need advice on a possible scam/reverse cell phone look up?

A

Apossum

Guest
Hey CAG! I know, i know, it's an odd request. Check this out though. I was at the Jiffy Lube a couple weeks ago and met this girl who was pretty cute. I had my books with me and she asked where I go to school and stuff. I mention that I was at the local community college for the summer, but that I go to UW-Madison. She said she just graduated from UW and asks me my major, I say psych and sociology and she says she majored in psych as well!

So I was thinking that this was my lucky day, then she mentions her fiance...so that's when I started tuning out of the conversation :p Nevertheless, she asks for my number and tells me she might be able to get me a job in this business that she and her fiance started. I asked her what it was about, she mentions something about google, something about getting bases for businesses, whatever. I didn't understand since she was mumbling (I think she was stoned) and I gave my number to her.

Fast forward to last night, her fiance calls me about this thing they are doing. He's immediately very nice and very forward. He tells me he graduated from the UW-Madison business school and that his 1st girlfriend was from my hometown...alright. Well, then he starts talking about his little business and gave me absolutely no details. I drilled him a bit about those, but all I got was "it's too complex for a phone conversation." Then he's like "let me pick you up at your house for a meeting" :shock: I told him no way, but suggested that we meet somewhere else...I don't know why, since there's obviously something smelly about this. did I mention that he kept on saying that his fiance was raving about our meeting, every single time I showed any skepticism about his deal? this is strange since I only talked to her for a few minutes and was pretty distracted and inattentive :lol: All in all, he seemed like a smooth talker, a little too smooth and a little too forward as well, albeit all pretty subtle except for the whole picking me up at my house thing.

so what I'm wondering is if anyone has run into this kind of situation and if this sounds like a scam to you as much as it does to me? It seems like he's going after personal info...

lastly, is there any way I can look up his cell number? About the only thing that isn't fishy about him is that he has a Madison area code for his cell (but lives in IL, I guess.) Should i go to the cops and find out if this guy is a scammer or something?

any advice would be greatly appreciated and thanks for reading this long ass post. I hate scammers, and since I don't have much to do with my time for the next week, I'd like to find out what this guy is about. :)
 
I am not sure about finding out who he is with his cell #, but it sounds to me like they want to cut out yoru organs to sell on the black market.

Either that or recruit you to send to Iraq to be killed.
 
[quote name='Apossum']Hey CAG! I know, i know, it's an odd request. Check this out though. I was at the Jiffy Lube a couple weeks ago and met this girl who was pretty cute. I had my books with me and she asked where I go to school and stuff. I mention that I was at the local community college for the summer, but that I go to UW-Madison. She said she just graduated from UW and asks me my major, I say psych and sociology and she says she majored in psych as well!

So I was thinking that this was my lucky day, then she mentions her fiance...so that's when I started tuning out of the conversation :p Nevertheless, she asks for my number and tells me she might be able to get me a job in this business that she and her fiance started. I asked her what it was about, she mentions something about google, something about getting bases for businesses, whatever. I didn't understand since she was mumbling (I think she was stoned) and I gave my number to her.

Fast forward to last night, her fiance calls me about this thing they are doing. He's immediately very nice and very forward. He tells me he graduated from the UW-Madison business school and that his 1st girlfriend was from my hometown...alright. Well, then he starts talking about his little business and gave me absolutely no details. I drilled him a bit about those, but all I got was "it's too complex for a phone conversation." Then he's like "let me pick you up at your house for a meeting" :shock: I told him no way, but suggested that we meet somewhere else...I don't know why, since there's obviously something smelly about this. did I mention that he kept on saying that his fiance was raving about our meeting, every single time I showed any skepticism about his deal? this is strange since I only talked to her for a few minutes and was pretty distracted and inattentive :lol: All in all, he seemed like a smooth talker, a little too smooth and a little too forward as well, albeit all pretty subtle except for the whole picking me up at my house thing.

