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May 31, 2001
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<< Sorry. I got pulled away from the computer just as I was typing in the update. Anyway, it's going down with a 3-way conference call. Our head of Human Resources for the whole company asked that I be in the building as the firing happens, "just in case". I'm what passes for a big guy in this office, I guess. >>



Dude, you should have told me. I was just in town.
 

oLLie

Diamond Member
Jan 15, 2001
5,203
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ShotgunSteve and Maetryx guy... what's Alaska like? I think I wanna go there sometime.

Keep us updated on the workplace insanity too, Maetryx :)
 
May 31, 2001
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<< ShotgunSteve and Maetryx guy... what's Alaska like? I think I wanna go there sometime.

Keep us updated on the workplace insanity too, Maetryx :)
>>



Cold. It warmed UP to minus ten degrees today.

What does it look like?

The ArcticCam
 

Maetryx

Diamond Member
Jan 18, 2001
4,849
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Okay, she's gone!

The conference call was in the office next to mine. I was officially eavesdropping ( I was supposed to listen for any abusive sounds ). I heard the head of human resources on the conference call informing the person that NONE of her resume could be verified. Our office manager was explaining to her some stuff I couldn't hear, but the phone speaker was loud enough that I could hear it when the head of human resources was speaking.

Apparently she faked her resume. This is not a young lady, but like in her 40s. But I know she did other things, because we would get call from different vendors that we do business with (i.e. buy goods and services from) and they would be all like, "Can [person's name] really yank your business away from us? She was upset at us and said [company name] would no longer do business with us."

We were all like WTF? No, man. She can't make us not do business with you guys. We've been using you for that service for 10 years! So she has a problem with lying and pretending to have authority she does not have. Toss in there her apparent financial independence, the never materializing "Big Proposal" (worth 10's of millions of dollars), and things are looking fishy.

She might be one of those complusive liars. Hmmmmm. She also abused our phone and cell phones, racking up hundreds of dollars worth of personal phone calls.

She didn't know how to do any of the field work we do (an engineering firm, BTW). So she was always managing and writing proposals. Only I get the impression that that was what she wrote on her timesheet more than what she did in real life. Phew.

So she just walked out a minute ago and now WE have to pack her sh!t because she doesn't want to. She was given the choice: resign right now, or you're fired right now. I suspect she took the first option. Tension was thick as granite in here. Now she's left and we're all laughing a little to shrilly with relief. My supervisor told me I could go home now that she left. Whenever I wanted to. Naw, it's too good of a story. I'm staying. I'll post more when I get more specific details (without infringing on anyone's right to privacy of course).

ShotgunSteve: make sure you don't give out to much information (like say, where I work), not that you would.
 

Jfur

Diamond Member
Jul 9, 2001
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we had some bonehead shine a high-powered laser out the window of my former employer and a SWAT team showed up! That same month, I found out that my computer had been used to query the Internet for "japan AND oral AND teen" and I notified my supervisor because it was a "secured" and monitored system and I did not want to get into trouble. It turned out one of the janitors was caught "in my chair" during a stakeout a few nights later :( :disgust: I changed chairs immediately.
 

Maetryx

Diamond Member
Jan 18, 2001
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<< "japan AND oral AND teen" >>



Maybe he had an interest in Japanese Pediatric Dentistry.
 

oLLie

Diamond Member
Jan 15, 2001
5,203
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<< << "japan AND oral AND teen" >>
Maybe he had an interest in Japanese Pediatric Dentistry.
>>



classic...
 

Jfur

Diamond Member
Jul 9, 2001
6,044
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<<

<< << "japan AND oral AND teen" >>
Maybe he had an interest in Japanese Pediatric Dentistry.
>>



classic...
>>



the illustrations that accompanied the "medical" inquiry were also classic ;) he had been searching for over 3 hours and it was all in the cache (not to mention a remaining "popup"
 

Maetryx

Diamond Member
Jan 18, 2001
4,849
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**UPDATE**

This is what I've gleaned from various coworkers who have bits and pieces of the story. First off, I'm giving the fired person an alias for the story, because it will be easier to tell. Ironically, I can't say for *certain* that this is a false name, because she lied so much I'm not sure we have her real name in the first place!

