I suspect someone is trying to scam me, but it's weird.

[davidm]

@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.

[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.

[davidm]

@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.

[Velocity]

Yeah, visit them in person. I have known few scammers who were comfortable meeting the scammee in person.

[Dewey_Finn]

Well, I hope you’ll come back and tell us how this ends.

[davidm]

@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.

[davidm]

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!

[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?

[davidm]

@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.

[ivylass]

Can you ask the employer directly? I haven’t worked as a contractor so I don’t know the etiquette and protocol.

[davidm]

Ask him what specifically?

[Czarcasm]

@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)?

[davidm]

@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.

[Slash1972]

@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.

[Celidin]

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.

[Jophiel]

@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.

[Jophiel]

@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.

[gigi]

@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.

[Nawth_Chucka]

@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.

[Czarcasm]

@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?