# I suspect someone is trying to scam me, but it's weird. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 14, 2017, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suspect-someone-is-trying-to-scam-me-but-its-weird/784430 "2017-04-14T05:34:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suspect-someone-is-trying-to-scam-me-but-its-weird/784430/21 "2017-04-14T14:03:57Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > During our emails back and forth I had asked him about W2 vs 1099. This morning he answered that query by asking which I preferred. He made no mention of the purchase of equipment. > > So now I’m a bit stuck. If I answer that, he’s going to want my SS # but I’m hesitant to give it to a potential scammer. (Maybe ID theft is their fallback for those who are unable or unwilling to make the purchase.) If he’s for real then refusing to give it would be hard to explain. > > Maybe I’ll ignore that email and see what happens next. I just responded to the recruiter/contractor as follows: > [@](#): > > I’d prefer W2. Can you send me the paperwork and then I can mail it to you? I don’t give out my SS over email. > > What are you going to do about the computer equipment? Well see how he responds. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suspect-someone-is-trying-to-scam-me-but-its-weird/784430/22 "2017-04-14T14:09:01Z")
Perhaps tell him that you’re not able to pay for that computer equipment in advance. That’s actually perfectly reasonable. Many people I know would not have the spare credit card limit to allow that large of a purchase. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suspect-someone-is-trying-to-scam-me-but-its-weird/784430/23 "2017-04-14T14:14:58Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Perhaps tell him that you’re not able to pay for that computer equipment in advance. That’s actually perfectly reasonable. Many people I know would not have the spare credit card limit to allow that large of a purchase. That’s exactly what I did. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suspect-someone-is-trying-to-scam-me-but-its-weird/784430/24 "2017-04-14T14:17:04Z")
Yeah, visit them in person. I have known few scammers who were comfortable meeting the scammee in person. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suspect-someone-is-trying-to-scam-me-but-its-weird/784430/25 "2017-04-14T14:17:17Z")
Well, I hope you’ll come back and tell us how this ends. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suspect-someone-is-trying-to-scam-me-but-its-weird/784430/26 "2017-04-14T14:20:55Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Yeah, visit them in person. I have known few scammers who were comfortable meeting the scammee in person. As mentioned I’ve visited the employer twice. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suspect-someone-is-trying-to-scam-me-but-its-weird/784430/27 "2017-04-14T14:32:24Z")
Several people here have suggested that they may be scamming multiple people at once. I don’t see how that could work wIth one office without the victims running into each other. It’s a small office. They’re not going to have 10 or 20 people show up Tuesday morning at a small office carrying Macs. Having them come in on different days is also a problem. They’d have to have each person bring in the equipment on separate days, then fire them so they don’t come back. If they did that to me I’d leave with the equipment I’d paid for! ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suspect-someone-is-trying-to-scam-me-but-its-weird/784430/28 "2017-04-14T14:55:50Z")
I agree…this seems too complicated to be a scam. I vote for Disorganized Office With Cash Flow Issues. Have you followed up with the contracting agency about what this employer is asking of you? ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suspect-someone-is-trying-to-scam-me-but-its-weird/784430/29 "2017-04-14T14:59:36Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > I agree…this seems too complicated to be a scam. I vote for Disorganized Office With Cash Flow Issues. > > Have you followed up with the contracting agency about what this employer is asking of you? It’s the contracting agency that’s asking me to do this, supposedly at the request of the employer. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suspect-someone-is-trying-to-scam-me-but-its-weird/784430/30 "2017-04-14T15:02:45Z")
Can you ask the employer directly? I haven’t worked as a contractor so I don’t know the etiquette and protocol. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suspect-someone-is-trying-to-scam-me-but-its-weird/784430/31 "2017-04-14T15:08:50Z")
