A scam claiming to be from AT&T...

.... or a cockup on AT&T's part?

I've received 21 email messages claiming to be from AT&T concerning the purchase of two iPhone 14 and transfer of some phone numbers to them. Email headers and clickable links in the mails seem to be legit AT&T and the supposed recipient shares the same initial letter on first name and a last name two vowel letters different.

But the delivery address for the phones is Hoboken, NJ and the phone numbers to be transferred are in North Carolina area code. As far as I can tell an area code number cannot be transferred to a different area, although as these are cell-phones does that apply? I have done a glurgle search on the "recipient" and found the N.C. connection and other names in the emails match with family. But, hey, a scammer could do that too.

21 messages is one hell of elaborate scam if that is what it is, and way over the top for a fishing trip. My name is not common but I know of others with the same first & last, and I'd say that the "recipient's" last name is a little less common. BTW I'm in the UK, AT&T offer no service here and I don't know whether they have any link with a UK phone company. (I do know who my phone company are connected with in France because about halfway across La Manche I get a message welcoming me to France and "Service Orange".)

Any thoughts on this?

<insert "photo of phone destroyed by flight testing it" /insert>

Phone numbers can be ported all throughout the US; doesn't matter your state or local area code anymore. My guess is that someone typo'ed your email address assuming that your email address incorporates your name and as you say your name is similar to the intended recipient's. If you want to be really nice you could try to call the transferred number and tell them that you think an error has been made.

^ What he said. I’m OFs new resident NJ enforcer. Let me know if I need to make a trip to Hoboken.

A buddy of mine had four iPhone 14 phones bought on his AT&T account recently. They were to be sent to a New Jersey address . . .

He was an AT&T mobile phone customer, though, and they called him because they thought it was odd. Like said above, you can have phones shipped anywhere, port any numbers you like, or choose any area code they offer service in if you want a new number.

I lived in NJ for nearly four years, Spring Lake Heights and Upper Saddle River, I wouldn't ask my worst enemy to go to Hoboken....

Sorry any residents of Hoboken, but north Jersey is not my favourite place in the world.

Soooo it could be a scam on AT&T. Would anyone here shed tears over that? OK, 'cept the lawyers 😗

Would your buddy share info?

Not sure how much info there is to share. They caught it pretty early, before anything shipped or any numbers assigned, etc. Your's sounds a little more intense.

It is strange. You have no connection with the company so I'd be inclined to say whatever. But, how'd did your UK number get attached to this order? And the customer just happens to be named similarly to you? I'd say call AT&T but trust me, they would be of zero help even if they could comprehend your concern. I mean, all it takes is for you to click one errant link so it could be an elaborate scam with enough detail to pique your interest and raise your concern.

Hey, I grew up in North Jersey! I lived “in the sticks” of Sussex County though where you had to worry more about bears than people. You were too close to the city. And yea, Hoboken isn’t a super nice place. I feel like that’s one of those areas that’s gentrifying a bit though. Haven’t been there in a very long time. I still have my North Jersey phone number. It throws people down here for a loop.

Definitely don’t click any links but it sounds like you already know that. If you’re feeling nice maybe go directly to AT&Ts website and try to explain they have the wrong email. Otherwise spam it and ignore it. They’ll figure it out.

Not my phone number, it was to my email address which at gmail.com carries no indication of location. (Early adopters like me in the UK were actually at a googlemail.com address due to some legal wrangle, but gmail.com now works too.)


Yeah. Listen to their on-hold messages for 30 minutes on my international-rate dollar? 800 numbers don't work outside the USA. Nein danke.

Well, if this guy has been charged for two iPhones it's going to show up soon on his credit card bill and that's his clue to complain to AT&T/police/whoever.

Now for light relief. I did once visit AT&T in their Bell Labs site in Holmdel, NJ. The entrance hall was HUGE, not quite Houston Astrodome size, but getting there. The entrance was right corner front, the reception desk was left corner back. The whole thing was designed to intimidate you. But, it was handy as a meeting place for local high-tech industry folk, especially if you were meeting someone you didn't already know. Sit at the right corner back and the receptionist/guard could hardly see you so you were free to stay there. It was very well sign-posted from the freeway, large parking lot, walk in and there may be a couple of people to ask if they were expecting you, then having found your connection walk out 😉

So 21:45UTC two more emails arrive. This time for "NANCY". Asking for confirmation to transfer a number to AT&T (number not given). And then confirming the transfer. Also N.C. area code. Does anyone have the capacity to administer a LART (*) to AT&T?

(*) Yeah I'm a Monk! Well used to be, now I just have two laptops and one desk-side to look after.

Yeah my best bet is still that someone typo'ed the email address. And I definitely wasn't suggesting calling AT&T. I was saying call the number that's being transferred since that's probably the number of the person with the account in play here. It's really all a question of how nice you want to be and how annoying the email messages are. 😀