So let's call her Ruth.

Ruth came on board about 6 months ago. We lost a professional engineer position due to maternity leave. She'll be back. So we needed a project manager type of person, and put an ad in the paper. We had a specific project in need of a manager. I'll call that project the Good Water Database Update (GWDU). So Ruth was hired to be the project manager for the GWDU.

As a total bonus, she claimed to have lots of experience with a local minority health organization that has lots of money to spend. She had such good contacts with that group, that she could get us invited to an exclusive event in which we alone would present the capabilities of our company, and on a simple yay - nay vote, be hired to do tens of millions of dollars worth of work.

Well, that sounded great! We got together an SOQ (statement of qualifications) and a presentation, and were scheduled to meet with that group on a particular Thursday. But, oh no! The meeting got canceled at the last minute! It was postponed until March. Well, okay. We're talking tens of millions of dollars, so cool. We'll wait.

Meanwhile, business as usual. She's plugging away at the GWDU getting it squared away. Whoop! The project goes $30,000 over budget!. But no problem she tells us. Ruth talks to the client, and they agree to pay for the extra work. So corporate accounting makes out an invoice to the client for the GWDU project for $30k. We get the invoice at our office, because project managers (Ruth) look over such items before they are sent to the client.

The receptionist gives this $30k invoice to Ruth to look over. Ruth is all, "oh yeah, I'll take care of this." Time goes by, and yet the client never pays. Hmmmmmm. The receptionist looks in the project file (which is the wrong place for invoice related items) and finds the empty invoice envelope. Where the hell is the invoice? Why is the envelope, all addressed for the client, sitting in a file cabinet? Ruth assures the receptionist that she sent the invoice to the client.

So Ruth says, "I'll go call the client and get this squared away." Ruth goes to her office, the light on the switchboard lights up like she's calling someone, and 4 minutes later she comes out and says, "it's all taken care of. They got the bill a few days ago, and will pay it on [some date or other]".

Now this $30k is a REALLY big deal for an office our size, and in the winter when engineering/construction is slow. So the unit manager and the receptionist immediately call the client. He's all "WTF? We never heard of a $30k overrun or invoice. We'd never pay that. *And* Ruth did not just call. What are you talking about?"

Now, I have ZERO idea what possible reason Ruth had for pretending that the client would cover the overrun, unless she just thought she'd be in a lot of trouble for letting a job get over budget. Hell, *every* job goes over budget (almost)! Really strange behavour, right?

So *that* is the event that sparked the scrutinization of her resume. One by one, line by line, her resume crumbled under scrutiny. None of the former employees had heard of a Ruth *or* her SSN :Q. Our head of Human Resources has been doing this type of work for over 2 decades. There has not been a mistake.

So today, she was informed of all the discrepancies and given the ultimatum: sign this resignation right now, or you're fired. Either way, turn in your keys and your cell phone, pack up your office and be escorted off the property. You're unforgiven, uninvited, and unwelcome.

She didn't even apologize. She just walked out. Said she had to go home and get the keys and the cell phone (yeah, right). But she did *sign* the resignation! To me that's an admission of guilt. If she was telling the truth, and there was some major mix up, she would of said, "screw you guys, you can fire me if you want, and I'll see you in court!" But she just said, "I'm innocent, but I'll sign".

Hey, remember that special invitation to give a presentation and get millions and millions of dollars worth of contracts? So much smoke apparently. It's looking like she fabricated the entire story out of whole cloth. No wonder the meeting got postponed....

