Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Scammed By A Silicon Valley Startup

medium.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

461–470 of 619 posts

Re: Scammed By A Silicon Valley Startup

#461

Post by javienegas »

NhanH wrote: post #195
cperciva wrote: post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wouldn't that get caught at the airport? I mean, when someone arrives and says they have an H1B visa, USCIS does check, right? Now, given everything else here I wouldn't be surprised if there was fraud involved in getting the H1B visas issued, but that's separate from the question of whether people who think they have H1B visas actually have H1B visas.

It sounds to me like they were new graduate on OPT (F1 visa) transitioning to H1B, in which case they never have to go through the airport check yet. Which also means that if they believed they have a H1B, they could have been misled into staying illegally one way or another (OPT has some reporting requirement, you have to notify your school every 6 months and anytime you change jobs/ locations etc).

That is very likely, most of them started on November-December 2015, so they are on the transition from OPT to H1B.

Re: Scammed By A Silicon Valley Startup

#462

Post by dragonwriter »

jomamaxx wrote: post #450
dragonwriter wrote: post #377

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> When a company has just started, they may have not set this up. The correct (and only non-criminal) order of operations is (1) figure this out, (2) start hiring employees. If you can't calculate withholdings and all those other things that get listed on a paystub correctly (which is the only thing that would stop you from generating a paystub), you are breaking the law (civilly and perhaps criminally under federal…

"When a company has just started, they may have not set this up. The correct (and only non-criminal) order of operations is (1) figure this out, (2) start hiring employees." This is false. For any of you interested - here is the actual law in California: http://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/faq_independentcontractor.htm It's perfectly normal and very common to submit invoices for services rendered that you claim on your 1099.…

Independent contractors and employees are two different things.

It's quite legal to hire people to serve in roles that are not, under the tax code, employees but independent contractors, without being able to handle payroll. But that's not a status that a company can freely choose independent of the nature of the work, it's a status that is controlled by the nature of the work by rules set out in the tax code.

You seem to think that employees hired as employees can elect invoicing and 1099 status if the company isn't up to handling employment law requirements, order that the company can hire people as employees and then treat them as contractors until it is ready to handle employment law requirements. Neither is the case, and either is a situation in which the company violates many aspects of the law (and more if it doesn't pay timely on a regular schedule but instead waits for invoices.)

Re: Scammed By A Silicon Valley Startup

#463

Post by ChristopherE »

lpr22 wrote: post #434
mugenjin9 wrote: post #414

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Haha wow here is what they wrote before they took it down http://imgur.com/a/Tf5bM

They should have consulted their lawyer before making that "press release," as they call it. Perhaps she could have explained to them the difference between libel and slander.

Thank you!

This is probably just Tess on her own thinking she's being proactive and in charge of corporate image.

Someone should tell her that accusing someone of extortion without proof is likewise libelous.

Re: Scammed By A Silicon Valley Startup

#464

Post by ChristopherE »

intothemild wrote: post #451
amusedreading wrote: post #402

lol, WrkRiot just posted this response https://www.facebook.com/WrkRiot/?hc_ref=SEARCH&fref=nf WrkRiot is considering legal action against a disgruntled former employee who has launched a slanderous campaign against WrkRiot and some of its employees via social media. While it is not our policy to discuss personnel matters, we want to make it clear that this former employee was fired for cause. Signed affidavits from…

Reality is that they have opened themselves up to a case that can be brought to the DA and the DA can pursue charges against the salary fraud. If I was an American, I would be doing this regardless.... This facebook post of theirs just did two things 1.) Confirm its them. 2.) Lose them the ability to settle this quietly. They could have quietly sat down with Penny and sort this out, but they didn't... that ship has s…

That there was apparently not NDA required on her exit more than anything just how amateur this Choi is. All he had to do was give her an extra grand specifically as compared consideration for an NDA and nothing but the government complaints would be said. Obviously you can't prohibit the reporting of a crime but she already did that anyway.

Which makes me wonder, why isn't she under an NDA already? Every one I've signed prohibit discussing practices even after termination for cause.

Re: Scammed By A Silicon Valley Startup

#465

Post by kelukelugames »

xenophon wrote: post #460
kelukelugames wrote: post #433

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree with you too. Speaking up is a privilege. Hard to do with a mortgage and a family. That's why when I worked at Redfin, employees rather leave instead of complain. Retaliation is real.

An aside that seems relevant to a general discussion of "name vs not name": I've noticed that you (or a set of users that share your very unique username, perhaps) spend a ton of time attacking Redfin on various social media accounts (HN, Reddit, Facebook). I used to work there, too, and it's strange that you consistently describe the company in a negative way that is unfamiliar at best and completely unwarranted to…

A ton of time is an exaggeration. I think this is the first time Redfin is mentioned by name on HN.[1] And I don't think my account is anon if you and Glenn both can figure out who I am. I enjoyed working at Redfin, and I believe they are disrupting real estate in a good way. I would say I love the site. I spend a ton of time advocating for Redfin. But I wish Glenn tried to build a more inclusive work environment.

When I worked at Redfin, a number of people complained about racist and sexist incidents. All of them were minor. For example, boss touching a black woman's natural hair. No one wanted to escalate it to management, because they didn't feel it was safe or that people wouldn't care. Some co-workers were empathetic, while others expressed disbelief and defensiveness. Many were dismissive because "it's worlds apart" from their experiences. A couple of us eventually escalated to management. The lack of empathy was disappointing but not unexpected. A handful of my friends have left or want to leave partly due to these incidents. That's not good.

What would you do? Feel free to PM me. I think a private conversation would be more honest and involve less posturing.

[1] https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&e... Looks like I only say nice things about Redfin. :)

Re: Scammed By A Silicon Valley Startup

#466

Post by ChristopherE »

JDiculous wrote: post #440
FT_intern wrote: post #417

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At the same time, Penny is not the brightest bulb in the world. I don't see what she gains from exposing the company. The downside is huge from the potential lawsuits and virility of the post unless she plans to somehow monetize the audience. I guess she could start a gofundme to pay for legal fees

Isaac is that you? Maybe Tess?

Almost certainly Tess. She likes to think she's a gonzo reporter so this is more her style.

(If Penny is accurate) it's unlikely Isaac because he apparently likes to avoid, deflect and delay.

Re: Scammed By A Silicon Valley Startup

#467

Post by ryguytilidie »

wpietri wrote: post #285
kelukelugames wrote: post #261

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree. People have no incentive to change unless we name names.

However much I want to see these culprits caught and punished, I think it's a lot to ask a jobless, possibly homeless person to attract retribution from people who have already proven that they will do absolutely anything to maintain the appearance of success. Even when you win, bogus lawsuits are expensive and painful to sort out. My mom was sued after a business deal went south. Seeing the judge find for her on all…

So your argument is that this person has no rights to know who this person who is scamming startup employees is and that the "reasonable" action they should take is to offer $100k.

You can't seriously believe this makes sense, right?

Re: Scammed By A Silicon Valley Startup

#469

Post by bendbro »

sanderjd wrote: post #101
cyberferret wrote: post #2

Clicked on this expecting to see another millennial self entitled "why I left" rant, but found a well written, horrifying article on deception and underhanded shenanigans. The CEO of this startup qualifies be listed under the other discussion on here about psychopaths running companies.

Odd, I've never come across a rant like that. But I do seem to see self satisfied "millennial" bashing pretty often. (I don't think I'll ever understand this impulse to ascribe vague personality traits to broad groups of people across a large number of birth years.)

I'd imagine it has something to do with having eyes, ears and a brain

Re: Scammed By A Silicon Valley Startup

#470

Post by twizshiz »

mikekij wrote: post #278
kyrias wrote: post #185

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Disregarding everything else pointed out in this thread, there's also the part where the website for the older name of the company, 1for.one, still lists Penny Kim as the Marketing Director: http://web.1for.one/digital-press-kit/ And, just in case they now decide to remove that, I also saved it to the wayback machine, available here: https://web.archive.org/web/20160829104022/http://web.1for.o... So good try, scumbag…

One of their employees now lists "JobSonic" as their employer. Ironically, searching for "Job Sonic" results in the Jobs page for Sonic, the fast food chain. Bunch of rocket scientists over there.

The Google shorten urls in the profile still works...

goo.gl/FxH2KB -> https://www.linkedin.com/in/isaacchae1981

Then on Isaac Choi's profile, click the "1for.one Corporation" link listed in his experience.... which takes you to the Job Sonic linkedin page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/7587861?trk=prof-exp-compan...

On that page, you have a list of employees who are the same cast of characters in the previous incarnations of the companies.

Post reply on HN