Victim Location 94523
Total money lost $5,500
Type of a scam Employment
If you are willing to ask me more details, I will publish all information what I have such as data, contacts, and chat history. This is my experience that I lost $5,500 for my online work (In a week: 08/07/18~08/15/18). I was looking for an online work on the website "Freelancer". From that, I made a contract with a person (arww5: This account has been closed.) who were recruiting the administrative position to sell his own paintings to customers. (Actually, it was even not described at the first recruitment.) [Quote: i am in need of a Virtual assistant for multi tasks such as Data entry, basic WordPress or Wix (creating a simple website with Wix), and there is need for potential growth in administrative duties and position.] Therefore, I accepted it to work with $300 per week.
Although I was working something relevant to his art project such as set up a website, online art gallary, and a quickbook account, a contractor said to me that he would like to hand over his picture to buyers with a $100 Amazon Gift Card. At this time, I was already expected that it would be a lot of money if I did a job of buying a $100 Amazon Gift Card to "each customer". However, I persuaded myself and agreed with condition that the work is for a limited time only, and I work as a substitute for a busier contractor to focus on his painting. Sure enough, a contractor asked me gradually to buy three, five, twelve, fifteen, and twenty Amazon Gift Cards. (I made 5 transaction and $5,500 in total.) The tone of his request gradually became rough, and he always wanted me to get “today or now”.
I was a student, and I did not have much money to get for that, but a contractor promised me to reimburse money with bonus, so I borrowed money from my parents and actually purchased it and taught him the code with photos. He promised me that he will pay a full payment of $5,500 for Amazon Gift Cards + initial salary ($300) + bonus by August 15th, 2018, and it is still not transferred. Currently, I sent my letter of resignation to a contractor, but he is still requesting an additional $2,000, and he is being asked me for a reply (I do not respond recently). I confirmed my job to him twice. Now he said that my role is only keep buying Amazon Gift Cards, and there is no need to do multi tasks anymore. Seemed he kept texting me “do you buy gift cards or not, do you want money or not”. Even me, I think a contractor should be done at least paying salary, and I think I should not pay a lot of money as a worker before a salary day. I also think that he knows my bank account because I set up a share merchant account, (Quickbook: already closed) and it connected with my credit card. Then, I check all 55 gift cards with Amazon Customer Services, but seemed it already used. I understood myself that this is scam, so I would like to open a claim.
This is the last contact with a contractor by google hangout (August 21st, 2018)
You just need to purchase 4 pieces of $500 each amazon gift card
4($500) to make $2000 and that’s all
A single card each of $500 instead of the $100
We will complete the work and then work on new aspect
We will work on new project that will all be online
I hope you don’t turn against me again
I hope you will respond back and we can both be professional this time
And you are very much welcome
Hello
Are you online
After this we can work online alone
Let me know when I should get the cards
Are you going mute again?
Victim Location 94523
Total money lost $5,500
Type of a scam Employment
If you are willing to ask more details, I will publish all information what I have such as data, contacts, and chat history. This is my experience that I lost $5,500 for my online work (In a week: 08/07/18~08/15/18). I was looking for an online work on the website "Freelancer". From that, I made a contract with a person (arww5: This account has been closed.) who were recruiting the administrative position to sell his own paintings to customers. (Actually, it was even not described at the first recruitment.) [Quote: i am in need of a Virtual assistant for multi tasks such as Data entry, basic WordPress or Wix (creating a simple website with Wix), and there is need for potential growth in administrative duties and position.] Therefore, I accepted it to work with $300 per week. Although I was working something relevant to his art project such as set up a website, online art gallary, and a quickbook account, a contractor said to me that he would like to hand over his picture to buyers with a $100 Amazon Gift Card. At this time, I was already expected that it would be a lot of money if I did a job of buying a $100 Amazon Gift Card to "each customer". However, I persuaded myself and agreed with condition that the work is for a limited time only, and I work as a substitute for a busier contractor to focus on his painting. Sure enough, a contractor asked me gradually to buy three, five, twelve, fifteen, and twenty Amazon Gift Cards. (I made 5 transaction and $5,500 in total.) The tone of his request gradually became rough, and he always wanted me to get “today or now”. I was a student, and I did not have much money to get for that, but a contractor promised me to reimburse money with bonus, so I borrowed money from my parents and actually purchased it and taught him the code with pictures. He promised me that he will pay a full payment of $5,500 for Amazon Gift Cards + initial salary ($300) + bonus by Tuesday, and it is still not transferred. Currently, I sent my letter of resignation to a contractor, but he is still requesting an additional $2,000, and he is being asked for a reply (I do not respond recently). I confirmed my job to him once. Now he said that my role is only keep buying Amazon Gift Cards, and there is no need to do multi tasks anymore. Seemed he kept texting me “do you buy gift cards or not, do you want money or not”. Even me, I think a contractor should be done at least paying salary, and I think I should not pay a lot of money as a worker before a salary day. I also think that he knows my bank account because I set up a share merchant account, (Quickbook) and it connected with my credit card. Then, I check all 55 gift cards, but seemed it already used, so I also consulted people who is in charge of Amazon, and they will investigate deeply. I think this is scam, and I would like to open a claim.