I’m new to the business and I think I’m being scammed here. Customer initially says he wants his house washed and then says he just wants his driveway and walkways washed and HE estimates it at $700. This is like a 540sf driveway. Cashiers or certified check. Anyone encounter this kind of thing before? Not passing my smell test but I dont want to turn down a 700 job either since I just started.
Thanks!
It’s a scam. Block number and move on.
You will get more of these. Their square footage is like 11109,04044999 or something like that and they want you to pay another guy that’s there working then he will “accidentally send too much money on the check he sends you and request for you write him a check back to make up the difference but when you go to cash the fake check that he originally gave you it will bounce and he takes your money that you sent. It’s a scam. Block and move on
Thanks for the help. Seemed too good to be true. Just got my website and distributed some business cards. A big job right off the bat would’ve been sweet. Looking forward to learning more here.
Walks like a duck, quacks like a duck…it’s probably a SCAM.
Bigtime scam, walk away.
I got something similar last year, customer wanted a junky house washed in the bad part of town and they would mail a check. I insisted they meet me there and we could go over exactly what was needed, never heard back.
While it sounds like a scam, isn’t a cashiers check guaranteed by the issuing bank? As opposed to a personal check which is not guaranteed by anything…
Assuming that if the check is somehow fake, then your bank would be able to detect that immediately.
Edit: to add, you should be able to go into the issuer place and cash the check directly from them, without having any prior relationship with them. If you can’t do that, as in the issuer is some unknown entity/bank in nigeria, then that would be more obvious.
I guess what I am saying is, ask where the cashier’s check is from…
Here is the scam, you deposit check and take money, they change their mind and ask you to give them their money back. You give the money back and then check bounces/doesn’t clear. You owe your bank that money now plus fees. You try and contact the person and OMG they are gone, didn’t live at address given, phone number disconnected.
People are scum sometimes. If it seems to good to be true…it is a scam…always. If they can overpay for a driveway surely they could pay cash or write a local check. As soon as you hear cashiers check your possible scam alarm should be going off.
I think I remember reading that it takes up to 3 weeks for checks to fully clear. You would think a money order would be safe, but it can take 3-4 months (if I remember right on this part as well) and then they are long gone.
Personal checks. Cashier checks can also be scammed.
There are many cashiers check scams. They like this ruse because people hear the term “cashiers check” and equate it to some form of safety. With out getting into the entire psychology of it, the scammers always try to make you feel a little more comfortable and appeal to your greed.
If you ever show up to sling sh on a house and the person at the house comes to the door scantily dressed or nude, be careful. this can be another scam/blackmail game. I’ve worked around many law breakers over the years, they have taught me many things. I remember working with juveniles many years ago and I locked my keys in my car by accident. The one kid told me how to get into my car without keys and how not to damage it. He was in juvy for car theft of all things. Nice kid though, he was very intelligent, just a hard knock life for him. So sad, all that potential and crappy parents.
I played along one day last year. Postal service delivered a certified envelope with the cashiers check enclosed. Less than 5 minutes later he was texting me. It was for like 3K to much and he wanted me to deposit it and refund the money. Took about 5 mins on the phone to the bank who issued it to verify it was no good. When they text now I always tell them first thing we don’t take cashier checks and they usually go away.
You’ve had someone come to the door scantily dressed or not at all, or you’ve heard of it? @Dirtyboy
I answered this but it isn’t here since they had a server issue.
In short yes.
I was painting at the time, the tenant of the apartment was going to be evicted. The manager wanted the apartment painted. We dropped fliers under the door for 3 days before showing up. She came to the door in a see through nightgown. I don’t consider myself homely, but I sure don’t have that affect on women. It was all part of her scam. I told her to get some clothes on and I’d be back later. The things I saw in that college town while painting…jeez. My favorite is the wax candles melting down the wall in the S&M room (chains and mattresses). Manager was perturbed we had to up our rate on that one due to all the time spent fixing the walls.
Happened to my brother in South Jersey, customer called for service, he quoted the costs (about $1800), showed up and she came to the door with nothing but a smile. She didn’t know he owned the company. Apparently she wanted free service and maybe the blackmail scam (he married a wealthy woman).
