Michael Perry, Perry Photography School Personal Assistant to a photographer who travels outside the United States teaching photography seminars, Internet
I responded to a job as a personal assistant for a photographer who traveled out of the country for long periods of time and needed someone to take care of his business while he was away. His responses to my e-mails had long gaps but he said he was busy in seminars etc. He said I was hired and sent me a legal agreement to fill out, sign and have witnessed. I sent it back to him and waited a week after he said I was to start working for him. Without warning, he e-mailed me that I had my first assignment and was going to be receiving a check made out to me by a customer that I was to cash. I was to keep $300 of it to purchase the office equipment I needed to perform my work and Western Union the rest to his office manager in Kuala Lumpur. ??? I thought he was based in the States. He had never said anything about cashing checks - I thought I'd be feeding his fish, checking his phone messages and mail. I got the check - for $6,500! and called the Credit Union it was written on. It was a counterfeit. I sent the information to the Credit Union's abuse hotline and the FBI. He's never tried to contact me again even though I never said anything to him. Curious... why wouldn't he wonder whatever happened to his $6,500?