This year, I dived in head first into travel writing and re-energized my writing career.  Travel writing became a viable side income for me. I scoured the internet for websites that would take my writing and sent out pitch letters with story ideas to magazines. I’ve managed to make a decent side income by writing steadily for Suite 101, Demand Studios and the Examiner. The money I make is enough to pay a bill here and there or buy a cute pair of heels from DSW, never both.

Then I went to the dark side

Craiglist.com however, proved elusive. Despite signing up for a few job posting newsletters, I was unable to secure a freelance project. I sighed as I perused the site routinely, three times a week and yearned to get a response from my many applications. Until I got a response for a posting that paid $200 for a 400 word article for a science research company, Midwest Research Institute (MRI). What? Me? Could this be possible? They want me to write for them? I smiled ear to ear as I read “Dr. John Stanley’s” email to me, detailing that he looked at my writing and decided that I was the best candidate to write an article called “JOB OFFER.” He explained that the institute’s website was being revamped and depending how well and quickly I wrote the “JOB OFFER’ article, he would have me write more content for the site. Yippee! Count me in! The issue of payment was addressed up front by him. I responded that I prefer to be paid via PayPal. I learnt that PayPal was the standard for payment on the internet. I applied for the card and had it handy in my wallet for those impulse purchases.
“Dr. John Stanley” informed me in a later email that I can only get paid with a certified bank check because that is way his company pays freelancers. That should have been my first warning. I shrugged off the uncomfortable feeling gnawing at my gut and proceeded to research MRI and, who later became the real Dr. John Stanley. Everything checked out on Google. I saw a picture of Dr. Stanley and their site did indeed look as if it needed some work. See? No worries man. I wrote the article and awaited the payment to arrive in the mail. Yup, I gave him my address. As per our agreement, I would email the article within 24 hours after receiving payment.

Money Laundering anyone?

I came home one day and found the UPS envelope on my desk. When I checked my email “Dr. John Stanley” confirmed I had received payment and reminded me that I had 24 hours to email him the article and I can secure more writing projects. His email continued further to say that I was overpaid and I would have to “help the company out.” Yes, little old me will help out an international science research company who is contracted by the U.S. Defense. Sure. Apparently, I was supposed to cash the money order (notice not a bank check?), take my payment and send the balance to a “supervisor” with a Florida address. Hmmmm. By this time the skeptic bells were going off very loudly. My antenna was up because something was “rotten in Demark.”
Eventually that evening I opened the envelope and discovered TWO money orders from Albertson’s, each worth $825.00. The issuer had a different name and it was not MRI. So that’s three names already; the “supervisor,” the issuer and “Dr. John Stanley.” My hands were shaking. What had I gotten myself into? I went back to the computer and Goggled MRI and Dr. John Stanley again. Again the info checked out. After talking to my boyfriend (who celebrated my first big craigslist.com writing project), I decided to cash only one money order, take out my fee of $200, buy another money order with the balance and send both money orders back to the address written on the Albertson’s money order. Ok, here goes. I went to the check cashing office and slid the money order and my driver’s license under the bullet proof glass. From the behind the glass the clerk was buzzing around showing other clerks my money order, and then she got on the phone and out came more clerks. My heart was racing; I was expecting the police to come bursting through the front door any minute and haul me way sobbing. My mind raced with an exit strategy. I could go the bathroom and climb out the window. But she had my ID! Dammit. Time to be cool, she’s walking over to me now and asked where I got this money order. I told her it was payment for an article I wrote for a website. She nodded and went back on the phone, still clutching my ID. A short time later she returned and said,

“Who is this person on the money order?”

“I don’t know.”

She propped her elbows on the counter, leaned in and said, “Well this money order is a counterfeit and now that you know about it, if you try to cash it anywhere else you can be prosecuted. It’s good paper, but it’s a fake.” Clearly demonstrating her disgust, she then threw my ID down as well as the money order.
I swallowed hard. My heart was in my throat.

We promptly drove home and made copies of all the email correspondences between myself and the culprit, then went to the police station. The precinct was closed. So I guess crime only happens between 9am and 5pm? A police officer was cruising through the parking lot and after hearing my story rendered this advice: No crime was committed. I was not a victim. Oh hell to the no! What about my time? The energy I spent writing and thinking about crafting this article? No crime?!!! My eyes stung with tears as the cruiser drove off. The real crime would have been if I had actually managed to cash the counterfeit money order and sent the ill gotten funds to the “supervisor.” They wouldn’t even take a report from us.
A few days later I received another email from “Dr. John Stanley” threatening me with action from the FBI. He really has a pair this one. He even spelt ‘abscond’ wrong. I proceeded to tell him that I welcome any involvement from the FBI to discuss the report I made against him for internet money fraud. That was a week ago. Apparently communication as ceased between us.