Even her personal life stories aren't holding water. She supposedly has rental property in town (public records indicate no such ownership) and even her house is not owned by someone with her name (maybe she rents? maybe she has another name?) I think that she slash and burns companies, changing her name and her SSN for each scam. Because she *ceratainly* had some experience, as evidenced by her work on the GWDU project. The performance on that project was never an issue. The client is happy with the project, so she knows some stuff.

So I think she really worked some of those jobs on her resume, but under a different name and SSN. Then, for motives that are unclear, and apparently minimal benefit to herself, she abuses her her position. God, if Ruth somehow benefited from this behavior, I don't see how. Yeah, she got a lot of free phone calls on the company's dime but damn! That doesn't seem worth the effort. Maybe we don't know what all she did to us yet.....
 
May 31, 2001
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Sounds like PCResources was working in the same building as you the last six months and you did not even know it! :Q My guess is that "Ruth" somehow siphoned off the extra $30,000.00 and was trying to string things along and keep anyone from finding out, possibly hoping to make another big financial score, and then cut and run.
 

Looney

Lifer
Jun 13, 2000
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It turned out one of the janitors was caught "in my chair" during a stakeout a few nights later I changed chairs immediately.


LOL what about keyboard and monitor? Desk and mouse changes would probably be a good idea too.

And what a STRANGE story Maetryx. Can't they prosecute her or something?
 

Jfur

Diamond Member
Jul 9, 2001
6,044
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<< It turned out one of the janitors was caught "in my chair" during a stakeout a few nights later I changed chairs immediately.


LOL what about keyboard and monitor? Desk and mouse changes would probably be a good idea too.

>>

Thanks for the thought. Actually, it is a rather large facility and twice in the last few years the feds have caught people storing very unsavory and illegal things there, even though they are "secure" systems. So probably all the equipment is contaminated. At least we can think of a motive, but as far as what Maetryx describes -- what on earth is that woman up to?! Better check all the cache files and change the chairs ;)
 

Elledan

Banned
Jul 24, 2000
8,880
0
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<<

<< It turned out one of the janitors was caught "in my chair" during a stakeout a few nights later I changed chairs immediately.


LOL what about keyboard and monitor? Desk and mouse changes would probably be a good idea too.

>>

Thanks for the thought. Actually, it is a rather large facility and twice in the last few years the feds have caught people storing very unsavory and illegal things there, even though they are "secure" systems. So probably all the equipment is contaminated. At least we can think of a motive, but as far as what Maetryx describes -- what on earth is that woman up to?! Better check all the cache files and change the chairs ;)
>>


Hmm... just a thought, but are such 'urges' limited to males only? I mean, are most females just 'smarter' and seek some more privacy instead of doing 'it' in public (well, almost)?

Sorry for rambling :eek:
 

Jfur

Diamond Member
Jul 9, 2001
6,044
0
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<<

<<

<< It turned out one of the janitors was caught "in my chair" during a stakeout a few nights later I changed chairs immediately.


LOL what about keyboard and monitor? Desk and mouse changes would probably be a good idea too.

>>

Thanks for the thought. Actually, it is a rather large facility and twice in the last few years the feds have caught people storing very unsavory and illegal things there, even though they are "secure" systems. So probably all the equipment is contaminated. At least we can think of a motive, but as far as what Maetryx describes -- what on earth is that woman up to?! Better check all the cache files and change the chairs ;)
>>


Hmm... just a thought, but are such 'urges' limited to males only? I mean, are most females just 'smarter' and seek some more privacy instead of doing 'it' in public (well, almost)?

Sorry for rambling :eek:
>>

We are more discreet of course, and less messy :p
 

Elledan

Banned
Jul 24, 2000
8,880
0
0


<<

<< Hmm... just a thought, but are such 'urges' limited to males only? I mean, are most females just 'smarter' and seek some more privacy instead of doing 'it' in public (well, almost)?

