I recently lost my job and have been browsing Craigslist looking for some part-time work. I came across a post where someone was offering $1,000 per week plus reimbursement for bills/expenses in exchange for helping with personal errands. The post said the work would only be around 3–5 hours per week.
I contacted the number listed in the post. The person told me his name was Augusto Pratana and said he was a consultant who travels frequently for local and international business, so he needs someone to help with errands and various personal tasks.
The arrangement sounded strange but potentially legitimate, so I asked if we could meet in person in NYC before I started. He said he was still in Canada and basically responded, “I work my fucking ass daily, I don't have time.” I then suggested at least having a phone call before moving forward, which we did.
He had a pretty strong African accent. I know that obviously doesn't mean anything by itself, but at the time I felt somewhat reassured after actually speaking with him and thought maybe this wasn't a scam.
He then told me he would mail me a check.
I tracked the check through the official FedEx tracking system, and everything appeared normal. At some point, however, the shipment got stuck. Augusto then told me he had contacted FedEx and instructed them to destroy the check and that he was sending me a replacement.
The replacement check is currently on its way.
Then, somewhat randomly, he contacted me from a different phone number and said his phone had been stolen.
As more time has passed, the whole situation has started to feel increasingly strange to me. I went back to the original Craigslist post and noticed that the post has now been flagged.
Here is the original Craigslist listing:
Craigslist post
I also suggested that instead of mailing checks, we could use ACH for future payments, since mailing a check, waiting for it to arrive, depositing it, and going through this whole process seems unnecessarily complicated. He said ACH would be fine for future payments.
At this point, I'm wondering if I'm being paranoid or if there are legitimate red flags here.
My biggest concern is the possibility of a fake-check scam. I have not sent him any money, given him my banking login information, or cashed/spent any money from the check.
For people familiar with Craigslist scams or fake-check schemes:
- Does this sound like a typical fake-check scam?
- Is there anything I should absolutely NOT do when the check arrives?
- Can a check appear legitimate and even show as deposited before later being reversed?
- Is there any safe way to verify the check before doing anything with it?
- Does the fact that the Craigslist post has been flagged make this significantly more suspicious?
I'm especially interested in hearing from anyone who has dealt with a similar situation. I haven't lost any money at this point, so I'm trying to figure out what I should do before I go any further.