Complaint Review: Joseph Michael - Alington Texas

If you are willing to ask me more details, I will publish all information what I have such as data, contacts, and chat history. I was looking for an online work on the website "Freelancer". From that, I made a contract with a person (arww5: This account has been closed.) who were recruiting the administrative position to sell his own paintings to customers. (Actually, it was even not described at the first recruitment.) [Quote: i am in need of a Virtual assistant for multi tasks such as Data entry, basic WordPress or Wix (creating a simple website with Wix), and there is need for potential growth in administrative duties and position.] Therefore, I accepted it to work with $300 per week. Although I was working something relevant to his art project such as set up a website, online art gallary, and a quickbook account, a contractor said to me that he would like to hand over his picture to buyers with a $100 Amazon Gift Card. At this time, I was already expected that it would be a lot of money if I did a job of buying a $100 Amazon Gift Card to "each customer".

However, I persuaded myself and agreed with condition that the work is for a limited time only, and I work as a substitute for a busier contractor to focus on his painting. Sure enough, a contractor asked me gradually to buy three, five, twelve, fifteen, and twenty Amazon Gift Cards. (I made 5 transaction and $5,500 in total.) The tone of his request gradually became rough, and he always wanted me to get “today or now”. I was a student, and I did not have much money to get for that, but a contractor promised me to reimburse money with bonus, so I borrowed money from my parents and actually purchased it and taught him the code with photos. He promised me that he will pay a full payment of $5,500 for Amazon Gift Cards + initial salary ($300) + bonus by August 15th, 2018, and it is still not transferred. Currently, I sent my letter of resignation to a contractor, but he is still requesting an additional $2,000, and he is being asked me for a reply (I do not respond recently). I confirmed my job to him twice.

Now he said that my role is only keep buying Amazon Gift Cards, and there is no need to do multi tasks anymore. Seemed he kept texting me “do you buy gift cards or not, do you want money or not”. Even me, I think a contractor should be done at least paying salary, and I think I should not pay a lot of money as a worker before a salary day. I also think that he knows my bank account because I set up a share merchant account, (Quickbook: already closed) and it connected with my credit card. Then, I check all 55 gift cards with Amazon Customer Services, but seemed it already used. I reported not only to Amazon Customer service (my home country & the United States,) but also a local police office, a bank with an account, a local bank, BBB, IC3, FTC, and so on. I did most of things what I can do. Last thing, I contacted this person to make sure, he keeps saying to buy more gift cards. This is my last e-mail sentences (August 16th, 2018): Dear contractor: Joseph Michael, How's your business going? I hope you are doing well with your customers. First, I need to apologize you because I was too emotional. I really like your art and passion to your project, and I can still help you except "money-related work".

This is my first and last request to you. My bank account is : xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx (CVV: xxx) I let you to transfer $5,500 to my bank account by August 17th. I don't need any salary and any bonus. If you can not make it, I will write a report. Please contact me if you have any reason or situations that you cannot transfer. Again, I respect your work, and I hope your business will be successful. Thank you for employing me. Best regards, Freelancer: Yuka Hamada. This is the last contact with a contractor by google hangout (August 21st, 2018): You just need to purchase 4 pieces of $500 each amazon gift card/4($500) to make $2000 and that’s all/A single card each of $500 instead of the $100/We will complete the work and then work on new aspect/We will work on new project that will all be online/I hope you don’t turn against me again/I hope you will respond back and we can both be professional this time/And you are very much welcome/Hello/Are you online/After this we can work online alone/Let me know when I should get the cards/Are you going mute again? I understood myself that this is scam, so I would like to open a claim.