Sorry for rambling :eek:
>>

We are more discreet of course, and less messy :p
>>

Let's not get into details, shall we? :Q
 

Nitemare

Lifer
Feb 8, 2001
35,461
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<<

<<

<<

<< It turned out one of the janitors was caught "in my chair" during a stakeout a few nights later I changed chairs immediately.


LOL what about keyboard and monitor? Desk and mouse changes would probably be a good idea too.

>>

Thanks for the thought. Actually, it is a rather large facility and twice in the last few years the feds have caught people storing very unsavory and illegal things there, even though they are "secure" systems. So probably all the equipment is contaminated. At least we can think of a motive, but as far as what Maetryx describes -- what on earth is that woman up to?! Better check all the cache files and change the chairs ;)
>>


Hmm... just a thought, but are such 'urges' limited to males only? I mean, are most females just 'smarter' and seek some more privacy instead of doing 'it' in public (well, almost)?

Sorry for rambling :eek:
>>

We are more discreet of course, and less messy :p
>>



In true ATOT fashion....pics? j/k

That sounds so messed up maetryx. Fairbanks isn't that big of a city. I am surprised that word of mouth doesn't get around. Maybe you could contact the local police department with her picture. They might have had some other local businesses reporting her for scamming. At the least they could run her serial number against her dmv to verify she is who she says she is. They could probably lift a print of hers from her office and run that as well.
 

Maetryx

Diamond Member
Jan 18, 2001
4,849
1
81
We have a staff meeting this morning (Alaska time, so like noonish on the east coast) and we'll be told more of what happened. You know I'll be here to add to it. I'll get back to you guys in a couple hours or so.
 

BoberFett

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
37,562
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81
Ahhh, lovely Fairbanks. I spent a couple weeks at Eielson AFB for some live fire exercises about 8 years ago. Didn't see much of the town, but me and bunch of the guys rented a Suburban and headed out for Denali. Wow, that was an experience. Some of the most beautiful scenery I've scene. I've got an incredible set of pictures from that little outing.
 

Maetryx

Diamond Member
Jan 18, 2001
4,849
1
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Yeah, Denali (Mt. McKinley to you non-Alaskans) is probably the most breathtaking mountain in North America.

Okay. We had our staff meeting. The conjectures were correct with some amazing additionals. Essentially, Ruth is a con artist, and possibly a fugitive. She was not who she said she was at all. She goes by several names.

She's also a pathological liar, which guaranteed that she would eventually get caught. She would lie for no reason. Since she started working here late last summer, she has claimed these medical afflictions:

1) breast cancer
2) knee surgery
3) minor outpatient BRAIN surgery (WTF?)
4) she's had nine miscarriages (in her life, not just lately)

What kills me the most is that there was *never* a big meeting coming up worth $30 million. She totally made it up. She made fake letterhead from the minority health organization, and invented a position and person from that office, and created a letter to us explaining why the meeting was postponed until March.

She made the whole thing up. She had me taking photos of everyone in the office, so she could put together the presentation. She had me take *her* god damned picture 3 times, because it wasn't quite right. She got the region vice president to help her on the presentation.

But now it is confirmed. The position and name on the letter is totally fictional. The organization exists, but they've never heard of our company, and they certainly don't have a meeting scheduled with us.

She was just one line of BS after another. We all kind of feel stupid. So today the word is that she's not coming by the office to pick up her stuff that we packed. She's heading "south" for the holidays (later today) and won't be back until after the New Year. Yeah, right. She's either a fugitive running away from something, or she's lying and she's just gonna be around town still but didn't want to pick up her sh!t.

I worry that she's a fugitive. I don't want her hurting anyone else. There's speculation that she's not really a widow, but did one of those custody kidnap things. We can't know the answer on that one. But if she runs, we'll probably never know. And whao to the poor supervisor that hires her next.


 

Jfur

Diamond Member
Jul 9, 2001
6,044
0
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was there any further insight into *why* she would do this? is it just mental illness, or did she get her hands on $$$$, too?