Order!!!!
Date: Tue, 14 May 2013 18:41:02 +0800
From:Terry Brain tbrain002@gmail.com>
To:undisclosed-recipients:;

HELLO,
AM I TALKING TO THE A CAKE BAKERY I GOT YOUR WEBSITE FROM A CO-PATIENCE HERE IN THE HOSPITAL.AM MAKING ORDER FOR THE BIRTHDAY CAKE NEEDED FOR MY DAD PARTY.MY NAME IS REV TERRY BRAIN AND I WOULD LIKE TO PLACE AN ORDER TO GO AT YOUR BAKERY FOR AM HAVING AN UPCOMING BIRTHDAY PARTY ON THE 30TH OF MAY FOR MY DAD,I WILL LIKE TO PLACE AN ORDER TO GO FOR A BIRTHDAY CAKE WITH STRAWBERRY OR VANILLA FLAVOR THAT WILL SERVE 100 GUEST AND SOME CUP CAKE SERVING 100 GUEST AS WELL. ON BOTH SHEET CAKE WOULD BE GRANDPA @ 85 AND ON THE CUP CAKE JUST 85TH IF YOU DONT HAVE THE STRAWBERRY OR VANILLA CAKE YOU CAN DO A FLAVOR CAKE BUT MIND YOU I WILL PREFER THOSE TWO FLAVOR STATED.BUT AM SURE YOU TO MAKE THE VANILLA OR STRAWBERRY FLAVOR AND IHOPE YOU WOULD MAKE A NICE BIRTHDAY CAKE FOR THE PARTY.I JUST WANT IT WRITTEN ON THE CAKE GRANDPA @85.THANKS.ATTACH IS THE SAMPLE OF THE SHOULD LOOK LIKE.

BELOW ARE THE SERVICES REQUIRE FROM YOUR BAKERY

1. EMAIL ME THE TOTAL COST FOR THE ORDER.
2. CAN YOU GET THIS ORDER DELIVERED BY 3PM ON THAT DATE?
3. A PRIVATE SHIPPER WLL BE COMING FOR THE PICKUP OF THE ORDER ON BY 3PM DATE.
4. EMAIL ME THE TOTAL COST, YOUR NAME AND TYPES OF CREDIT CARDS YOU ACCEPT AS PAYMENT.
5. I WANT YOU TO GET BACK TO ME VIA EMAIL SO THAT WE CAN BE ABLE TO FINALIZE THE ORDER FROM THERE.

I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I AM HEARING IMPAIRED AND CURRENTLY RECUPERATING FROM AN EAR SURGERY NOW SO YOU CAN ONLY EMAIL ME.

REGARD,
REV TERRY BRAIN.
EMAIL:TBRAIN002@GMAIL.COM

She gets strange genuine enquires from all around the world but this was a little odd. There are plenty of things to give it away:

  • Bad grammar and spelling
  • CAPITALS THROUGHOUT
  • A private shipper to pick up
  • No address to deliver to or even to say if they are even close
  • sent to undisclosed recipents (they tailored it well but still want to send to a lot of potential victims)
  • No currency mentioned (they want to get the US as well)
  • Please don’t call, only email

But what really gave it away is that the Rev Terry Brain, is actually the Rt Rev Terry Brain, Bishop of Salford and he is 74 himself, so his Dad could hardly be only 85! Pah, no attention to detail these scammers!


1 Comment

Alex · 4th September 2013 at 4:22 pm

CLEARLY IT’S IN ALL CAPS BECAUSE HE IS HEARING IMPAIRED!

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