Ask him what specifically? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suspect-someone-is-trying-to-scam-me-but-its-weird/784430/32 "2017-04-14T15:09:38Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > It’s the contracting agency that’s asking me to do this, supposedly at the request of the employer. Have you checked them out online(disregarding their own website, of course)? ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suspect-someone-is-trying-to-scam-me-but-its-weird/784430/33 "2017-04-14T15:23:34Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Have you checked them out online(disregarding their own website, of course)? Yes, of course. The contracting firm and the employer both seem to have a web presence beyond just their websites, as do both the individual working for the contracting firm and the manager of the employing company. (Facebook, LinkedIn, Zoominfo, etc.). It does strike me as a bit odd that the domains for both companies are registered anonymously, but that seems to be becoming a common practice, probably to prevent robotic harvesting of info. Both domains are at least several years old. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suspect-someone-is-trying-to-scam-me-but-its-weird/784430/34 "2017-04-14T15:36:37Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Because it’s nominally the company’s stuff. They’re asking him to buy it on his dime and they’ll mail him a check for reimbursement (why not just cut it then and there?) > > So you show up, set up your new computer desk, go home for the day leaving the computer there and that’s the last you see of it. But I’m not seeing how just showing up with computer equipment makes it the company’s stuff. If they want you to sign something stating that fact, just say you will sign it over after you are reimbursed. ---
**Author:** ![Celidin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Celidin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celidin)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suspect-someone-is-trying-to-scam-me-but-its-weird/784430/35 "2017-04-14T15:37:33Z")
**davidm** , I’m also in the Philly area and my company does a lot of contracting in the Tech industry if you’re up to PM’ing (or posting outright) the names of the contracting firm and/or company, happy to pass on if I’ve ever heard of either. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suspect-someone-is-trying-to-scam-me-but-its-weird/784430/36 "2017-04-14T15:37:45Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > They’d have to have each person bring in the equipment on separate days, then fire them so they don’t come back. If they did that to me I’d leave with the equipment I’d paid for! Obviously they murder you in the back room, sell your organs and the Mac is just a bonus. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suspect-someone-is-trying-to-scam-me-but-its-weird/784430/37 "2017-04-14T15:40:10Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > But I’m not seeing how just showing up with computer equipment makes it the company’s stuff. If they want you to sign something stating that fact, just say you will sign it over after you are reimbursed. Sure, but many people would be unwilling to rock the boat with a new employer especially after they’ve come this far. And they’ll have excuses like needing it there overnight so their IT guy can install their software, yadda yadda. You don’t want to look like a problem on Day One so you acquiesce. Edit: I’ve no idea if this specific example is a scam or just a poorly managed company but many scams are all about getting your foot in the door. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suspect-someone-is-trying-to-scam-me-but-its-weird/784430/38 "2017-04-14T15:46:23Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > Exactly. It’s the contracting company that’s asking how I want to be paid. I apologize if I was confusing in some way. I didn’t think IRA regs allowed you or them to just choose. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suspect-someone-is-trying-to-scam-me-but-its-weird/784430/39 "2017-04-14T15:46:43Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > Yes, of course. The contracting firm and the employer both seem to have a web presence beyond just their websites, as do both the individual working for the contracting firm and the manager of the employing company. (Facebook, LinkedIn, Zoominfo, etc.). > > It does strike me as a bit odd that the domains for both companies are registered anonymously, but that seems to be becoming a common practice, probably to prevent robotic harvesting of info. Both domains are at least several years old. Yes, a lot of company’s sites go through a domain proxy anymore. Still, they’d at least have to have a Registered Agent on file w/ your state’s Secretary of State to be a licensed business there. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suspect-someone-is-trying-to-scam-me-but-its-weird/784430/40 "2017-04-14T15:47:06Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > Yes, of course. The contracting firm and the employer both seem to have a web presence beyond just their websites, as do both the individual working for the contracting firm and the manager of the employing company. (Facebook, LinkedIn, Zoominfo, etc.). > > It does strike me as a bit odd that the domains for both companies are registered anonymously, but that seems to be becoming a common practice, probably to prevent robotic harvesting of info. Both domains are at least several years old. So I take it there are positive reviews of their services that can be checked up on from websites the companies cannot meddle with? If so, can you contact current/former employees on your own to see if they have any similar experiences? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suspect-someone-is-trying-to-scam-me-but-its-weird/784430.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suspect-someone-is-trying-to-scam-me-but-its-weird/784430.md?page=3)