so what I'm wondering is if anyone has run into this kind of situation and if this sounds like a scam to you as much as it does to me? It seems like he's going after personal info...

lastly, is there any way I can look up his cell number? About the only thing that isn't fishy about him is that he has a Madison area code for his cell (but lives in IL, I guess.) Should i go to the cops and find out if this guy is a scammer or something?

any advice would be greatly appreciated and thanks for reading this long ass post. I hate scammers, and since I don't have much to do with my time for the next week, I'd like to find out what this guy is about. :)[/QUOTE]

My opinion: Scam. In Charlottesville, on two separate occasions, I have had African-American males come up to me and start a convivial conversation that asks about me and then smoothly transitions into finding e-clients, and advertisements and such. Why did I mention their race? Because for some reason African-Americans have never come up and openly talked to me, never.

The point is, if someone starts asking questions about YOU, right away, most likely they are trying to get you into something. Its a ploy..

Also a lot of these scams center around college towns. These online things normally involve an investment by the person starting and what better way to find said investor than at a college town with students with lots of naivete and disposable income.
 
[quote name='6669']I'd say give him a chance. It sounds like he's trying to go out of his way to help you.[/QUOTE]

Yea give him a chance to screw you over! Definitely tell him where you live so he can stalk you and harass you in person. Instead of talking on the phone and letting you know the general details, he wants to come over to your house and ROB YOU LATER. Trust your instincts, when in doubt don't do it. That's common sense.
 
[quote name='beguile']Yea give him a chance to screw you over! Definitely tell him where you live so he can stalk you and harass you in person. Instead of talking on the phone and letting you know the general details, he wants to come over to your house and ROB YOU LATER. Trust your instincts, when in doubt don't do it. That's common sense.[/QUOTE]
I never said to tell him where you live. Meet him somewhere, like you already said. Have someone with you, if it makes you more comfortable.
 
[quote name='6669']I'd say give him a chance. It sounds like he's trying to go out of his way to help you.[/QUOTE]


If he was, he wouldn't have been so secretive about his offer and would have answered my questions directly...basic ones like "how much time will this take a week" and "what kind of business is this and what does the actual job entail" were answered with very vague and unclear answers. Lucrative job opportunities rarely, if ever, fall into a person's lap. There were a couple red flags during our convo, so I'm very skeptical.

he may just be trying to get me to sell Amway or there's a possibility that he is phishing for people's info. If it's the latter, I'll be able to tell and hopefully get him busted. I'm going to agree to meet with him in a public place on my turf and find out what he's about. if anything, it'll make for a funny story ;)

6669-- not to be rude, but I read in another post that you are like 16 or something, right? you probably haven't encountered this yet, but there are a lot of scammers out there and at some point someone will try to suck you in to something by presenting it as an amazingly easy and profitable job. especially around colleges, as strayfoxx mentioned.
 
It's one of those pipeline / pyramid scams..

This has happened to me, like, three or four times. Once with a co-worker (I actually went to one of the "meetings"), and other times with strangers... who I always cut off and say "NO!!!".

They'll pick you up for your meeting, take you to a truck stop diner and cut your penis off... the equivalent of, anyway. They'd probably take you to a restaurant and feed you very elaborate propaganda.

Not razzing you, or anything, but they always go after guys who seem pathetic (visually). She approached you, while she has a fiance, and only had the intent to drop her and her boyfriend's stupid ass referal death-trap.

This is just a theory, about the pyramid scheme, of course.
 
I wouldn't say "scam", but chances are he will attempt to get money or some other sort of assistance from you at some point. Pyramid scheme, cult, who knows. Just remember: strangers never act that nice unless they want something. I doubt the fact that you went to UW-Madison (I mean, we all know only they only have an enrollment of a couple dozen, so it's a huge deal!) would make them so immediately open to hooking you up with some sweet job.
 
If he calls, ask him directly how much he's paying and how many hours you get.

Then ask him what some of his clients are. Get specific details - name of company and their phone number. Then call them up and ask them about this supposed company doing work for them.

