# Scam or possibly real? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 17, 2022, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-or-possibly-real/973384 "2022-10-17T20:20:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2022, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-or-possibly-real/973384/1 "2022-10-17T20:20:40Z")
I know, I know… if you have to ask. But I thought I’d run it past you guys. It does seem like if it was real they would mention what it’s about? Got this today: [![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/gs-geo-images/68a57543-0600-4839-9399-77a33712f47d.jpeg) ](https://s3.amazonaws.com/gs-geo-images/68a57543-0600-4839-9399-77a33712f47d.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2022, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-or-possibly-real/973384/2 "2022-10-17T20:22:34Z")
Definitely and for sure a scam. ---
**Author:** ![TheCuse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thecuse/32/2854_2.png) [@TheCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheCuse)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2022, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-or-possibly-real/973384/3 "2022-10-17T20:23:41Z")
scam. ---
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2022, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-or-possibly-real/973384/4 "2022-10-17T20:28:09Z")
Why would you think it’s legit? Are you expecting legal documents? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2022, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-or-possibly-real/973384/5 "2022-10-17T20:32:53Z")
The fact that the “courier” gives a narrow time window, and then indicates that, if he doesn’t connect with you at that time, it will be a “direct refusal to comply,” sounds very fishy. Unless the OP has strong reason to believe or expect that there are legal documents (or a subpoena or warrant) coming to them soon, this is almost undoubtedly a phishing expedition. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2022, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-or-possibly-real/973384/6 "2022-10-17T20:33:29Z")
Was the voicemail left by a human or bot? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2022, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-or-possibly-real/973384/7 "2022-10-17T20:34:00Z")
Totally a scam. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2022, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-or-possibly-real/973384/8 "2022-10-17T20:34:01Z")
What in this made you think at all that it was real?? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2022, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-or-possibly-real/973384/9 "2022-10-17T20:36:02Z")
Also, this courier, “John Miller,” might actually be Donald Trump. 😉 > **[Donald Trump masqueraded as publicist to brag about himself](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/donald-trump-alter-ego-barron/2016/05/12/02ac99ec-16fe-11e6-aa55-670cabef46e0_story.html)** > > In what could be the role of a lifetime, the billionaire’s PR man sounds just like him — and for good reason. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2022, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-or-possibly-real/973384/10 "2022-10-17T20:36:40Z")
Well, it is probably a scam, but is there any way someone could be suing you? Like something financial [too many payments missed, forclosure] I would personally be worried someone is fishing to find out if you will be at home at that point in time to potentially rob you. I tend to respond to people trying to find out if I will be at home is to say something like ‘Yes, my husband and I will be at home at that point in time, we have contractors in laying carpeting for the next week …’ or something that makes it sound like we will have a house full of people at that time. I did that a month ago, and asked our friend Adam to leave his spare work van in the drive - he is an electrical contractor, so it looked like we had both our vehicles [we actually had a spare truck at the other house we were stashing in the garage there] so it appeared we were both home. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2022, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-or-possibly-real/973384/11 "2022-10-17T20:47:17Z")
“Oh, I won’t be home, but my two 125 pound rottweilers, Satan and Rambo, will be! They are such nice boys too…” ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2022, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-or-possibly-real/973384/12 "2022-10-17T21:20:57Z")
I’m pretty sure that a process server has to try more things than a voicemail before declaring that the documents were refused. They would typically have try to deliver them to you at your home or office, and try multiple times if you weren’t there. A web search of the phone number hardly has any hits. I would guess this is a scam. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2022, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-or-possibly-real/973384/13 "2022-10-17T21:39:58Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Unless the OP has strong reason to believe or expect that there are legal documents (or a subpoena or warrant) coming to them soon… Thanks for all of the replies, appreciated. No, I don’t have any reason to suspect there is a subpoena coming soon. I legally changed my name about 30 years ago (family matter - nothing nefarious) and the voicemail asked for my old name, which I hadn’t even thought of in about as long. So I didn’t necessarily think it was real, it was just scary sounding. But (!) I didn’t think of this until after I posted but a couple of friends messaged me last week that my FB account had been hacked. Maybe a connection? Ugh, I hate shit like this. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2022, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-or-possibly-real/973384/14 "2022-10-17T21:48:19Z")
Could that be why they used your old name? That part is definitely weird. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2022, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-or-possibly-real/973384/15 "2022-10-17T21:56:28Z")
Probably. Yes, very weird. ETA: another weird part, I called that number from a number that couldn’t be traced to me and they answered “Hello”. Just, Hello. I asked if this was a business and she said, yes, mediation. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2022, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-or-possibly-real/973384/16 "2022-10-17T22:38:16Z")
Maybe they have your number in error and used a reverse lookup to get your name. That is, maybe someone really does have some kind of mediation coming up, but they have the wrong number? ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2022, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-or-possibly-real/973384/17 "2022-10-17T22:40:16Z")
“as in boy thank you very much” as in “boy is this ever a scam”. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2022, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-or-possibly-real/973384/18 "2022-10-17T22:44:10Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > The fact that the “courier” gives a narrow time window, and then indicates that, if he doesn’t connect with you at that time, it will be a “direct refusal to comply,” sounds very fishy. That is absolutely fishy. Yes, court documents can have deadlines, but they’re almost always reasonable deadlines, and they go out of their way to give you the opportunity to respond. No way would their first attempt at service be so abrupt that even a brief delay can bar you from responding adequately. Think about it - not everyone checks their voicemails/texts every day. I often find messages 12 hours after they were sent. No way would the court rely on something like this for such a short time limit. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2022, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-or-possibly-real/973384/19 "2022-10-17T22:44:28Z")
Maybe, but wouldn’t you think a legit firm would have left a message something like, Hi Mr Smith, this is john from ABC Mediation…? ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2022, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-or-possibly-real/973384/20 "2022-10-17T23:26:39Z")
FWIW: [Fraudsters misuse the area code 833 to steal PII](https://www.fraud-magazine.com/article.aspx?id=4295016203#:~:text=This%20case%20is%20fictional%2C%20but,leave%20voicemails%20to%20ensnare%20targets). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-or-possibly-real/973384.md?page=2)