Scam re declining web design job

Where is the law saying you have to accept any job offered?

[Lorel]

I had someone call me about a week ago wanting someone to design his one page, non-profit website. I declined because I am too busy (I have multiple clients needing sites set up for mobile). However the caller quickly got agitated so I told him again, like I said, I'm too busy and hung up.

A few days later someone claiming to be a lawyer of the above person said the other guy was going to sue me for declining to build a website for a Chezslovakian disabled person and also claimed that I called him a racist term (I don't quite have the ability to see through my phone to determine someone's nationality or ethnicity, the color of their skin, or if they are disabled!). None of which were mentioned in the first call, so that's not true either.

Neither of these guys provided names - although I have their phone numbers-- which are well known scam numbers listed in 800notes.com)

The "lawyer" called again yesterday, wanting a web design and I turned him down saying I was too busy, not realizing it was the same person, till he said he will catch me in a lie someday.

This "lawyer" has apparently hired people from other countries to send me emails asking for a web site design because now I'm getting emails, all using the same text but different email addresses. I assume this is so he can sue me for accepting a job when I said I was busy. He'll have a long wait as I don't advertise for jobs and I'm too busy anyway.

I'm keeping a record of all correspondence, emails and phone numbers. I have also set up Call Rejection on my phone.

Anything else I should do?

Anyone else getting harassed like this?

[LifeinAsia]

Anytime a "lawyer" contacts you (by phone, e-mail, post, fax, other means), always ask for their license number. If they refuse to provide one, just remind them that impersonating a lawyer is illegal- that should end further contact if the person is not a lawyer.

Or if you feel like stringing them along, pretend that you are very sorry and want to settle out of court, so you need his contact information so you can send a check. Then file a police report.

If they are a real lawyer and you feel you are being harassed, file a complaint with your local bar association.

Anything else I should do?

You could try talking to the police and try to get them to expend the effort to talk to the person. Once scam artists realize that the police are involved, they will usually move on to someone else.

[Lorel]

Thanks for this very helpful advice LifeinAsia!

[cmendla]

Lorel

I went with a guy instinct that there might be more to this than an random attack on you. The first thing that caught my eye was "A _______ Web Developer" above your phone number on your website. Perhaps you were targeted because of that.

At any rate, I appreciate your posting this. I usually don't pick up the phone if it is an 800 number on the caller id. I think Lifeinasia had some great advice and I'll keep that in the back of my head.


chris

[Lorel]

@cmendla If you meant "Christian" web developer, you may be right. I also have another site where I critique today's "so-called" prophets. I get a lot of hate mail from that site and this is likely one of those.