scarhand Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 i've been scammed for the 2nd time in 2 weeks im so sick of this crap i just want to kill someone what do i do about it? Quote Link to comment https://forums.phpfreaks.com/topic/136125-what-to-do-about-scammer/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel0 Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 Don't buy viagra, wiener enlargement pills, or other types of pharmaceutics on the intertubes. Really though, how exactly did you get scammed? Quote Link to comment https://forums.phpfreaks.com/topic/136125-what-to-do-about-scammer/#findComment-709882 Share on other sites More sharing options...
revraz Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 Don't let your girlfriend know where your wallet is at. Quote Link to comment https://forums.phpfreaks.com/topic/136125-what-to-do-about-scammer/#findComment-709908 Share on other sites More sharing options...
scarhand Posted December 8, 2008 Author Share Posted December 8, 2008 Don't buy viagra, wiener enlargement pills, or other types of pharmaceutics on the intertubes. Really though, how exactly did you get scammed? first guy - "i will pay you at the end of the month" second guy - "if you cant trust me how can i trust you" after telling him i want an up-front payment Quote Link to comment https://forums.phpfreaks.com/topic/136125-what-to-do-about-scammer/#findComment-709915 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel0 Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 Get them to sign a contract. Quote Link to comment https://forums.phpfreaks.com/topic/136125-what-to-do-about-scammer/#findComment-709919 Share on other sites More sharing options...
corbin Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 Always get money upfront. Quote Link to comment https://forums.phpfreaks.com/topic/136125-what-to-do-about-scammer/#findComment-709960 Share on other sites More sharing options...
ardyandkari Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 Don't buy viagra, wiener enlargement pills, or other types of pharmaceutics on the intertubes. ha! back to the topic at hand...if you dont want to get scammed, grow a pair. if you need the money up front and someone gives you that weak answer, WALK AWAY! if they really want your services they will pay up front. btw: if your "services" are of an illicit, adult rated nature...definitely get payment up front! Quote Link to comment https://forums.phpfreaks.com/topic/136125-what-to-do-about-scammer/#findComment-710168 Share on other sites More sharing options...
dropfaith Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 always get the money first at least a chunk like a down payment on services Quote Link to comment https://forums.phpfreaks.com/topic/136125-what-to-do-about-scammer/#findComment-710269 Share on other sites More sharing options...
scarhand Posted December 9, 2008 Author Share Posted December 9, 2008 ok thanks guys, from now on i will just get 50% up front, and if the person refuses to pay up front then i will tell them to screw off Quote Link to comment https://forums.phpfreaks.com/topic/136125-what-to-do-about-scammer/#findComment-710378 Share on other sites More sharing options...
dropfaith Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 i would still be professional and just explain to them that in this business its pretty normal to get 50 percent up front due to how easy it is for someone to be ripped off by doing all the work and getting it loaded then the guy vanishes from the world and theres no way to get the money owed for your work.. Most of my customers understand when i say this and are fine doing the 50 upfront.. another technique i use is i have my own server and do everything live there so they can play with it use it test it, but its my server so i still have full rights and control over removing it until they pay me then i upload it live to their host.. Quote Link to comment https://forums.phpfreaks.com/topic/136125-what-to-do-about-scammer/#findComment-710381 Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynew Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 I often find that kidnapping one of their family members gets the point across pretty well. Quote Link to comment https://forums.phpfreaks.com/topic/136125-what-to-do-about-scammer/#findComment-710413 Share on other sites More sharing options...
scarhand Posted December 9, 2008 Author Share Posted December 9, 2008 another technique i use is i have my own server and do everything live there so they can play with it use it test it, but its my server so i still have full rights and control over removing it until they pay me then i upload it live to their host.. that is actually an excellent idea. Quote Link to comment https://forums.phpfreaks.com/topic/136125-what-to-do-about-scammer/#findComment-710489 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel0 Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 another technique i use is i have my own server and do everything live there so they can play with it use it test it, but its my server so i still have full rights and control over removing it until they pay me then i upload it live to their host.. that is actually an excellent idea. You're not telling us you've been storing it on your clients' servers before you're done, right? Then it's bound to go wrong eventually... Quote Link to comment https://forums.phpfreaks.com/topic/136125-what-to-do-about-scammer/#findComment-710553 Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynew Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 another technique i use is i have my own server and do everything live there so they can play with it use it test it, but its my server so i still have full rights and control over removing it until they pay me then i upload it live to their host.. that is actually an excellent idea. You're not telling us you've been storing it on your clients' servers before you're done, right? Then it's bound to go wrong eventually... Always does. Clients are your enemies. Quote Link to comment https://forums.phpfreaks.com/topic/136125-what-to-do-about-scammer/#findComment-711224 Share on other sites More sharing options...
ardyandkari Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 I often find that kidnapping one of their family members gets the point across pretty well. only works if they care about their family... Quote Link to comment https://forums.phpfreaks.com/topic/136125-what-to-do-about-scammer/#findComment-712215 Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynew Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 I often find that kidnapping one of their family members gets the point across pretty well. only works if they care about their family... Yea. You had better do some background checking first to make sure that you're not doing them a favour. Seriously though, scammers need to be hung up and shot. I'm sick of the greasy little f*ckers trying to swindle their way out of every little payment. At the moment, I'm spamming one scammers address with paypal invoices. Quote Link to comment https://forums.phpfreaks.com/topic/136125-what-to-do-about-scammer/#findComment-712614 Share on other sites More sharing options...
