Scam atttempt failed

Here is an interesting story and Roope's post:

https://my.wealthyaffiliate.com/roopekiuttu/blog/can-we-collaborate-scam-3-tips-to-avoid-it
made me realize that I need to let you all know about other scams that are out there. The collaboration scam isn't the only one out there, as most of you probably already know.

I also had a scam attempt fail about 4 days ago.

I have a web design business that is fairly new for me (like 3 months). I received a text that was an unknown number to me. I think it was Nevada area code. The individual introduced himself in the text as Flores, not sure if it was his real name or not. I'm putting it out there just in case he tries this with anyone else who just happens to be here in WA.

He asked if I could handle website design for a new company. I confirmed that I could and it depended on the size and details of his needs. I asked him if he had seen my website, because I thought that he was legit to start off at this point.

I detailed that he needed a small scale business and would like to make it a larger scale and was wondering if I was interested. He stated that his business is in "(SD)". I was curious so I asked if "SD" represented San Diego or South Dakota. He informed me it was an Aggrobusiness exporting and importing agricultural products.

So far so good. He gave me another website to look at that was similar to his needs and wanted his website to mirror that one, but with different content and images that his project consultant had. I then gave a quote and he asked me to "do him a favor" and allow him to pay me $11,800.00 with a credit card and then I was to pay his consultant $8500.00 from that and keep the rest.

NOW It gets FISHY from here...

I instinctly replied that I do all my online business dealing with PayPal because it keeps my personal accounts protected and provides a method of tracking payments as well. He immediately told me he does not like PayPal, Venmo, or Square as he has been double billed and/or late billed payments and asked me to come up with another payment processor.

Here is my exact response knowing full well that he was trying to scam me and I would have been shorted $11,800.00 in the long run. I was not about to get stiffed for that kind of money. So, here is my response to him, "I'm sorry you feel that way. I have never had a problem with PayPal and love using their services. It's my preferred way of doing business online to protect my personal accounts."

"I would hate to turn your business down, but I'm firm on this because I was almost scammed once before with a very similar method you are trying to do with me. My biggest reason for not budging on this."

What do you think of this?.

I knew it was a scam as soon as he asked me for a favor, so he apparently figured that I had him as well, because I didn't hear from him again.

Has anyone else foiled a scam attempt? I would love to hear how you handled it.

Click "LIKE THIS" below and comment on your thoughts on this. I am interested on hearing about it and by all of us sharing brings more awareness of the scams that are out there.

I wsh you all the best!!

Bob