'As a professional working in IT, I’m strongly not encouraging this': Mom hits breaking point after everyone forgets her 30th birthday, scaring away a phone scammer who called at the wrong time

Author image for Isabella Penn
Isabella Penn
Jan 25, 2026 6:00 PM EST

Turning 30 is a big deal, or at least worth a cake emoji in a group chat. But for one woman working in IT and getting used to life as a new mom, her birthday slipped by quietly. It was lost in post-holiday tiredness, money worries, and the daily chaos of raising a toddler who sees every object as a new challenge.

Her birthday is in early January, when everyone's busy and tired. Friends forgot. Family gave late or awkward birthday wishes. She didn't expect much—just a quick Instagram comment would have been enough—but the silence lasted longer than usual. The hardest part was that her closest friend, who she had been messaging with, saw a reminder and still missed it, later promising vaguely to celebrate "sometime later."

The breaking point came from an unexpected place: a phone call from a number she didn't know, clearly marked as a scam. The caller asked for someone else. When she questioned him, he kept talking. That was his mistake.

What happened next wasn't really a response, but more of a release. 

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  • She let out all her exhaustion, resentment, humor, and anger in a fast, messy rant about forgotten birthdays, emotional labor, family problems, and the frustration of hearing, once again, that birthdays “aren’t a big deal.” The caller, not ready to hear a stranger’s emotional outpouring, stayed on the line.

    By the end of the call, the scammer sounded upset. She hung up, blocked the number, and went back to cleaning soup off the walls.

    This story isn’t about getting revenge or being clever, and it’s definitely not advice to answer scam calls. It’s about what happens when big expectations meet burnout, feeling invisible, and the pressure to stay nice no matter what. This time, a scammer just happened to call at the wrong—or maybe the right—moment.

  • Cheezburger Image 10599723264
    via Kev Costello for Unsplash+

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.


     