If they don't know what the fuck you are talking about, it's a scam.

In other words, get some third party opinions from the clients these two people supposedly work with. That'll tell you quick if it's bullshit or not. And if he says he can't give out that information for "security reasons," point blank tell him he's probably lying. That would be like a contractor not telling you about his past clients.

Until you get hard facts from the dude's clients, don't do anything. If you still want a meeting, take 2 friends with you at least.
 
:rofl: maybe that's the business opportunity-- becoming an anonymous prostitute for couples who want a menage a trois!

brak-- I was wearing an undershirt, ripped jeans and hadn't showered that day. You're right on the money :lol: the thing that got me to cough up my number was that I was holding most of the conversation with the girl and she mentioned the job thing as an afterthought, pretty much. It seemed pretty real until I talked to the dude.

actually, this is a waste of my time, so I'm not going to meet him. it was an entertaining thought for a minute there ;)
 
That sounds really weird. Hook-line and sinker there with the woman too, marketing is getting incredibly invasive these days...
 
yeah, I've woken up a bit more after my morning jog and I've come to my senses and am not meeting up with the dude, no matter how much fun it would be to mess with him.

but if he calls back, I'm dropping a few lines about only wanting to hook up with his fiance until she mentioned the scheme and only giving her my number because I thought she wanted a threesome :lol:
 
This sounds very scammish to me. I had a similar encounter a few years ago when I worked the front desk at a Comfort Inn. As it was in my nature, I conversed alot with the guests that came in and through the course of one conversation I started talking to this guy that was in town for some meetings. He started talking about how he runs his own management firm and said he needed some help and someone with my conversation skills would work perfectly in his organization. So he asked to meet me at the McDonalds next door at 8am the next morning and to bring my resume for an interview. So I was extremely excited because at the time I wanted to leave Comfort Inn in the worst way. Well flash forward to the next morning (on one of the few precious days I had off and was able to sleep in) when I think I'm going to be interviewed only to find that he wanted to sell me time share type stuff. I basically said, "You gotta be fucking kidding me" and stormed out in the middle of his "presentation". I ended up finding out later that he successfully tricked every front desk employee at the hotel into the same meeting.
 
Fast forward to last night, her fiance calls me about this thing they are doing. He's immediately very nice and very forward. He tells me he graduated from the UW-Madison business school and that his 1st girlfriend was from my hometown...alright. Well, then he starts talking about his little business and gave me absolutely no details. I drilled him a bit about those, but all I got was "it's too complex for a phone conversation."

At that moment, you should've said "You're right, it's too complex for a phone conversation." *CLICK*
 
you know this brings up something that happened to me back when i use to sell cell phones at radio shack 4 years ago. Basically what happened is that a customer who use to frequent the store, finally came in and wanted to look at SPRINT cell phones (yuck)...so i give him the features run down and minutes plans. He told me he had some online business and that he was looking for a phone that will "push" his web site... at the time sprints web browser was slow as hell but it opened his web site(barely)...any how the conversation switched from celling the cell phone to him asking about me, my personal life (if I am married or have a gf) and how much I am making. He then asked me if I would be intrested in partnering up and making "Having more money coming out of my ass then I am making now in this place!" It was clear to me that he wasn't intrested in a cell phone, but to recruite people. I told him no thanks and then he walked off. .... so I lost a cell phone cell that day.... big whoop........ he didn't want to buy one in the first place anyways... I really don't understand if the front sign says NO SOLITATION they still do it anyways :|
 
this all reminds me of that scene from the movie "Go" where those guys go to the cops house and he tries to sell them furniture :lol:
 
[quote name='Apossum']If he was, he wouldn't have been so secretive about his offer and would have answered my questions directly...basic ones like "how much time will this take a week" and "what kind of business is this and what does the actual job entail" were answered with very vague and unclear answers. Lucrative job opportunities rarely, if ever, fall into a person's lap. There were a couple red flags during our convo, so I'm very skeptical.

