This independent contractor agreed to complete a software project at an agreed upon rate, by an agreed upon deadline set by the contractor, then collected every installment payment over the course of a year, but delivered no product and no refund.
The contractor was in constant contact at the beginning, but slowly stopped providing reports in person, then stopped reporting by phone, then stopped email reports. By the time we lost contact we were invested too far along that we continued to make every payment until the deadline when nothing was delivered.
After he failed to deliver the product, we opened an internal investigation to find out the contractor may have a history of similar schemes with other businesses in different states including Nevada and California. If you happen to contact this independent software developer, take extreme caution because he knows enough to pass an interview or answer questions you may ask to qualify him.
He acts very eager to engage and begin on a project, but insists on working remote so he can work during night hours. He will collect payments as long as possible, but the only milestones he ever provides are of no actual product, but rather just lists of what he claims to have completed, but doesn't actually have anything to showcase.
He may attempt to re-order tasks on milestone due dates in an effort to distract you and think he actually was working on another part of the program to explain why a milestone could not be met. In conclusion, just like many other schemes, he gets the company invested in him so much that you feel compelled to complete the remaining payments in fear that if you don't you will lose everything you've paid so far. All this does is cost the company even more. We lost over $25k ... please don't let this happen to you!