Scams are everywhere, and people really need to learn to double-check everything. One of the best rules of thumb: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Unfortunately, a Texas resident recently learned this the hard way. Reddit user eglafperson shared their experience after being contacted by a friend who asked to use one of their photos as a reference for a painting. In return, they were promised $200. The offer sounded generous, maybe too generous, but in need of money, the resident agreed.
Things took a strange turn when they received a check for $900 instead. Confused, they asked why the amount was so high, but the person simply said that was what they were getting. After depositing the check, they were told to send a large portion of the money to a third party for “art supplies” using Apple gift cards purchased through the App Store. Although the Texas resident agreed, they ran into issues due to a $100 spending limit on their account.
The scammer then sent another $900 check, which was deposited but placed on hold until the 19th. Still unable to send the funds, they were issued smaller amounts of $100, allowing them to complete two transfers. On the third try, the payment failed. In total, they managed to send $200 to the third party but still have the rest of the money, raising even more concerns about the situation.
The Redditor eventually grew anxious and shared their situation online. Many users quickly pointed out that the Texas resident had clearly fallen victim to a scam. “No one is going to pay you $200 just to paint you. No one is going to use a stranger as a bank. That’s not how life works,” one user commented. Another simply said, “Classic scam.”
One user advised the OP to contact their bank and inform them about the multiple bad checks they had deposited. They also recommended opening a new bank account as soon as possible, noting that there’s a near 100% chance the bank will close their current accounts due to the deposit of three bad checks.
Later, user eglafperson updated the post, saying they had contacted their friend in real life, who claimed their account had been hacked. The OP also mentioned reaching out to their bank and coming clean, hoping they would assist in dealing with the scam. “I am a minor and have never experienced anything like this before. I wanted the money to help with family expenses,” eglafperson wrote.