he may just be trying to get me to sell Amway or there's a possibility that he is phishing for people's info. If it's the latter, I'll be able to tell and hopefully get him busted. I'm going to agree to meet with him in a public place on my turf and find out what he's about. if anything, it'll make for a funny story ;)

6669-- not to be rude, but I read in another post that you are like 16 or something, right? you probably haven't encountered this yet, but there are a lot of scammers out there and at some point someone will try to suck you in to something by presenting it as an amazingly easy and profitable job. especially around colleges, as strayfoxx mentioned.[/QUOTE]

You weren't rude, so its all good. I just figured if someone has a college degree, they wouldn't be scamming you (unless that's a lie). IDK, you talked to them and we didn't. I don't know how secretive he was to you.
I have encountered a lot of shading people, because of my age, both on the internet and in public. I stay away from all of them, because of my age, but I have different things to worry about then you.
I guess you should just go with your instincts.
 
I had something similar happen to me and it was Amway or some crap like that. “All you have to do is convince 10 friends then, you will be rich”

I would skip the meeting, only because I’ve sat through a couple…
 
back in 1997 i remembered this job posting in the paper, it didn't give details but I went to it anyways.... that night there were about 50 of us... they talked, it was basically about selling industrictible kitchen knives :whistle2:O... in the end 40 of us were dismissed , the final 10, including myself were made job offers... and at the end I was bored and not intrested and they wanted me to come in for training on Friday.. I told them I couldn't do it friday,and they asked why... I said doctors appointment(even though I was without insurance)... they said we need you to come in on friday..and I said ok.....................

I didn't come in on friday.... instead I went to see the opening day of Return of the Jedi: Special Edition :)

was that a scam they were trying to get me into?
 
[quote name='ITDEFX']back in 1997 i remembered this job posting in the paper, it didn't give details but I went to it anyways.... that night there were about 50 of us... they talked, it was basically about selling industrictible kitchen knives :whistle2:O... in the end 40 of us were dismissed , the final 10, including myself were made job offers... and at the end I was bored and not intrested and they wanted me to come in for training on Friday.. I told them I couldn't do it friday,and they asked why... I said doctors appointment(even though I was without insurance)... they said we need you to come in on friday..and I said ok.....................

I didn't come in on friday.... instead I went to see the opening day of Return of the Jedi: Special Edition :)

was that a scam they were trying to get me into?[/quote]
I dunno... a friend of mine in college sold some heavy duty kitchen knives, probably the same or similar deal. He made pretty decent money for it (couple hundred bucks a day - they're expensive as hell), though I wouldn't have the patience or interest for door-to-door sales.
 
If your bored, and know its a scam, see how muany lunches you can get out of him before he drops you. Just make sure its in a public place in case he gets all wierd on you. Then come back here and tell us all the details ;P
 
Wow. I couldnt imagine a more frightening thought than a shady door-to-door salesman come to my house with a bunch of knives.

EDIT: I could imagine something more frightening .. if it was a clown selling knives.
 
[quote name='Maklershed']Wow. I couldnt imagine a more frightening thought than a shady door-to-door salesman come to my house with a bunch of knives.

EDIT: I could imagine something more frightening .. if it was a clown selling knives.[/QUOTE]


i still don't get why people are afraid of clowns............... people said it was that movie...killer clowns from outerspace..but if it was so then its there stupid fault for watching a movie about killer clowns from outer space.
 
[quote name='ITDEFX']back in 1997 i remembered this job posting in the paper, it didn't give details but I went to it anyways.... that night there were about 50 of us... they talked, it was basically about selling industrictible kitchen knives :whistle2:O... in the end 40 of us were dismissed , the final 10, including myself were made job offers... and at the end I was bored and not intrested and they wanted me to come in for training on Friday.. I told them I couldn't do it friday,and they asked why... I said doctors appointment(even though I was without insurance)... they said we need you to come in on friday..and I said ok.....................

