So, a guy contacted me on LinkedIn. He says he’s from the US, and I’m from the EU. He claims to be a software developer who needs a laptop in the EU for some software development projects that he can’t participate in from the US due to legal restrictions.
He already sent me $100 in crypto (I asked him to pay in crypto before I even agreed to talk). Now, he wants to send me a laptop, but for me to get it, I need to complete a KYC on a website called veriffy.com. He says it’s a third-party website that won’t share my info with anyone, but the whole thing feels off. He insists it’s necessary to prove my identity before he can send me the laptop.
He says he needs the laptop available for him to use at any time, and that I will need to provide internet access. We agreed on $500 for my service. Now, he wants me to do the KYC to receive the laptop. What do you think… is this a scam?
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I’m an IT expert from Europe and this sounds like total nonsense. First off, he could just use a VPN, or if he’s a real dev, he could use an AWS server in the EU and tunnel in from there without issue. The website he wants you to use will likely steal your personal info for him. If the laptop does get sent, it’ll probably be used for illegal activities that could be traced back to you, but not to him.
You’ve already gotten $100 in crypto, but I’m sure it’s stolen money. You should just block him, take the win, and move on.
@LilyClark4
He says he works for innovatorspark.com and some projects can detect VPNs (I asked him about it earlier). Is there any chance these projects are secure enough to detect VPN and AWS usage?
Edit: he also says he uses a VPS in Europe, but it’s not good for the project.
Rowen said:
Why can’t he just take the laptop with him when he travels to Europe?
He doesn’t want to travel to the EU. He wants to work from the US.
Sounds very fishy to me. I wouldn’t use the website he suggested, but instead, I would go for a legitimate KYC service. If he insists on using his site, it’s a scam to get your data.