hearing impaired scam

[ProMoDe]

Got a phone call this morning from at&t transmitting a message from a hearing impaired "customer." The message is as follows: "my uncle had an accident on his way to visit our family in NY with his 2006 cadillac escalade, the repair work has been done and I need the vehicle detailed, can I have it towed to your state and your shop. can you do that for me?"

So, I sent a message to the email address that they provided in the message, and they requested my phone number(they called me through tty already!) and i gave it, then i began receiving texts not from a telephone number but from a yahoo account. For some reason I cannot reply to the text.

I did a little google search for hearing impaired scams and got these link

Service for Hearing Impaired Scam Affects Businesses (http://www.disabled-world.com/editorials/tty-scam.php)

hearing impaired scam (http://www.wtvr.com/wtvr-scam-hearing-impaired-artists,0,6511349.story)

After reading this I'm almost %100 sure it's a scam, especially after such keywords as New York and Cadillac Escalade. Also, if they would have looked at my web page, they would have my email address and phone number. Why not text or email me directly instead of going through tty? Why couldn't her non hearing impaired uncle give me a call? Just wanted to pass this on to all the professional detailers.

[alko]

Thanks for passing this info on!

[LuxuryMobile]

Has happened to me before too.

[VR8]

I've gotten numerous calls over the last couple of years. Here's a thread I posted last year discribing mine ... http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/how-make-money-detailing-cars/31959-scam-phone-calls-tty-services.html

Just got another one last week. I hung up during the AT&T operators initial speach. They called back but I didn't answer.

[Kristopher1129]

It's absolutely a scam. Either that, or there's quite a few Escalades getting into accidents that apparently need a detailing, ha.

I've had them call probably 10 times. I've noticed that being rude usually makes them stop. The operators are no help either. You try to cut them off and they say "please wait, and respond when I'm finished". I just say, no thanks and hang up!

[ProMoDe]

I've gotten numerous calls over the last couple of years. Here's a thread I posted last year discribing mine ... http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/how-make-money-detailing-cars/31959-scam-phone-calls-tty-services.html

Just got another one last week. I hung up during the AT&T operators initial speach. They called back but I didn't answer.

Yeah, it's the same thing I had today, but we communicated through email too. here is a copy of the text

I hope you can help me handle it and you can't come to my house because presently i am not at home now on business trip out of the town so i want the vechicle deliver to your home address and you can get things done and once its done i will come and picked it up at your home Yes I do live here in state and the vehicle is with the tow guy in NY and they will have it tow to your workshop for an estimation by next week Wednesday between 11:00am ....will you be able to handle everything done for me and do you accept credit card

I replied: I accept credit cards, but i only take them in person with a photo id

last response: am sorry i can't come there i can only give you my card via the email and we can wait once it clear into your bank account and it will take 2days to clear if thats alright with you then lets move on

[Dugdug]

I would just reply back and waste their time. Act interested and drag it on for as long as you can just to annoy them... If you have free time lol

[ryanmcg1]

Me and my girlfriend breed our Mini Schnauzers and we get calls from hearing impaired saying they will disucuss more by email, send us a check for more $ than what we was asking for the puppy and we cash it and send the rest of the money back via money order. It was just a scam for us to cash a fake check and send them the money. I was pissed I wasted my time never again, sorry for the real people that need to use TTY service that people are using this for a scam, especially since I used to have a friend use this service some years back.

[Shinoda]

We get it all the time at my golf shop, well known scam.

[Flash Gordon]

I came up with a saying a few years back that I think might help some of you:

"If it sounds to good to be true, it probally is"

[MirandaAutoSpa]

I got this call also...really wierd. I felt bad at first, but I quickly realized it was a scam.

[Paul Mitchell]

If one of you guys would detail the d*** Escalade the rest of the guys would really appreciate it. Now who wants to volunteer?

[rotzilla]

Me and my girlfriend breed our Mini Schnauzers and we get calls from hearing impaired saying they will disucuss more by email, send us a check for more $ than what we was asking for the puppy and we cash it and send the rest of the money back via money order. It was just a scam for us to cash a fake check and send them the money. I was pissed I wasted my time never again, sorry for the real people that need to use TTY service that people are using this for a scam, especially since I used to have a friend use this service some years back.


We also raise Mini Schnauzers, we thought the contacts were made only when using craigs list, however they have advanced to newspaper classifieds ads.
Its a PITA because there are real people using these services, and I kinda feel bad because it might be legit, so we attempt to screen these calls. Never had a real customer yet. Just more evidence of someone ruining a service for everyone.

[rakkvet]

We get it at least once a month. You are not alone.