Scamming The Avon Lady Is Not Cool

As mentioned earlier, someone tried to scam me.  I thought I would share the letters..  They are somewhat amusing. 

On my website (feel free to look if you like:  www.youravon.com/julielangley ) there is a section there where you can contact me personally.  I get contacts now and then from people who are looking to buy products within my zip code area.  Well that is how it started from a "Pamela Huntington."  No, I'm not quite sure if that is her name.  She may be a he, and his name might be Harold for all I know.  Anyway, "Pamela's" letters are highlighted in blue, my responses are in red, and my comments are in black.  Enjoy!

On Thu, 6/19/08, Pamela Huntington <pamelahuntington@yahoo.co.uk> wrote

Thanks for your message,I  need you to get me the prices of the following items.

FRAGRANCE
CELINE DION SPRING IN PARIS EAU DE TOILETTE SPRAY...............(2)  28.00
ANEW ULTIMATE Age Repair Elixir..........................(3)  54.00
ANEW ULTIMATE Age Repair Night Cream...................(6)  34.00
MAKEUP
Uplifting Mascara (navy,brown,black,brown black).......2each 4.99
Longest Lashes Ever Mascara (plum,brown,black,brown black)....2each
Do let me know the total cost plus the necessary tax I am to pay on it.
     I hope to hear from you soon.
  Pamela

Okay, look at this order.  Who buys two bottles of Celine Dion perfume?  I have yet to submit an order for that, and dig all those creams this lady is ordering!  6 jars of Anew Ultimate?!?  And take a look at all that mascara!!  The shelf life for a mascara is a good month at least, what is she going to do with all that mascara?!  She wants it in navy.  Honestly--who buys mascara in navy?!  I have yet to order it.  When I first looked at this order, I was pretty amazed.  This order is about $500...  It looks suspicious, doesn't it?  It didn't look right to me, but I gave this Pamela person the benefit of the doubt and wrote her a response.  Look at her email address!  (Feel free to email Ms. Pamela if you wish..  I don't care!  :) 

My response: 

Hi Pamela--

Thank you for your large order request! 

The Uplifting Mascara unfortunately does not come in navy, and brown/black.  I got it in black & brown-2 of each, and it is on sale for $4.25 each, not $4.99.   

I have a subtotal of $462.92, before tax.  I'm unclear where you are located, because I see you have an uk email address.  Please let me know where you are and whether you want it shipped directly to you, or if you live here locally where I can deliver it to you. 

Thank you!  :)

Pamela's response:

--- On Sun, 6/22/08, Pamela Huntington <pamelahuntington@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

Thank you for your response,I am from Beverley Hill,CA but i  am presently in  Manchester,UK  on vacation and would be returning home  to  my family to Beverley Hill soon that is why i need you to help  me with the order.I would need to know the total of all the  products i requested and also the name and address you want the payment sent to and also a phone number i can reach you on.After  you send me this information i would instruct my husband to send you the payment  which would be in form of money orders which you can cash instantly at your bank because my hubby is presently in California..I would send you my shipping address as soon as payment has been received by you. Please get back  tome as soon as possible so i  can continue with the purchase,i would be back home very soon and i want the products delivered by the time i get back to Beverley Hill.
     Thank you and enjoy the rest of your day
Pamela.

Okay, this is wrong in so many levels.  She lives in Beverley Hill?  What happened to the hills?  She can't even write the city's name correctly, and I'm supposed to be led to believe she lives there?  And what is the crap about her wanting to know my address and phone number?  Why is her address and phone number such a secret?  Why must her husband be "instructed" to send money orders??  Doesn't she have a checking account or a credit card?  If she lives in freaking Beverly Hills you would think she would own at least ONE credit card, right?  And like Missie says...women from Beverly Hills use Avon?!  I don't think so, perhaps Mary Kay, but not Avon.  What gets me is the last sentence; she needs it before she gets back from England.  WHY?  Is it because she is hoping that I will send it before I get payment?!  Yep, I think so...  Have a good rest of the day?!  Yeah right...

Here is my response:

Hello-

I do not live in Southern California, and it would be impossible for me to deliver your products personally. To get your products as soon as possible I invite you to go to my Avon  website and place it there with a credit card, or you may want to get in contact with an Avon Representative in your area.  I'm sure there is one near your home in Beverly Hills. 

Have a great day!

Well, if you are wondering, no, I haven't heard from Ms. Pamela yet.  Who knows if she will or not.  I haven't gotten emails like these before, but apparently it is very common for Avon representatives to get these scam emails from time to time.  I've submitted a complaint to Avon already to alert them of Ms. Huntington who is on vacation in Manchester, England.  Poor dear can't find a representative anywhere--only me, in San Jose, California can help her get her Anew.  Lucky me.  I'm sure she has emailed at least a dozen other representatives hoping to find someone gullible enough to believe they are the only ones that can supply her with her Celine Dion perfume.