PSA: Be vigiliant against scammers

[dannybek]

Yesterday a friend of mine got scammed out of $4,000. She lives in a two bedroom apt in NYC and can only afford to pay half the rent. She makes out the other half by having roommates who can pay. This month her roommate moved out and she searched until she found one who seemed trustworthy. This new roommate was a supposed Haitian journalist student looking for a place to stay while working and studying. The roommate wanted to pay via check and asked for money in return. My friend was naive enough to accept that and didn't wait until the check cleared. The checked bounce and the $4,000 disappeared.

ATOT members, many of us are wise enough that we can see through these scams and have so called "commonsense" to wait for a check to clear. Yet many of our friends and family do not.

I have one serious question, how does one comfort a person who has been deceived, embarrassed and deprived of her hard earned $4,000?

 

[effowe]

I don't think you can comfort her much, it's a hard lesson to learn but a valuable one. The only thing you can do is listen and be there for her.

 

[krunchykrome]

My first reaction was to call your friend a name in dissapointment. There's really not much you can do but make sure that she takes this as an expensive lesson.

 

[mitaiwan82]

should change the title to "PSA: don't be financially naive" (In actuality "PSA: Don't live in NYC" or "PSA: Don't be a dumbass" were the first things that came to mind)

 

[ric1287]

that must be a damn penthouse or high rise apt for 2br at $8000 a month. Tell her to move out of a place that expensive. Thats insanity.

 

[sixone]

Originally posted by: ric1287
that must be a damn penthouse or high rise apt for 2br at $8000 a month. Tell her to move out of a place that expensive. Thats insanity.

She needs to get a place she can afford without a roommate, at the very least.

 

[dmcowen674]

Sorry about your friend.

We live in a world full of scam and with the advent of the computer has gotten a lot worse.

Now every industry with the blessing of the government are legally allowed and blessed to be scammers especially the banking industry.

The Bank check 21 scam that was passed last summer is the biggest scam of all.

It is a big part of how your friend got scammed.

 

[purbeast0]

no offense but your friend is a fscking moron.

 

[Aharami]

Originally posted by: dmcowen674
Sorry about your friend.

We live in a world full of scam and with the advent of the computer has gotten a lot worse.

Now every industry with the blessing of the government are legally allowed and blessed to be scammers especially the banking industry.

The Bank check 21 scam that was passed last summer is the biggest scam of all.

It is a big part of how your friend got scammed.

why the fvuk do you have to bring politics into every single one of your replies? i hardly say this but this isnt P&N!!!!

OP, why does she HAVE to live in the city? why not move a bit farther out and commute via train or bus? much more affordable housing outside of the city

 

[ric1287]

Originally posted by: sixone

Originally posted by: ric1287
that must be a damn penthouse or high rise apt for 2br at $8000 a month. Tell her to move out of a place that expensive. Thats insanity.

She needs to get a place she can afford without a roommate, at the very least.

mos def. I am positive she could find a nice 1br for 2000 max anywhere in that city and save the rest like a sensible person would. I am just stumped why anyone would spend that much on rent.

i will be living with a roomate in a great Chicago condo for 700$ each.

 

[Kalmah]

1: Build Terminator
2: Send back in time to stop what just happened
3: Terminator tortures scammer for eternity
4: profit.. $4,000

 

[krunchykrome]

Originally posted by: Kalmah
1: Build Terminator
2: Send back in time to stop what just happened
3: Terminator tortures scammer for eternity
4: profit.. $4,000

5. Wrong thread :laugh:

 

[PepePeru]

well it sounds like she's learned a lesson.

albeit a very hard & expensive one.

unfortunately, its the world we live in.

 

[Shadowknight]

Yeah, and there's that scam where people post on websites, saying they need money to pay for surgery on a stray cat!

Kidding