tibberous Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 Getting %50 up front only means that you might not get scammed for more than %50. Get the whole %100, I've been ripped off the back half of 50%-50% jobs. Best way to not get ripped off is to deal with people locally - you'll get more too. Quote Link to comment https://forums.phpfreaks.com/topic/136125-what-to-do-about-scammer/#findComment-712964 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel0 Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 Getting %50 up front only means that you might not get scammed for more than %50. Get the whole %100, I've been ripped off the back half of 50%-50% jobs. Best way to not get ripped off is to deal with people locally - you'll get more too. Why are you more trustworthy than your client? Quote Link to comment https://forums.phpfreaks.com/topic/136125-what-to-do-about-scammer/#findComment-712968 Share on other sites More sharing options...
tibberous Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 -= To Daniel0: Because if I don't give my client anything, they can do a charge back through paypal - if they change the server passwords, I have no recourse. The question you asked kind of misses the point too. It isn't that I'm more trustworthy than my client, it is that I don't want ripped off. It doesn't matter if it's fair - its my terms. If they feel it is unfair (and it might be) they can do business with someone else, but I'm not going to get ripped off, that's the point. =- Also - it helps if you do a good job. Sometimes when it seems like someone scammed you, it might just really be a bad case of buyers remorse - especially if someone is spending money they don't have in hopes of 'getting rich online'. I've disappeared on a couple people who've handed me garbage, and felt like doing it a lot of times. Designs especially tend to be like that. The designer I work with seems to put about 20 minutes work into the first thing he shows me. This makes sense, since he wants my feedback before he polishes the look, but the first time he gave me a layout, I almost wanted to call off the whole project. Why? - because the layout wasn't done and it looked like shit - because I was expecting it to look the stuff in his portfolio - because I wasn't sure he'd get it perfect 4 iterations later - and because, even though $200 isn't shit for a layout, at the time it was my last $200, and the only way I was going to make it back Something else to keep in mind. If I had decided to get out right there, and eat my $100 loss, the designer could have just as easily thought I took his design and ripped him off the backend payment. Quote Link to comment https://forums.phpfreaks.com/topic/136125-what-to-do-about-scammer/#findComment-712997 Share on other sites More sharing options...
CroNiX Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 I require 65% up front before I touch a thing. I require a signed contract before I touch a thing. All development work gets done on MY server. Client can view my work on my server. At the end of the job and they have paid the remainder, I transfer the work to their server. Never been screwed after I started doing things this way. Sure I have lost a few prospective clients who think this is a bit much, but they are the types who probably would have screwed me anyway, so who cares. After the work is released to the client, or scammer in your case, there is not much you can do if they don't pay except hire a lawyer and spend time in court. Its much better to protect yourself up front and retain 100% control until the final bill is paid. Quote Link to comment https://forums.phpfreaks.com/topic/136125-what-to-do-about-scammer/#findComment-713010 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel0 Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 -= To Daniel0: Because if I don't give my client anything, they can do a charge back through paypal - if they change the server passwords, I have no recourse. The question you asked kind of misses the point too. It isn't that I'm more trustworthy than my client, it is that I don't want ripped off. It doesn't matter if it's fair - its my terms. If they feel it is unfair (and it might be) they can do business with someone else, but I'm not going to get ripped off, that's the point. =- Maybe in your ideal world you can always get money back if you feel you've been wronged. It doesn't always work like that in the real world though. There is shit on the TV all the time about people getting screwed over by some contractor. Here we are not just talking your $200, but tens of thousands of dollars... lost. Sometimes the person you pay may just disappear with the money. You are the one missing my point actually. Your client doesn't want to get ripped off either so logically he will want to hold the funds before he has got what he is going to pay for. Likewise do you want to hold the funds because you don't want to get ripped off either. That's a catch-22 because you obviously cannot both hold the funds. The solution is that neither of you hold the funds and let a legal trustee in form of an escrow agent do it instead. This will ensure you that the money exist and it'll also ensure your client that you won't run away with the money. They funds won't be released until both parties have agreed to. And you need to get a legally binding contract as well of course. Quote Link to comment https://forums.phpfreaks.com/topic/136125-what-to-do-about-scammer/#findComment-713028 Share on other sites More sharing options...
corbin Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 "if they change the server passwords, I have no recourse." What? You dev on the client's server? Or you mean you would vandalize his/her server if you didn't receive payment? Quote Link to comment https://forums.phpfreaks.com/topic/136125-what-to-do-about-scammer/#findComment-713127 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel0 Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 "if they change the server passwords, I have no recourse." What? You dev on the client's server? Or you mean you would vandalize his/her server if you didn't receive payment? I supposed he meant that after he had deployed it on the client's server that he fears the client would change the password thus preventing him from removing it again should the client choose not to pay. Btw, --$points for not properly citing sources of quotations. Quote Link to comment https://forums.phpfreaks.com/topic/136125-what-to-do-about-scammer/#findComment-713140 Share on other sites More sharing options...
oriental_express Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 use an escrow ? Quote Link to comment https://forums.phpfreaks.com/topic/136125-what-to-do-about-scammer/#findComment-713146 Share on other sites More sharing options...
corbin Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 I have a bad habit of not using the quote thing when doing partial quotes. I would hesitate to put files on the client's server before he/she paid me. Then again, he/she would probably worry too.... Quote Link to comment https://forums.phpfreaks.com/topic/136125-what-to-do-about-scammer/#findComment-713156 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.