I didn't come in on friday.... instead I went to see the opening day of Return of the Jedi: Special Edition :)

was that a scam they were trying to get me into?[/QUOTE]

Sounds like Vector/Cutco... had that job for a week before I realized setting up appointments with people to sell extremely expensive (though, I will admit, very high quality) knives wasn't for me.

Here's a petition against their hiring practices...
http://www.petitiononline.com/vector/petition.html
 
[quote name='Callandor']Sounds like Vector/Cutco... had that job for a week before I realized setting up appointments with people to sell extremely expensive (though, I will admit, very high quality) knives wasn't for me.

Here's a petition against their hiring practices...
http://www.petitiononline.com/vector/petition.html[/QUOTE]


holy shit.... thats the company!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

wow after all these years they are still in business :whistle2:O

glad I didn't take that job.......besides seeing Return of the Jedi:SE that day as a lot better :)
 
[quote name='Callandor']Sounds like Vector/Cutco... had that job for a week before I realized setting up appointments with people to sell extremely expensive (though, I will admit, very high quality) knives wasn't for me.

Here's a petition against their hiring practices...
http://www.petitiononline.com/vector/petition.html[/quote]
Yep, Cutco was the company my friend worked for.
 
[quote name='ITDEFX']i still don't get why people are afraid of clowns............... people said it was that movie...killer clowns from outerspace..but if it was so then its there stupid fault for watching a movie about killer clowns from outer space.[/quote]
I dont know why they freak me out .. to me it's that they're just inherently creepy. And for most people I think it's more of a John Wayne Gacy thing than it is a Killer Clowns From Outer Space thing but thats just a guess.
 
so the guy called me back today and I just questioned him into a corner. dunno why I gave this so much thought in the first place...

Me: "so...first off, I need some more info about what this is exactly."

Him: "well, you would be helping build community bases. You know, like Google and Hotmail, those companies are generating billions a year in profit."

Me: "okay, so you're building the next google...right. this will take 1 to 5 hours of work from me? What would I be doing again?"

Him: "You and some other people, yeah. I can't explain exactly what you'd be doing, it's too complex for a phone conversation."

Me: "it's only 1 to 5 hours a week, but it's too complex to explain?"

Him: "yeah, well, basically you'll be building community bases."

Me: "okay. this has been fun, but I gotta go."

that's the gist. the circle he talked in is particularly beautiful and stupefying to me :lol: there was some other funny stuff-- he said his Dad was a professor in the graduate Psych program at UW and that he had connections. I asked what his dad's name was and he lied of course. Not surprising, since there are like 10 professors in the grad department :roll: I called him out on that too and he said "well, he's not a professor necessarily. he just assists with the, uh, therapy training and stuff." :rofl:

WE SALUTE YOU SCAMMER DUDE! You are a piece of work!

(I did want to mention the 3 some, but I felt bad since I already busted him and I'm too polite)
 
[quote name='strayfoxx']My opinion: Scam. In Charlottesville, on two separate occasions, I have had African-American males come up to me and start a convivial conversation that asks about me and then smoothly transitions into finding e-clients, and advertisements and such. Why did I mention their race? Because for some reason African-Americans have never come up and openly talked to me, never.

The point is, if someone starts asking questions about YOU, right away, most likely they are trying to get you into something. Its a ploy..

Also a lot of these scams center around college towns. These online things normally involve an investment by the person starting and what better way to find said investor than at a college town with students with lots of naivete and disposable income.[/quote]

I have had the same thing asked to me twice in charlottesville, and once in harrisonburg. I mean dont they give up?
 
I'm with everyone else here, if it isn't a scam, it's likely something shady. I always figure once people don't want to explain something, there is usually a reason.

On to the clown discussions, there is something creepy about clowns. Not sure if it's the killer clowns in movies (don't think it's JWG either), I just always think there is something creepy about adults in face pain and extremely odd clothing trying to be overaly friendly. I just always imagine child molestors.
 
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