4 ms·
My vote is for "advance fee scam" as mentioned in the comments of the article. It plays out something like this: He shows up at a coffee shop after a few days
by eric-hu 15y ago
My vote is for "advance fee scam" as mentioned in the comments of the article. It plays out something like this:
He shows up at a coffee shop after a few days worth of work with a check for $1000. The actual "work" done was worth $700, so he says "just give me $300 and we'll call it even". He'll be nice and wait for OP while he goes to the ATM, but the check will be a dud.
If I'm right about this, I think there's a powerful psychological force at play. The time invested for the work will cloud the OPs judgment about whether this is a scam or not. A feeling of loss is much more powerful than a feeling of gain (I can't remember the exact psych term for this)
The OP probably scared off 'Aaron' with the "is this a scam?" email.
- yarian 15y agoIf you read carefully, I think that email was sent after they were supposed to meet at the coffee shop.
- eric-hu 15y agoAfter the five reviews, Aaron asked for my phone number and said he’d call me the next day with a meeting place. It has now been three days and I have yet to hear from him. He’s also stopped responding to my emails, including one in which I asked him, “Is this really a scam?” Which means, obviously, I’ve been duped. I think you're right, the email looks like it was sent after the intended meeting time. I still think that a waiting time and a 'missed' appointment could've been a part of the scam. After all, when you've been on hold with customer service for 10 minutes, do you really want to hang up at that point?
- yarian 15y ago10 minutes? What planet do you live in and how much is the rent for a one bedroom? :) If I wait 10 minutes I consider myself lucky, usually more like 30.