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Pairing eye catching design with features like stain resistant performance fabric, Ashley offers well crafted, affordable pieces built to stand up to real life. Plus they provide fast, reliable white glove delivery right to your door. Visit your local Ashley store or head to Ashley.com to find your style Scams C Robbery and Fraud Scam Car Robbery and Fraud Scam Got his welcome back to another installment of the podcast all about robbery, fraud and those who practice it and comedy. I'm your host Lacey Mosley AKA Scam Goddess and I am what? Yes, excited but you need to say it three times. Okay, I'm excited, I'm excited, I'm excited. I'm elated for the guests that we have today. First we have not one but not two but three icons blessing the show. First up we have an Emmy nominee writer and the co host of a Gracie Award winning daily pop culture Sirius XM Radio show. She was the head writer and co executive producer on the first two seasons of HBO's A Black lady sketch show for which she won a TCA Award and received three Emmy nominations including Outstanding Writing for a Variety Sketch series. Second, we have another wonderful queen off the mic. She's also an award winning social media executive who takes her obsessions with celebrities and the their online behaviors seriously. Her dedication to evangelizing about the power of pop culture stems from her own tenure in marketing, talent relations and production teams organizations like Sesame Street, Tidal, VH1. Maybe you've heard of those. And last but certainly not least we have another iconic coween. Well known for her pop culture knowledge and commentary. She's been a regular entertainment celebrity and TV contributor for the New York Times, Time Magazine, gq, thank you Cosmopolitan, Vice and more. Congregation, please welcome Lauren Ashley Smith, Rachel Smith And Mariah Smith. The Smith sisters. To the show. Well done. Thank you for that. You knocked that out of the package. I was getting in the weeds there. I love it. I was like, and they also won this. And then when they wasn't winning that, they was doing this. And when they wasn't saving the world, they was doing this. And also, they're all blood related. Yes. Yes. Like, you know, I love your mama. Yes. And she loves you. She loves you so much. She loves you. She really did the damn thing with y'. All. Oh, God. And also, when I first met your mother, Lauren, we were at a Halloween party, and you were like, oh, you have to go see my mom. I had already seen your mom, and I just thought she was one of your little friends. Stop. Oh, right. You were like, that's your mom. Yeah. I had come up to her and was like, oh, what's good, sis? And then you were like, that's your mom. I was like. She was like, that's my mom. And I was like, like, well, let me correct myself. I was like, now, hold on. Let me go over here. Hey, Queen. Oh, my God, Our girl. I can't approach you regular. Right? Right. No way. If you guys approve it, I might blur out her face. But I would love to show the Halloween cost. She approves. We're dressed as the general. Yes. The insurance. The general Car insurance. And my mom was dressed as Flo from Progressive. So we had two at the Halloween party, and we squashed the beef. You talked. It was a moment of really extending all the branches, and it was a beautiful thing to witness. Yeah. I touched the hem of her apron. Yes. You know. And your premiums went down. Yeah, way down. Okay, listen, one of those insurance companies sponsor the show. I know, right? Reach out. Reach out. So I have to ask you all, what is your relationship with scams? Have you ever been scammed? Have you ever run any scams that have passed the statute of limitations? Do you love a certain scammer? Literally, be anything and anybody can go first. I am going to go first. Because my scam, I was scammed. But I also participated in the scam. What? And you'll know what I'm talking about. In the early 2010s, I got really into, like, group fitness classes, and I started taking a workout class that was a Caribbean dance workout class. Okay, one, one. And of course, it had a name that was in that vein. But also, of course, the proprietor and CEO was a white woman with a dream catcher tattoo. Damn. She said, I call all you Caribbean people's dreams. And I made him a class. Exactly. And you go pay me for it. So I was a devotee of this workout class. Got us all in, got my sisters into it, my friends into it, roped them into the car to the point that I started doing free social media stuff for her. I was basically working for her for free. Which, fine, that was my choice. I got like a discount on classes, even though it should have been more. But the problem is that she roped me and the other people that were really into the class and helping her into doing a Kickstarter so she could do a DVD of the workout class. We raised like $30,000 and I am still waiting for the DVD to never Anita airborne. So, like, I was getting family friends. I was like support, like a woman owned business. And this class is so important to me. Did you know she was quite. I knew she was white. Even though she did. She was like, well, I'm part native American. I was like, no, you're not. No, but she was. Did she have a dancer? She had. No, she had a feather. Okay. Sometimes a brain. Worse. Yeah. She was like a really good fitness instructor. It's like she could have just called it Zumba. Like, that's actually how I started taking her classes. Zumba. But she came up with this whole like. And it was like catch de flow and all that stuff. Catch the flow. It was so bad. But like, I got so many people that donate. And Lauren was also one of the people who was always in the front row. Always. And always this class. So you had your front row seat. That's a prominent seat. And this was a class in a major gym. So it's not like we were taking this one off. We had to have a membership to the gym to get into the class to do X, Y and Z. We would follow her to different locations. I did have a good time when we were doing. Got us into another scale, different location instructor to. And hers was about like mental health. And we had to do. I forgot about affirmations. Affirmations. While we were punching. It was while you were punching. So I was scammed. But I also did. I was an accomplice. Yeah. To the scam. Okay. See if you were having a good time. Yes. Wasn't it? And the class was good. Was it? The only reason I think is the Kickstarter money. I feel like it's a scam. Because you were running her social media. You were scam. And then you roped in like a Ponzi scheme. You roped in your friend. Friends and family. And then you helped raise money for a DVD that is a DV don't. A DVD and not DVD documents 2015. It's a link. At this point, we were doing Vimeos then you could have really had a strong Vimeo presence. Yes. And the other thing is, too, is that even though she had the class, like, twice a week at this actual gym, she then taught classes at Ripley, Greer and stuff like that. And you could buy a class package, but you had to pay in cash up front. And it was just like the little business card that she would punch. But then she would take long breaks from teaching. Yes. So it's like, well, I paid you $400 for this card, but you're not teaching any classes all summer, so now I just gave you $400. Yes. Yeah, girl. But she had to go on her spiritual journey. She did. She did a lot of retreats. It's carnival. Like, oh. And she went, don't get it. I wonder where she is. I wonder where she is. Very that very. That. The class, as Rye said, though, it did slap, like, popping. I still hear songs that we did in the class, and I immediately am like, burpees. This is when we did. And I'm not a dancer. And it was like, dance. Dance, cardio. More than. But. And I had the time of my life. Fantastic. Yes. Can I tell my scam? Yes, go ahead, Rachel. After I graduated college, I moved to New York City. I wanted to live by my older sister, Lauren. I love how y' all laugh when someone starts a story. Cause you're like, I already know where this is going. I remember what happened, and I, you know, wanted to be close to Lauren. So I found an apartment that was, like, close to Lauren. Close to our cousin who lived across the street, Upper West Harlem. It was 150th and Broadway. And this was my first apartment out of college, so I had to have a roommate. But it was in the time of, like, Craigslist with. It was like, teetering on the edge of, like, is it crazy? Is it not crazy? But I heard a bunch of these lists used to really list. Yeah. You know, I got, like, furniture off of people. I still find apartments. I got a TV off of it. Yeah. I know. People who have told me in this calendar year they got their apartment from Craigslist. Whoa. Okay. That's bold. That is. Yeah. I would never do that. Because nowadays they'll show you an apartment that's not even there. Yes. They're doing that on Facebook, Marketplace. Too. Yes. So I toured a bunch. I met this guy, this old. How old was I? Like, 21. 21. He was like 28. 28, okay. So you met this guy off Craigford's list. Yes. Okay. Gay guy. So I thought it was like, he was safe. He was safe. He was safe. He don't want no coochie or nothing. I never met a dangerous gay man in my life. He was white and tall, and I was like, you know what? He could protect me if something goes down. It was too much like, the police come. He will protect me. It was a two bedroom, sort of small, but very cute and, like, perfect for what I needed at the time. After probably a year that I lived there, I would go away sometimes and I would come home and there would be, like, blankets that I didn't put on there on my bed. And I would be like, did you have friends over? And there he would be like, no, I didn't have any. But I'd be like, this isn't my blanket and it's on my bed. Okay. So I thought that was weird. Then he would have guests for a certain amount of time where he would say, they're just gonna be here overnight. They would turn into like the weekend and then maybe like a week. And I would be like, hey, when's your person leaving? Then I started hearing him. It was a very small apartment. I started hearing him having conversations with his friends and guests that he would have over saying, you know what? I. They would be like, I love your tv or I love this. And he'd be like, you know what I do? I order something from like an Amazon or any store. I tell them that it wasn't delivered, and I asked them to send me another one. So I get two of everything. And I was like, okay. Then I walked up to my apartment door one day just off work, and there was an eviction notice on the door. Ner. And I was not on the lease. He was on the lease. So I was like, hey. So you had been giving him your coin? Yeah. I said, we got an eviction notice. He was like, that's so weird. I pay it every month. That's so weird. That's so weird. No, that's so strange. It's so strange. And I was like, yeah, it is weird, but whatever. So then he kind of fixed it. A couple months later, another eviction notice, second one came and I said, you know, this is really weird. It popped up again. He's like, I'm gonna call them. I said, actually, let me call Them. Let me call them. Cause they really. They are playing in our faces. They playing in our faces, sis. Cause you know one thing I'mma do is do the rim. I call him right every time. And some people don't like to pay it every month. But me. But me, I'm somebody who pay it every month. I got it all. I don't pay. I always pay in. I do it daily. First, last, and deposit. Yep. I've always been. Every money that you gave me, I paid with them. It just went straight to them. It never passed through me. It just went on. Are they discriminated against our money because you black? Maybe they saw it with some black money and some gay money, and so then they threw it out. They threw it away. It was crazy. Okay, so he totally gaslit me, but my family was like, you need to call or stop paying him. Pay them directly. I called. Of course they said, this is not being paid. He and I got into some digital altercations where we would email each other. I basically was like, I'm gonna call a lawyer on you because you've been stealing my money. We would go back and forth. He then flipped the script. Are y' all still living? I live in together, but you in one room typing up an angry email and he in the other. He kind of stopped showing up at the house or like, I would spend all day with Lauren or at work and then go home when I knew he would be. Sleep, whatever. Then one morning, I woke up. Every single item of his was gone from the apartment. Outside of trash that he left in the middle of every room. I forgot about that. Yeah. I was like, he's gone. He's gone. There's no trace of him. There's nothing the place still. But his name was on the lease, so I was never gonna be come after. But I was like, I'm now in a dirty apartment squad. I'm squatting. And I had. Well, squatters have rights. That's true. That's true. I had a little bit of time to get out. And the little. What do they call, like, the alderman in the building? Not the landlord, but the super. The alderman. The alderman in the building. The governor. You know, the building govern. Classic building alderman. He does the decrees. The alderman building. Barack Obama started as the alderman in the building. A building alderman. A building alderman in south side Chicago. Direct line to the presidency. It was this old Caribbean woman, and she was like, I knew he was bad from the beginning. You take however long you need to get out. Don't worry about cleaning up his mess. Just clean your room and it's okay. And I have never heard from him again. I gotta look him up. I gotta find him. I have some old emails from him that he was. He got. He got angry and nasty so quick, and I was like, did he call you the N word? I'm sure he almost did, but he had wanted nothing to do with me. Ghosted. And that was my. That's my biggest scam that I've been a part of. Yes. That's a big one. Massive. It was bad. He was like, slay queen. Yeah. Yes. He's like, no, bitch, I'm a slay you. I'mma slay you, queen. He's like, and that was my friend's blanket, right? You get you and your little nappy hair inside of my apartment. Exactly. House down, Boots. Like, I didn't want you here anyway. House down, evicted scams. What's poppin, congregation? Okay, I'm coming at y' all hot because we need to debunk some things about plan B, emergency contraception right now. No, listen, Plan B is not an abortion pill. It's safe, effective backup birth control you take after unprotected sex to prevent pregnancy before it starts. And are y' all ready for the inside tea? It works by temporarily delaying ovulation, and it will not impact your future fertility. Because some days. Who know, someday you might want a little unemployed person in your house. Follow plan B on insta at plan B. One step. Use as directed, y'. All. Sometimes it is so hard having hair. If your hair looks crazy, you look crazy. And sometimes you don't have enough time to stroke it with all the waters and the creams to get it to look beautiful. Which is why I love Batiste Light, the lightest dry shampoo from Batiste. Batiste Light dry shampoo has lightweight, non gritty feel, and it effectively absorbs oil and grease, leaving your hair looking clean and refreshed without weighing it down. Hallelujah. With an invisible finish that blends seamlessly into your hair. There's no white residue for cleaner looking, feeling hair. It's great on your hair and it's easy on your wallet, giving you a blowout look without a blowout price. I love being able to put some Batiste in my hair. Cause y' all know I got like, 50, 11 jobs, and sometimes I gotta show up and be cute, but I don't have time to, like, get this hair together. And Batiste comes in and scams my hair back into life, and it's amazing. Buy a Batiste dry shampoo online or in store at your nearest retailer. That's the sound of your feet stepping on fresh fall leaves. That's right, y'. All. Fall is back and in full swing. It's the perfect time to refresh your wardrobe with pieces that feel just as good as they look. And luckily, Quince makes it easy to look polished, stay warm, and save big without compromising on quality. Quinn has all the elevated essentials for fall. Think 100% Mongolian cashmere from $50 washable silk tops, which y' all know I love. And skirts, perfectly tailored denim and all of the prices that feel too good to be true. But they are. By partnering directly with ethical top tier factories and cutting out the middleman. You know, I call him the middle scam. Quinn can deliver luxury quality pieces at half the price of similar brands. Now, y' all know the, the washable silk tops have been a staple in my closet. I just got their like long black, like, I think it's like a woolish coat. The material is fantastic. Keep it classic and cozy this fall with long lasting staples from quince. Go to quince.com goddess for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's Q-U-I-N-C-E.com goddess to get free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com oh my God. A mess. Now, my relationship to scamming is. You are a scammer. Well, no, I think there's a fine line between entrepreneurship and scamming. Yes. So I call them serial entrepreneurs. Yeah. So when I was younger, I was born with an entrepreneurial spirit and amen. All of her businesses have taken off. Yes. I mean, well, you'll know why. They got any kid who wants to to get in business. We're always like, that's a warning sign. I always say if you want to open up a lemonade stand, if you want to sell candy at school. Did we catch it? I didn't sell candy in school. Okay, Ryan, what you do? I sold candy in church and my pastor asked me to stop. I would go to Sam's club with my parents. Of course, at first they gave me some seed money to buy my first box of angel investors. Not your Patty and Mazars. And after service, and I wouldn't do it before service, I would sell the candy bars, I think for 175 for the Mariah charity. And people bought them. The Mariah charity. Yeah. And so the charity. Her of her of you. Yeah. That's like me When I say the United Negro College Fund, I'm a Negro. I'm united. Yeah. With myself. With myself. Yes. And okay, so the Mariah Kachi. Yes. So I was able to, you know, keep some. And then as we continued on, I was making way more than the boxes of, you know, whatchamacallit. So in any case, when the pastor asked me to stop, I was also a Girl Scout. And I. Were you ever a Girl Scout? No. Okay, so when you were a Girl Scout and you were selling Girl Scout cookies back in the day, there was a catalog of things you could win as like top selling Girl Scout. I was the only black girl on my Girl Scout troop, and I just wasn't getting the sales I needed to get. So on the last day, I remember sitting in the parking lot of my elementary school with my mom. She bought, I think 300 boxes of cookies so I could win, and I won the prize. And we sold those after church for about four weeks. Always a box of cookies. I love a box of cookies. Always crazy supportive parents. And, you know, you know, after you get the good work, you gonna come out in your Sunday meal. You want a snack, baby? But you got them tangalong. You know, I love them tangalongs. At that time, our church was, let's say mobile. So there were times when we were selling these in the lobster game. Can we pause it? Your church was, let's say mo. Yes, it was. Y' all going to a scam church. Your church is coming up. You gotta let the heat die down on Maplewood. We. So that I think at that time we were selling them in like a jurian lobby, a hotel and a high school theater lobby. And I think one time at this, a high school theater lobby. Yeah. We would have church in the auditorium. Okay. Actually, I know somebody who has a church like that. Now, were you in high school at the time? I was not. And were you at that high? So girls. I was a child. Just slid. And then you were this cute child. Of course, that's why people would buy from her because she'd be like, haha. It was like, cute. Like this little girl is like, support me. Yes. The next future president scam was her existence. If he don't buy these cookies, I'm going to do. Honestly, my mom spent all this money on these cookies. She might not be able to pay a bill, but she got her fuzzy phone. Yep. No, it was the clear phone. That was the clear phone. So I just, you know, I do what I think is best for me and my Family. If that means creating and selling merch, I will do that. Okay. And again, can I also sell a scam that has to do with the apartment in New York? Sure. I lived with Rachel, and she lived in this apartment after that guy. Okay? It came fully furnished when I was living there. And I. This was my first apartment out of college. And then I lived there for, like, five years in a bedroom. Again, fully furnished, had a tv. When I moved out, I sold everything. Damn. The ladder was extended. And you. As soon as you came on up, you yanked that ladder up. I said, I'm about to be moving out into a studio on my own. I'm gonna sell this tv. I don't know whose it is. I think I sold it for 450. That's good TV. Plus, you crazy girl, Mariah, you're one of my own hearts. Yes. Okay. You were an entrepreneur. Yes. An entrepreneur. You were like, this is so wonderful. I'm in a furnished apartment. Y. Wow. Just out of college. I really need this. But as soon as you got your coins going on, you were like, and yank this baby off the wall. And who want this queen size lamb that was gifted to me? Everything must go. They didn't know. And the landlord, God bless them, he wouldn't know where it went. No, it could have been them. Could have been me. And now it's definitely you. Yeah, I know that dude is not checking for nothing. We do. No, he is not. He would let us pay rent on. Yeah, he was very smart. Okay, that's giving me, like, he had some other money on the side. Like the building might have been laundering for something else. Cause I had one of those when I first moved to la. His name was Arturo. I'm not gonna say nothing else. Okay. But he was so sweet. And we paid him directly. Cause I was like, I'm not doing that group payment. Cause what y' all be on. And I remember I got my first big TV show. It was Florida Girls. And so I went to Savannah and shot Florida Girls. And I came back and I was like, oh, I got coin now. Like, I don't have to work at the restaurant. I ain't gotta serve nobody nothing no more but yourself but myself. And so I walked. It was a huge place. Three bedroom. Like one of the old school LA apartments on Melrose. Oh, nice. And it's huge. And I walked in and I was like, hey, y', all, I'm back. And I think we should do some renovations around here, because this is really nice. I don't wanna move. We can, you know, get the ACs that hang on the wall? I was walking Arturo through, and I was like, in the kitchen, we can get ready this crown molder and these cabins need to go. And what about this island? We could do something different with that. He said, yeah, as soon as your roommates pay their rent. And I was like, what? And he was like, yeah, I was about to put an eviction notice on y' all door. And he had let everybody pay, like, the whole time that we were there. But I. He reached a threshold. So you were the only person, like, consistent. Yeah. That was giving them grace, your payment. Oh, my God. You were carrying them on your back. And I had no idea. Oh, my God. Until it got real heavy. It's actually a story that's in my book, so I'm not gonna go too much detail, but let's just say by the end of it, I was calling the police because I was on the phone with my mother, and they were trying to move somebody else into a room that I was paying to keep empty as, like, a self tape room, like, all this stuff. And I went to Vegas and came back, and somebody was living up in there, and I was like. And it was, like, related to the person what was my roommate. And so then I'm on the phone with my mama, like, I don't know what's going on, and I have my door closed, and I'm talking quietly. Then they start beating on my door, and they're like, lacy, come out here, Lacy. We need to talk, Lacy. Da, da, da, da. And my mom's like, call the police. Oh, my God. Before they dig a U sized hole in the backyard. Yeah, you sized. Come on, Mom. It's a tiny little hole. I know. Damn. Why you gotta say the whole time? I'm five' nine. I am five' nine. Baby hole. Not a little baby hole. She's like, yeah, big enough for a grapefruit. No, but people will get shifty on you real quick, and I'll get shifty back. But also, Arturo was like, I didn't need the money until I needed the money. Exactly. But he was so chill about everything. And even him saying, like, yeah, I was gonna put in an eviction notice in a little bit, I guess. Like, it wasn't like he was thinking about it. It wasn't like those landlords you see on TV and movies, where they be like, where is my money? Where y' all gonna be on the street? That's someone who doesn't want to interact with the courts. So they're not going to be. They're like, I don't need anyone looking over here. No. Yeah. He was always in Mexico a lot. Yeah. And the eviction notice would have been printed from his printer. Yeah, it would have been. It would have been from the state. It would not have come from LA County. Absolutely not. Because he was always in Mexico. And it just. He gave me the vibes of, like, someone so sweet. Too sweet that when he in Mexico, like, he's like, getting the goons to, like, beat somebody up, and then he, like, gets a rag and he's like, now clean him up, stupid. I love him so. I loved all of these. Wow, y' all really came with Lauren. You got scammed. I did. She was probably. You was working for that white lady. Yes. And legitimizing all her career being. And people probably saw me with my braid on. They were like, oh, it's her company. She put her stamp of on it. Yes. Their co workers. Yes. Police. Black one. Horrible. A mess. And then, Rachel, you did get scammed, but actually, you didn't. I didn't. Because you. Okay. He took your money. Yes, he did. But you gonna take that money anyway to give it to Rent. It just wasn't going to where you're at. That's true. That's true. Yes. And the Caribbean lady was nice and was like, she ain't run your ass out. She gave me grace. She gave me grace. So we gave. And Mariah, you. I am a businesswoman. You are a serial entrepreneur. A businesswoman out there selling them folks cookies. That's like an episode out of the boondocks. Rari Riley is. So let's get into our next segment. My favorite segment, Historic Hoodwinks. This is where I regale all of the Smith sisters with a mysterious con caper group of criminals we don't know yet. Maybe we like them, maybe we hate them. We'll see. In long blood. So a mysterious New Hampshire man has been traveling the country running a classic pavement scam. Okay. For years. And no one can catch him. He might knock on your door. And if he does, that means trouble's in town. So this is him, Mr. Pavement. Okay. Oh, he looks like somebody. Of course he's wanted in Florida, because I know this is where you do things like this. Right. He was accused of impersonating an asphalt contractor. Police say some asphalt lay and then leave without payment. Oh, my God. So he would start the job a little bit and then leave. Yes, I've heard of this. We've heard. Oh, then leave with Payment. Because I was like, leave without payment. That made no sense. But that means he also had to have had the. Some asphalt. Some asphalt. Some tools, some machinery to start the job. But I don't know what I would think someone who was laying asphalt, what they would need. Cause it either could be extensive or that cement or asphalt and cement. They're not the same. But you have to take up something. What is asphalt? The black stuff. Yeah. Can we see? What Can I also say, when you said a pavement scammer, I thought it was like he was doing it all on foot. Not that he. Pavement. So as composite material used for paving roads and other surfaces. Mixture of minerals. Okay, so maybe he's just pouring. Yeah. So we probably came with buckets or, like, empty buckets and a. But doesn't it have to be hot? I think it has to be hot. I think it has to be hot because then they, like, block it off. You can't walk on it for a couple days. That's why we press our hands and our initials in it again. That's concrete. Okay. Yeah. I have a real love for concrete. I don't say that's where we do the heart. I know. You get a stick and you let your signature in the asphalt. Y' all wrote a L, R, and M. Okay. So he's wanted. He's God. Wow. So his name is Henry Stanley. In May, police officers in Ohio issued a warning to business owners and residences about a suspected asphalt scammer. He showed up at businesses, says he has leftover asphalt from a nearby paving job and offers to fill the potholes in the parking lot at a table. Cheap cost. Oh. So he's showing up and he like, look, I got some hot fault. Gotta use it up. Gotta use it up. I see you got some holes over there. I know. Can I fill that up for you? Yeah. Somebody just bust a tire in that hole. Yeah. Let me fault that for you real quick. Let me fault that for you, fam. Let's zoom in on these comments. Oh, my God. This is the city. This is the city of Vermillion Police Department. Vermillion Police Department. So the VPD has several reports of an asphalt pothole filling scam being conducted surrounding the area. The suspect identifies himself as Henry Stanley with a paving company. Henry shows up at the area of the business and states that he's doing a paving job in that area when he, you know, he got some extra eggs. Okay. And then. Okay, so this is just a warning. And then people are getting shocked. Somebody says, reminds me of the guys, two different ones who saw a big dent on the rear bumper of my Saturn Aurora. And to fix it, Cash only had to borrow the tools from their boss. Ah, no thanks. Especially when I don't even know you. Okay, so I roll. Not this man advertising for his friend. You just giving a testimony. That was not a response to this. I feel like this scam requires so much work. It does. And in recent part, it's like he has to get at least a little bit of asphalt or something, like, looks like it. Go scope out parking lots that have potholes in them that need repairing. Hunt down the business owner, set a meeting, do an estimate. It's like, just steal. Like, just rob somebody. This is so involved. Scamming is a profession. You got to work hard. So after the owner agrees, he and his crew repave large portions of the parking lot and then send a much higher. Higher than expected bill. Two Ohio businesses have already received bills of $50,000. What? What? $50,000. So he's not just asking for $1,000, maybe $50,000. Well, should I be paving asphalt? No. You gotta learn from it. I know. Do you have to learn? Yeah. Apparently not. I feel like you're just pouring something out of a bucket. I can do that. I have strong hands. You get. No, no, do not. She's gonna look at it. Yeah, she's already gonna look at it. She was like. And then if I can do six parking lots right a week. Yes. She's like, la is a big city. It's hella potholes in la. Yeah, I got some potholes on my way. Honestly, no. Mariah, I don't know. I have heard, though, recently a friend of mine was saying that she hired someone to do a job at her house. It was like multiple pull contractors. Alderman and alderman. Alderman, yeah. They did half the job, and then no response. When she's like, are you coming tomorrow? They've ghosted her. But she had already paid them the majority of the bill. And that's not the first time I've heard of that. That happened to someone. I know their mom. That's why you can't pay them the full. No, you have to wait. And contractors love to be like, oh, they walk through the first time and be like, oh, yeah, we can have this done in 72 hours. And then they come back and they o. I'm immediately. 12 weeks. 72 months. Yeah. Did I say hours? I mean months. We'll finish it. We'll finish the bathroom. We won't have the tub or the Toilet. In until 2029, but it will be ready. Everything else is working late. Okay. It's so bad. But it's an ultimate. They're like, I know how to do enough of the job to where you think that I have it all together and then I'm going to roll up, do part of it, and you're gonna gimme all your money. I just not cut out for scamming them because I feel like if I'm gonna go to the trouble of being on the hook for a scam, then I want it to be such a light lit. I don't wanna do a little bit of work. And then it appears he has a payroll for the scam. Like his friend. Yeah, I know. Home Depot hates how much he pays here. He combines. Lock up the asphalt right now. Lock it. Stock it up. Robbery. It's stock up September at Whole Foods Market. Find sales on supplements to power up for busy weeks. Plus, pack your pantry with pasta sauce and more everyday essentials. Enjoy quick breakfast for less with365 by Whole Foods Market. Seasonal coffee and oatmeal. Grab ready to heat meals that are perfect for the office and save on versatile. No antibiotics ever. Chicken. Chicken breasts. Stock up now at Whole Foods Market in store and online. Okay, Congregation, if you're interested in crimes that aren't just cons and fraud, then you've gotta hear the Crime Junkie podcast. I know true crime is hot, hot, hot. And there's a new documentary, drop it every 30 seconds on every platform on Crime Junkie. Podcast host Ashley Flowers covers everything from the high profile cases you're seeing. Drop on the streamers two following cases you will not hear talked about any where else. Ashley is the queen of true crime. And y' all know I'm the goddess of true con. So you know that all these stories are about to be fire. Okay? And they hook you in the first minute. These stories are wild. I love listening to stuff that I'm not gonna see on television or even just getting the whole story with new fun details. Not fun, but new details that I may not have known before. There are hundreds of episodes of Crime Junkie already waiting for you. And new cases are covered every Monday. So listen to crime Jun, wherever you're listening. I'mma put you on, nephew. All right, unk. Welcome to McDonald's. Can I take your order, miss? I've been hitting up McDonald's for years. Now it's back. We need snack wraps. What's a snack wrap? It's the return of something great. Snack wrap is Back. Okay, I have a question for the room. Do you live for pop culture drama, celebrity gossip and the Internet's biggest moments? Then I am begging you to listen to the Smith Sisters Live. The daily talk show hosted by Lauren Ray, Rachel and Mariah Smith. They're real life sisters, lifelong pop culture super fans. And they've turned their group chat into a show that's as hilarious as it is some more. Every morning they dive into everything from reality TV scandals and viral tiktoks to breaking celebrity news. And if you're lucky, a very special guest might stop by the studio. Maybe a me. Y' all start your day with laughs, hot takes and sisterly chaos. Don't miss Smith Sisters live weekdays at 9am Eastern on Sirius XM's radio Andy. And now back to the show and fraud. So In Missouri of 2024, Shelly Cravens owns the famous Munger Moss Hotel. I've never heard of this hotel, but it's on Route 66 in Lebanon, Missouri and apparently it's famous. Look at it, it's got so many, so many lights. Red Carpet Inn. I don't believe that. There's like, there's an oil slick where the red carpet should be. It gives me like you could pay about an hour. Lots of outdoor facing doors. Yeah, that's not good. So last year an asphalt company pulled into the parking lot. Shelly noticed the trucks had New Hampshire plates on them, but she assumed they moved to Missouri to start a business. Also, Shelly, also for the benefit of the doubt, so generously, Shelly, have you ever heard of a rental company? Like just cause it had New Hampshire plates didn't mean they moved. They drove. Drove directly from New Hampshire to the Munger Mall. Start a new life. Listen, I hacked Texas plates for a year in California until my car got impounded because they were like, you're not supposed to have Texas plates anymore. I know, it's crazy. I was like whoopsies. And it was in Beverly fucking Hills because the police don't have nothing to do over there. No, they just don't run plates. They're having fun. They run plates like no one's business. That's crazy. So a man walked into the motel and said he had leftover asphalt he needed to get of rid. He offered to smooth out a section of payment in the parking lot and create new drainage systems. Shelly paid him $18,000. What? How did she make that much? Cause it's famous in Missouri. Everybody going in that motel. We're from Missouri. I have never heard of this place. And I've been through Lebanon, I think, and I have never seen it ever. And not even any lights that look like that? No, not even. It ain't that famous. No. The only thing that's familiar, the lower sign that looks like a church sign at the bottom. That's the only thing that looks St. Louis or Missouri to me. Okay. Well, they. I don't know Munger. I don't know Moss. No, I don't know Munger and Moss at all. Damn. Y' all don't know her? No. Wow. Sorry. To this motel. I'm shook. They piped up so hard. They're like, we're from Missouri we ain't never seen. So again, I'm gonna need Shelly to tell us how she got her $18,000. So he was supposed to come back and finish the job. The man's name is obviously Henry Stanley. So when local news reporter Ashley Reynolds called, he did pick up the phone, so. Cause remember, it's starting to get around like that. He's scamming people. So he's using his real number also, which is. Oh, yes, Chad. He needs a burner. He does. Let's see what the local news has had to say. A motel owner in Lebanon thought it was a deal. An asphalt company pulled up and offered to repair the pavement. $18,000 later, the job isn't done. She contacted on your sides. I share Reynolds. So this doesn't happen to you. So the job was to smooth all this out, right? Yeah. And to make. Make a little covet for the water to run down. Shelly Cravens at the Munger Moss motel on Route 66 in. In Lebanon says she hired this guy, Henry Stanley out of New Hampshire to get the job done. I saw the New Hampshire plates. I thought maybe they just moved here and started a business. You know, I just always assume everybody's not lying to you. They're going to do what's right, what they say. And I just fell for it, hook, line, and sinker. He knows what he's doing. Leftover asphalt he needs to get rid of. He. He said I can do it for a good price. She paid him $18,000. Astronomical. She says he was supposed to come back and finish the job. That was two weeks ago. Now she cannot get a hold of him. I did and asked him when he'll be back. Okay. When will you do that? He would not answer that question and hung up on me. I called him back. I tried to ask him about this case. Two years ago, a Henry Stanley from New Hampshire was wanted and then later arrested by The Polk County Sheriff's in Florida. Oh, my God. Why does he keep using that name? Why does he keep. I have so many questions. Also, the size of that does not equate $18,000. Well, he was also gonna rig up something for the water. A bowl. He looked so incompetent in that surveillance footage they had. He looked like a teenager. Yes. And when someone approaches you and says, if I'm ever looking for a contractor, they're maybe leaving something on my desk door, they're never walking in saying, I have all the tools necessary to do the job. Pay me now and I'll do it right now. And leftover. Leftover. I can't look you up. You haven't shown me your previous work. Save it for your next job. So stupid. Mr. Stanley, you are. I love how my girl had her merch on, though. She did, she did. Her hair color was so fresh. I take it back, Shelly. She said, I'm. She said, I'm going to be on the news when you pull in. It might be a little gravely, but you should have a good time. This is illuminating how, like, I think lazy and non confrontational I am because, like, the fact that she was like, it's been two weeks and he hasn't come back. I wouldn't let this go for like two months. Yeah, for sure. And they're like, you know, he did not come back. My thought would be, oh, he got killed. Yeah. Yeah. How optimistic. Not when I had an issue in my. My immediate is, I'm like, shelly, I'm calling legal services immediately. Yeah, okay, Rachel, I'm on your side. Cause I couldn't find my tax accountant for a while. And then I googled him and somebody with the same name. It was an obituary. And I was like, oh, that's why he not emailing me back. He does. He's dead. Rest in peace. And then he actually wasn't dead. He was just busy. Oh, God. But I did. I was like, oh, it makes sense. Of course he didn't get back to me. The only reason someone wouldn't get back to me is cause they died. They absolutely passed away. Yeah. And you know what? There is some instances where that really did happen. If you heard this on the show before, remember me different. But I had an email come through. I was going. I had an assistant who. Not the last assistant. Y' all know we love Emily, love her. But I had an assistant before that who I think was actively trying to kill me. I had asked her, you know, I told her what places I like to go for, like, the dentist and, like, areas. Cause, like, if you're in 90210, you can't be a bad dentist because you gotta pay that rent, honey. It's expensive. So I like to go over there because I know you gotta pay that rent. Yeah. And so she found this place. And I went in and he had Balenciaga pillows, a flat screen TV playing Bab Oni. Like, I went in to have a tooth extracted, and he, like, was like, oh, yeah, we gotta get this tooth out. And he got one leg up on Lacey. Like, he numbed me. And then he got one on the table and started yanking. No. And then he was like, oh, we need to put this thing in there. To his dental assistant. And the dental assistant was like, oh, we ran out of those. And he was like, oh, it's fine. And I'm like, is it fine? I think I need the thing anyways, Kutsu. I get an email and it's like, Dr. So and so has died. Oh, my God. But we know that he would want you to keep your cleaning appointment. No. Like, all in the same email. Like, that's what he would have wanted. No. His final wish. He died suddenly. And they were. But he wants y' all to keep y' all appointments. What? What? Doesn't care what. His back probably gave out from yanking. Yanking all itself out. Once I had to have another tooth removed, and I went to a nicer place that I've been going to. And when I was like, okay, I'm really nervous, he was like, why are you so shaky? And I was like, cause when are you gonna put your foot up and we don't yank? And he was like, we don't do that. No, that's not how it works. I was like, you're not gonna get the pliers out and just started yank. I was like, the foot up is too much. The foot up is pretty much. Dental scams, though, are real. I had my mouth open at an appointment one time, and the dentist was like, oh, we're in here. He basically started doing a root canal. And I thought I was just getting a filling. And he wouldn't stop. And I basically was like, can you tell me what you're doing? And he was like, it's fine, it's fine. We'll talk about how much it costs later. But he just kept doing the work. And I was like, I didn't approve this work. What you mean we talk about it later? We were not talking about it later. It was so bad. I had a dentist Once take three of my wisdom teeth out. The first day I went for frenzies and I was walk. I remember I walked. It was in Harlem and it was a new dentist. It was like the first time I had my own insurance. I walked to the dentist. I was like, oh, this is fun. I can walk to my own dentist. Da, da, da. They took all three of my wisdom teeth out. I walked home and I was, was so like, I was like, what just happened? And normally they're like, well, you're going to get. It's a plan. Can someone pick you up? No. I walked home and I was spooked. And then I had a bad. He saw that good insurance and he said, you know what? It's not. Let me yank them wisdom Cuz wisdom teeth yanking is a scam. If you're not having an infection, if it's not crowding your mouth, you don't need them at all. I still have mine. Yeah, I have most of mine. But like, like they do try to run it up with that wisdom tooth. They like, they got a whole brand for it too. The wisdom tooth. Like you gotta get rid of it. It's nasty. It definitely feels like that. Like I have every time I go to a new dentist, which is not that often anymore. But they'll be like, oh, have you ever thought about getting your wisdom teeth out? Like they start. And I'm like, oh, well, actually one of them is sitting on a nerve. They go, oh, okay. See the dollar sign disappear? Yeah. I was, get her out of here. She just wants to clean it. She just wants to get her tooth work. I kind of went to the canal yesterday and the tooth never hurt. But then Lawrence was like, mariah, what? But they said it was about to. They said it was gonna start hurting. It was like a 0.1ml away from the nerve. They said, no milliliters. It was filling up. But then when they did the numbing and they're like, oh, you've had no sensitivity in this tooth. I was like, no. I just came to this new dentist where clean. And now I've been three times and I have a fourth time to go next week. Dentists are scammers. They are. A lot of them are. They hit a nerve and my tongue did feel like I got an electric shock. So maybe I didn't eat it. Oh no. Or maybe they was hitting some nerves just to prove a point. They were like, poke one, let's just poke one. So she know that we doing the right thing by ripping it out. Just hit her one time with the scope. Oh my God. So back to our man's here. What is his name again? I have Henry Stanley. Henry Stanley. So this is Florida 2022. Okay. A detective with years worth of experience investigating and charging traveling asphalt scam artist. Which is niche. Yes. When I grew up, asphalt scammers. So he drove by several men performing what appeared to be possibly illegal. As in a convenience store parking lot. I don't know how he. How do you know? How do you know? Because he probably is like, oh, they're just like throwing it. Maybe he knows like what the work should be. As an expert. Yeah, as an expert in the field. So 36 year old Raymond Walk, third of Michigan, claimed to be the owner of Country Asphalt and Trucking llc. With a dashboard. Yeah, the side eye. Oh my God. He really did not want to get caught. He's like, he's like, y' all can take the picture. I'm not gonna look. I'm not gonna look though. He's like, if I put my chin up high enough, I can say this wasn't me, y'. All, you're never gonna know. He does have the face of every white man. He could just be like, this is not me. That's not me. A haircut and a shave. He got a whole life. A wiz. Put his neck down. I don't know who he is. He claimed to be the owner of country and Asphalt Trucking LLC with a Davenport, Florida address. Right. So. Which was actually a UPS store. P.O. box. So his address was the UPS store. He said, what can brown scam for you? Along with accomplice 28 year old Henry Stanley of New Hampshire, Aaron. 31 year old David Milyavar of Texas. He pressured the convenience store out loaner to allow them to pave the parking lot work. Initially asked for. I'm sorry. Walk initially asked for $5,000, but convinced the victim to pay $7,000 instead. Stanley then instructed the victim to write a $7,000 check payable to Walk. That's Raymond Walk that we saw before. Oh, this is the other guy, David. Kind of cute. I don't. Cute, black under eye. I like it. I like his. He looks dead confident. He looks tall. He definitely looks tall. But is that it? He is. That is simple. And he looks shifty as fuck. Yeah, I don't know. I think he's cute. No, he looks. I'd rather Henry. I trust him at all of them. No, Henry's my boy. He look like he like I lay ass fault. Like he works Hard. He works hard. He's on a TLC show. Yes. He looks like rejected property, bro. Yes. Also them now splitting. Henry going from 18k by himself to 7 split between 3 people. Business is tough, bad. He needed more convincing ruse. I think people were getting word of one guy popping up. He was like, what if we were three guys popping up? Then. Then we're not suspicious no more. So Stanley then instructed the victim to write a $7,000 check payable to this strange looking man up here, Raymond Walk. He was told the walk, wanted to cash it immediately and did not have a bank account in Florida. Because, like, so the. The victim was like, why do you need this right now? And they were like, we need to cash it immediately. And we don't got no banks here. We don't. You know how banks be where they don't be in Florida? Yes, yes, yes, yes. Classically non niche banks. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So detectives learned earlier that same day, David pressured a second victim who owns a business on Spirit Lake Road in Winter haven into paying $5,300 to pave a driveway area of their business parking lot. Okay, so they're still getting the 18K. They're getting closer. Wow. Just smaller. Just smaller increments. And why is everyone's driveway in such disrepair? Weather. We paying taxes and they not filling no potholes. Every time I drive over a pothole in la, I'm like, where is my money going? Yeah. It's like, why am I bump? I will say in defense of la, why? But there is a pothole on my street that it never. So it looks like a sinkhole almost. It gets repaved every three weeks, and then it unpaves itself every three weeks. Do they not let it set long enough? No, they do. It's like it refuses to close. It refuses to be closed. It sounds like a city racket. They're like construction workers, like, pave it light. Can we. Stanley runs our committee. I might be able to shed some light here. So the difference between asphalt and concrete that we were talking about earlier, asphalt's like a cheaper version of concrete. More cost effective, but the elements that are involved in it are like, cheaper and more affordable. So that's why potholes are filled up with asphalt, because it's quicker and cheaper. So they don't have to take as much time to do the full concrete pavement. So it looks like over time the pothole gets, you know, loses the asphalt. Cause it does. Cause it's cheap. Oh, leave that in. The more you. These people paying these premiums for asphalt. For asphalt. They paying concrete premiums. Yes, they are. They are. Because they don't know the difference. We all just. We didn't know the difference. Rich just taught us the difference. Wow. Wow. The asphalt laid at this location was already deteriorating and crumbling into gravel. No site preparation was completed. No tack coat or binder course was used. And the asphalt temperature was not keeping hot enough for a proper application. Cause they got it in the. In the truck. Yeah. Not heating it up. I don't have the right. It's not on the stove. Put it in the koozie. That's going to keep it warm. We got all our ass spoiled in this. In this igloo. Yes. Traveling with the microwave. They like put it in for 30 seconds, then pour it out. Yes. You got to run to pour it out. You got to have on some mitts. Okay. Cuz it's going to sputter. It's literally butter. Okay. I can get it. It's gonna be cold. So two additional asphalt victims in the area came forward. The scammers used multiple different telephone numbers during these transactions. And according to David Mendevar, those involved in the county Asphalt and Trucking Company, LLC stayed at various hotels in the Kissimmee area each night and did not stay in the same location, making it hard for anyone to locate representatives of the asphalt company after work had been completed. So they stayed moving. Oh, my God. This is horrible. I wonder if they ever end up staying at the famous Hotel Mongermas. They circle back. They can't go back there. Cause she gonna munger. They moss again. They're just bleeding money on all this travel. For what? But they're going to like motels. You can get a motel for pretty cheap, but every penny counts when you're running. So far, they got 18,000, 7,000, 5,300. An undisclosed amount from two other people. So they might have probably around like 45, 50K. And if you just stay in, he didn't really live it up. So Raymond Wolk was arrested for scheming to commit fraud. Fraud, grand theft, and failure to secure workers comp insurance. He was released after paying an $8,000 bond. So he had the money. He's going to the bond? Yeah. This guy raised the bond fund. Henry Stanley and David Menjibar were later arrested and served two months behind bars. But today, Henry is still out there, making his way from the eastern seaboard through the Midwest, preying on unsuspect victims who don't know how asphalt paving jobs should work. Wow. Still going in the streets. Damn. Crazy. And also, like, I. I'm looking at this picture of them and them in their reflective vests, and this looks official to the untrained eye. But I also bought one of those off of you too, for a joke. I bought them at Walmart so that we could trick people into letting us film in the street. For sale goddess. Yeah. I was like, we don't have a permit for this part. To put on this vest and hold your hand up. No one's gonna question that. We need a more savvy public when it comes to reflective vests. We do. Cause if you got a reflective vest on them, like, oh, right this way, sir. I can't pass these cones. Shit. I got a cone in my car. Yeah. And I definitely did use when I was working at Paramount, like, I stole a cone and. Cause like, if I would leave for lunch or something, my parking spot would always be gone. So I would get in the back, get my cone, and stick it to the door. Yep. And nope. And everybody respected the. Everybody. You don't not respect the car. No. Cause it takes more energy to maneuver around the home than to leave it alone or to ask somebody about the cone. No. Just go find another parking spot. This is mine. I put the cone here. So paving. Someone knocks on your door offering to touch up your driveway for a discount. That could be him. Cause he's out here. He's out here. So you gotta stay visual. And not just in Florida, not just in the Midwest. I'm so happy our mom will be listening. Yes, yes, yes. Don't open the door, Mom. Not for this. Don't have none of this repaved. So according to Reddit, I have extra asphalt in quotes. I'll give you a good deal if you act now. This is a bit that's been known and widely used to scam for a very long time. Victims have come forward from Florida, