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Scammed By A Silicon Valley Startup

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31–40 of 619 posts

Re: Scammed By A Silicon Valley Startup

#32
I once worked for a startup here in boston that didn't pay me for a few months until I threatened to file a wage claim (did't work) and to quit (worked). I got the hell out of there as soon I got paid - some of my coworkers weren't so lucky.

It seems crazy to me now that I wound up in such a situation, but what it is happening to you, it is usually accompanied by a healthy helping of lies, misinformation and hope.

It wont happen again. But it was fun getting ~3 months salary in cash and going to Jordan's to buy furniture with my girlfriend like a gangsta'

Re: Scammed By A Silicon Valley Startup

#35
If all correspondence is done on the phone and not through email. I communicate through writing much better than on the phone so I wrote long and explicit emails. I don't feel like I have anything to hide. The phone only people are the ones who go back on their word.

The other thing is one size fits all NDA / non compete contract. Maybe it makes sense for the sales people but for writing code every day inventing things it doesn't make sense for the employee. If people don't want to take the time to write an appropriate NDA / non compete contract I have no time for them.

Re: Scammed By A Silicon Valley Startup

#36

"Jess is now CMO, still posting memes, pushing her own agenda, and still taking credit for my work." If a man had written this, they'd be accused of being a misogynist, and they wouldn't be posting under their real name.

If it's a fact, it is what it is - no sexism there. Write it how it is, no more, no less.

Re: Scammed By A Silicon Valley Startup

#37
I think the title should be changed back. The author glosses over the single, real biggest red flag:

She never received any paystubs and the company was late on payroll as of before she was hired

I have never, ever been paid without either a paystub (as an employee) or generating an invoice which the business then paid (as a freelancer). The outright refusal to share how they arrived at the figure on her cashier's cheque should have sent her looking for a new job in the Bay Area or back to Texas.

The real lesson from this story is to always have a backup plan when making a big move: what do you do if you arrive and there is no job/no money? what do you do if you arrive and there is no apartment/room/house/etc.? Scammers exist and there is only so much you can do from a distance to avoid them.

Re: Scammed By A Silicon Valley Startup

#38

>Michael said under his breath in our second language, “Look at those Chinese kids. They’re pretty happy they got paid, huh?” Kim (the writer) is a korean last name, is the company CEO korean too?

He's been identified elsewhere in the thread through the company's new name, so I would assume so.

Re: Scammed By A Silicon Valley Startup

#40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

jobsonic.com = expired squarespace site...

On crunchbase they are now wrkriot: http://www.wrkriot.com/team-1/

"Isaac Choi" - I'm starting to imagine the lie was that he had a Chinese company scrub his name and he's not called Isaac or Michael. Having other people pay the cheques saves giving his name away too.
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