  • I will start by saying You. Should. Not. Do. What. I. Did. As a professional working in IT who had to deal with all kinds of security breaches, I'm strongly not encouraging this.
    via Rare-Cheesecake9701
  • However I was this close to being totally DONE with everything. Last week was my birthday (yay 30!
    via Rare-Cheesecake9701
  • ) And, as usual, tons of people forgot about it. I was born in the middle of new year/ post new year's holiday celebrations in my homecountry.
    via Rare-Cheesecake9701
  • Between budgets being tight from all the shopping in December and visiting all the family members during January...my birthday is often overshadowed => people forget I have in January.
    via Rare-Cheesecake9701
  • I usually play it cool. Accepting "oh, shoot! Happy belated birthday!" coming in sometimes weeks after my birthday.
    via Rare-Cheesecake9701
  • Cheezburger Image 10599723520
    via Priscilla Du Preez For Unsplash+
  • But! This was my 30's, first year as a mom, working from home with a toddler in her prime grabbing everything era.
    via Rare-Cheesecake9701
  • My bar is low: comment under post on instagram HBD - and we are well and good.
    via Rare-Cheesecake9701
  • Bar is that low. And Janet - my bff - forgot about it. She was away on work trip but we were chatting, and I even send her the post as a reminder.
    via Rare-Cheesecake9701
  • Janet "seen" it but def paid 0 attention. She apologized (halfheartedly) and typed "We should celebrate when we meet again.
    via Rare-Cheesecake9701
  • It's never too late" boom I was covered in soup, spit and disappointment when my phone rang.
    via Rare-Cheesecake9701
  • Number from Uzbekistan and I know 2 people from there and both in my contacts. Definitely a scam.
    via Rare-Cheesecake9701
  • And I picked up. \- Hello, this is ABC telephone company. Are you Sara Jane Doe (my big sis name, obviously not real one) \- No, and please don't call me and remove my number from your call list.
    via Rare-Cheesecake9701
  • \- Are you related to Sara Jane Doe? It's important information regarding her... Okay, you are not going to drop it, I will make you wish you dropped that call.
    via Rare-Cheesecake9701
  • \- Yes, sure it's regarding her! What about me?! I'm so fucking tired of being the bigger person!
    via Rare-Cheesecake9701
  • \- excuse me..? \-You heard me! You know how annoying it is that on the week of my birthday, the only person who called was a freaking scammer who probably got doxxed info about my sister, who tried to drown me as a child, and wished me that I never was born \- I'm so... \- And when I vent to people there are always someone to say "it's just a birthday!
    via Rare-Cheesecake9701
  • Birthdays are for kids anyway" Screw this! I want to have one day in the f\*cking year when I'm not expected to be every one's sweet caring, loving, understanding friend who smiles and pushes forward!
    via Rare-Cheesecake9701
  • My mother couldn't congratulate me because she is god damn narcissist and her wishes were backhanded praises for herself.
    via Rare-Cheesecake9701
  • And after im done with you I will have to clean kitchen again from all the soup on the floor and walls because I hate mess, I hate being alone and I want to scream like there is murder!
    via Rare-Cheesecake9701
  • I said some other things about my life and frustrations too, but this is already long as is.
    via Rare-Cheesecake9701
  • By the time I finished my rant, scammer boy was sobbing into the phone. I disconnected a call and blocked the number.
    via Rare-Cheesecake9701
  • Don't try to scam overtired moms, scammers, we might let you see into the void we had to deal with.
    via Rare-Cheesecake9701
  • I wish your 30's would be better, fellow 96's Have a great day!
    via Rare-Cheesecake9701
  • dolphin-centric My birthday is a week after NYE, when everybody is all partied out. I feel your pain on that. And so....HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!! it's not much but I hope it at least made you smile.
    via dolphin-centric
  • OP Rare-Cheesecake 9701 Eeesshhh, yeah, that's even worse Having a birthday when everyone is too out of it is terrible. Thanks for the wishes- I'm probably going to bake a cake tonight or something. Want something nice for myself to look forward to
    via Rare-Cheesecake9701
  • Ap-snack I started doing the Oh AH AH AH AHH's from Down With The Sickness and that gibberish part from Freak On A Leash and went from 6ish calls a day to 0. Nobody calls my shit anymore.
    via Ap-snack
  • OP Rare-Cheesecake 9701 I applaud you, that oh ah ah ahhhhaa is not easy to pull out
    via Rare-Cheesecake9701
  • thecatsothermother My father's is Dec 31, and we always make sure to celebrate the day and early evening as "Dad's bithday." We don't even mention it's New Year's Eve till after 11pm. For us, NYE is the hour before the New Year turns up.
    via thecatsothermother
  • OP Rare-Cheesecake9701 Wow, that's so sweet! Your dad is lucky
    via Rare-Cheesecake9701
  • Disastrous_Night_80 I hope you eventually get to do something for your bday. I've been abroad before for at least four birthdays away from family, kids, and friends. I was hoping to read how you reverse shelled into the scammed PC but exploiting layer 8 works too.
    via Disastrous_Night_80
  • OP Rare-Cheesecake9701 Yeah, sorry, can't hack them from my phone I'm cool but not that cool
    via Rare-Cheesecake9701
  • Necessary_Ad_7622 My husband does this when that song plays and it's sooo annoying lol
    via Necessary_Ad_7622
  • OP Rare-Cheesecake9701 It is hard to resist! Ahaha
    via Rare-Cheesecake9701
  • wordswithenemies sobbing, huh?
    via wordswithenemies
  • OP Rare-Cheesecake9701 Yes, now, a few hours later I feel a bit bad
    via Rare-Cheesecake9701
  • AdFabulous4877 Belated happy birthday! Treat yourself to the best dinner & icecream & cake! Don't wait for others to treat you the way you should be treated. I gave a mugger emotional trauma once. I was in my 30's. Many many years ago. I had just gotten dumped by my fiancé & was crying everyday & not sleeping or eating enough. One night I stumbled out to do some grocery shopping & I was getting into my car to go home. Well, a mugger with a bowie knife jumped out of the bushes into the backseat o
    via AdFabulous4877
  • OP Rare-Cheesecake9701 Thanks! I would, probably will bake a cake for myself tonight or something. I'm just so tired and had to juggle work, baby and caring for half senile abuella I just snapped and while I'm not proud of letting everything out like that... it did kinda helped..? Definitely not gonna repeat it. soon tho
    via Rare-Cheesecake9701
  • No-Court-2969 You know, it's ok to have a rant about feeling overlooked or to feel sad when it happens without needing therapy. OP technically 'killed two birds with one stone' she got everything she needed to say off her chest (and that's huge in itself) and I'm guessing made the scammer write: 'dont ring this lady!' and removing her from the call list. In my opinion, that's a win-win situation. While I definitely think counselling can be very important and even needed for some people, others c
    via No-Court-2969
  • OP Rare-Cheesecake9701 Joke on Indianna here because I'm in therapy. I do them during night when my child sleeps. How else do she thinks I could let everything out like this? Took me ages to stop turning everything into a joke to laugh it off
    via Rare-Cheesecake9701
  • michuru809 Happy birthday new momma! Hope all the tough is out of the way so you can enjoy only the good!
    via michuru809
  • OP Rare-Cheesecake9701 Thanks, actually... it did kinda helped Now baby is sleeping and I can get to work with clearer mind
    via Rare-Cheesecake9701

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scammer birthday petty revenge scam mom
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