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
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Recent Comments
42
Hi Bob,
I had a similar experience a while back, but for me, it was an apartment building that I own and advertize on Kijiji. This guy was pretending he was from the US Marines and was coming home from an overseas mission. He even had a photo of a real marine in his email pretending it was himself.
He was looking for a "new place" to stay to get away from his old place and start anew. He pretty well had the same method. He wanted to send me $10,000 so that I could take $1,000 for the rent and then put a "downpayment" on a used car for him since he was still overseas...
You get the idea here. As soon as I started poking him with numerous questions (I was suspicious right from the start) he just disappeared in the dust.
We have to be extra careful in everything we do, be it on the phone, email, text, or online. Scammers are everywhere and they will try anything to scam anyone.
Thanks for the reminder šš
Denis
Thatās an interesting one. I just love how they think that we arenāt going to be suspicious by paying up front and then use that money to ādo them a favorā.
It smells SCAM like nothing else does.
Thanks for the adding your experiences. The more we reveal the less someone else will be taken by them.
Thank you for sharing Bob. Its good to let other know about every single scam because it takes away their power. So many people still get caught out.
Always a scam if they want you to pay someone from money they 'give' you. I always say 'If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is"
It would have been great to have a good client like this... if it were real. Thanks for taking the time to read and be careful out there. š
Scammers are everywhere ensure you don't share your phone numbers with anyone. Most of them know that you are possibly making money.
Ensure you only communicate withing the messaging services either here or outside. Avoiding clicking links on any mails. Never join Whatsapp communication.
They can take over your phone record and defraud your relatives with phishing links.
Most of them will be insisted you communicate to them via WhatsApp (They are scammers and thief that are very lazy and not ready to work)
Please watch your back.
john
Thanks for this tidbit of advice. I never have liked WhatsApp. I steer clear of it and am still curious how the scammer got my phone number. As you read he texted me this attempt at a ābusinessā relationship.
I will be watchful though.
Hi Bob,
We have never been scammed in this type of falsity. But we have been scammed in several internet training programs (Non-WA of course, we were slow learners).
Simple straight forward scam... "pay us X number of $$ and you can become a member with unlimited training access" The training is nothing just a few minutes of generality and no substance.
One scam deal started you at "step 50" not step one. We had no idea what was going on.
But we have learned that "a fool will be separated from his money very quickly"
We are much wiser now.
Thanks for sharing.
Bill & Sue
Hi Bill and Sue,
Thatās the one lesson that is so much more important to me... WA has definitely done a great job with their training.
Once you are fully functional here, you start to learn how to recognize the scammers from the real deal.
I donāt trust anyone when it comes to my money. Maybe because I donāt have much of it to start with and can not afford to lose any more... LOL!
Iāve been in your shoes before and it hurts to realize that youāve been scammed. Also one of the reasons I am glad to be here at WA also.
Thanks for stopping by and adding to my post with your lessons learned. It helps others see through the scams out there.
I wish you two well!
Bob
Hi Bob,
Thanks so much for your comments.
We have been thrilled with Wealthy Affiliate for over five years and we don't ever look for anything else as this is the finest affiliate marketing platform in the world.
Have a great week.
Bill
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Well dodged Bob, you sharp cookie.š
I had a Paypal scam artist on the hook for a whole afternoon. They wanted to buy an item I was selling but were out of the country. So they were going to pay the full asking price into my Paypal and an extra amount for the couriers fees, would I mind paying the courier.
They even sent me a 'doctored' Paypal payment receipt.
Of course "there might be a delay in the funds showing in your account"
Anyway, I kept the conversation going all afternoon by pretending I was in meetings and would sort it all out when I was free.
At some point, they stopped texting and unsurprisingly there was never any trace of a transaction on my PayPal account.
It was a good day, even if I didn't sell the item.
Sniffing them out early and keeping them on the hook is always fun. As long as there is no way for them to benefit. Itās like giving them a taste of their own medicine. And keeps them from baiting anyone else while you keep them busy.
It was funny how my scammer added one more comment after I initially told him I only use PayPal for online business transactions. Then I havenāt heard from him since.
Very true. Most of the time I don't even engage them but I must have been in a 'playful' mood that day.
It would seem that yours didn't have a plan B.
Apparently, but my firmness kept home from attempting his plan B.
Only the strong will survive.
šš