A young girl came to my door. She was perky, very friendly and very verbal. She said she was a sophomore at Cal State Hayward studying aerospace engineering. Said she has an opportunity to go to Seattle and help restore a P-51 Mustang plane, a 1940s plane. She said her father said he would finance her trip but she would have to earn money to help a less-fortunate student student go, too. She is raising money for a student from Alabama, she said.
She was selling kids' books that [supposedly] would be donated to Oakland Children's Hospital, and [supposedly] $40 of each $55 "donation" I made would be a tax-deductible contribution. How COULD I have been so gullible?!
She said her father, last name Bloom, lived on Oakhurst, 2 streets away from me; her mother and dad are separated. She lives in an apartment with her boyfriend and some other young people. She said her name was Angel Germain. She didn't give me her phone number or address or her father's full name or her mother's full name. She had no paperwork or tax-related ID numbers.
She also offered to do some chore for me in thanks for my helping to support her project.
After she left I took a closer look at the receipt. It says, "This person is self-employed, clearing orders through First Class Sales LL. C., PO Box 87647, Phoenix, AZ 85080... I understand that if order is cancelled for any reason, independent contractor will not receive any contest or trip points. Www.salesfirstclass.com" No phone numbers.
When I Googled the website, I got this "Ripoff" site and read a report of an experience quite similar to my own.
I immediately stopped payment on the check I had just written. Costs $30 to do that.
NOW I'm remembering that about a year ago a young man who called himself Bobby came around with a very similar story. He was earning money for a great soccer-game-trip opportunity. Had a parent on a nearby, known street. He offered to come back and do a chore, maybe wash a car. (Angel suggested she could wash a car for us.) And so the scam goes on.
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