How am I getting scammed?

[lac]

He's right. The smart business move is to walk away. Sure you can add another bill to her bankruptcy case, do it if it's just a formality, just don't make it look like you are driving the last nail in her coffin.
And unless you feel really cockstomped, don't sink any more time and energy into a walking trainwreck like that. Cut your losses and be happy you hit a nutter on a small contract like this and not something big.

[Reg]

Do you think the police already knew she was doing this routine with other businesses and that's why they treated him so well when they were called in?

[Khaldun]

I wouldn't write that letter either, but it's entirely possible that this is someone who makes much of her money this way, through consumer fraud of various kinds--brings in broken or older goods for repair or service and then tries to bully the service into thinking that they misplaced or broke her original item, getting a newer one or compensation in the process. It's not that far off some more established kinds of consumer fraud (for example, folks who make collaborate with an osteopath or other medical professional to document fake or pretend injuries and get insurance payouts). So I'd still keep an eye on the whole situation, and maybe a quiet head's up to the cops, who may know already.

[gryeyes]

Do you think the police already knew she was doing this routine with other businesses and that's why they treated him so well when they were called in?

This is probably why she contacted a new police officer, these people tend to get well known in short order. But id imagine the police would make some mention of it if they actively knew. "Ya we got repeated complaints about her for something very similar". The problem is these people usually don't blatantly break the law to get arrested.

Don't get into a pissing contest with this lady Kitsune. She can make your life infinitely more difficult than you can make hers. First, she has no qualms about breaking the law to fuck you. Second, you are just prolonging your contact with the woman who is never going to pay you regardless. I'm sure you are pissed for being nice to a piece of shit like this but there really is no "win" for you outside of never seeing this woman again.

[Cyrrex]

You all need to stop with the good advice giving.  This is about to get exciting on a whole new level.

[Sky]

This thread is an amazing tribute to why our country is having so many problems. Nobody can do shit without fear of litigation, even if it turns out just to be erroneous.

I long for the days where you could just tell her to get her fat ass out of your store before you plant a boot in it, reserving the right to refuse service to anyone, especially stupid people.

[Abagadro]

Stay out of the bankruptcy.  You have no standing as you are not a pre-petitiom creditor so it will be pointless. You are opening yourself up to a slander suit regardless of its merit. Just let it go.  The time to stand up to her was whe she refused to pay as you had the computer as leverage.  At this point any action will be fruitless and likely be far more trouble than its worth.

[Broughden]

Well thanks to her, I now have new non-crazy customers in the local police department.  So yeah, not wasting time crying over seventy-five bucks and a flash drive I got for free with a newegg order last year.  As long as I never see her again, I've come out ahead.

At least that sounds like an endorsement from the officer that he thinks you're fine.

Yeah, both officers who came by basically shrugged and said, "She sounds crazy."  Nobody could figure out what profit she thought we were getting out of stealing the case from her computer.

As a former officer here was my memorized line to such antics, "Ma'am this is a civil matter between you and the business owner. This is NOT a criminal matter. Take him to small claims court. Now if you dont leave the property I will arrest you for trespassing. Have a nice day."

[Numtini]

As a former officer here was my memorized line to such antics, "Ma'am this is a civil matter between you and the business owner. This is NOT a criminal matter. Take him to small claims court. Now if you dont leave the property I will arrest you for trespassing. Have a nice day."

Let me guess, you didn't work in a small town :)

Our poor people get dragged into every sort of insanity. They spent an afternoon with a net chasing a house sparrow that got into a business once.

Oh yeah, like everyone else says, don't dip your hand in the crazy. Let the money go and if she ever comes in again say no.

[Rendakor]

The swan has escaped.

[Azazel]

Sorry you got scammed mate, but that was a great read! 

[Righ]

if she ever comes in again say no.

If she ever comes in again ask her to leave. It is your right to refuse entry to your establishment based on your own personal whim. If she refuses to leave, call the police. Make her only option in dealing with you via the courts on her lawyer's dime. She will not go there because that is not her 'specialty'.

Chances are she's not coming back. The computer that probably never belonged to her now works and was probably sold on eBay to finance her unsustainable lifestyle.

[Kitsune]

Things went a bit weird last week.  I was getting an intuition-flavored vibe to wait and see what the outcome of the bankruptcy hearing on Wednesday before doing anything.  Digging up details on the incident with the car dealer was proving tricky; it turns out that my friend's "last week" was actually more like "two months ago", so any records they had about what she did there were gone, and with them a corroborating story of other businesses in town that had to deal with her.

Thursday comes, and I find out that the hearing got a continuation to August.  Okay, I think, waiting was good, now I have weeks to find the proof of her being a vile criminal.

Then Friday rolls around, and she shows up at my office.  To apologize, say she had no idea why she didn't recognize her own computer, pay her bill, and return my flash drive.   

So now we've moved back from con artist to just crazy.  Part of me wants to be cynical and think that she just paid because she now had the luxury of another month to make her bankruptcy payment, but another part is just as compelling with the thought than being bankrupt and seeing the hammer coming down may have just made her crazy from the stress.

But it's a good thing that I didn't go and try to ruin her, because boy would my face have been red on Friday!  "Oh gee, thanks for paying and apologizing.  Uh.  So.  If you happen to get calls from the state board of accountancy about severe ethics violations and from Microsoft about a pirated copy of windows, just... just ignore those."

[Oban]

It is more likely that she is back on her meds.

[Brogarn]

It is more likely that she is back on her meds.

My impression as well.

[Lantyssa]

It's a bizzare story, but good for her in the end.  It's nice to see a positive result from something like this.

[Aez]

Maybe she reads f13.

[Cyrrex]

Oooh, the plolt thickens.  It must be one of the females posting in this very thread. 

[Sky]

She must not have heavy hitters.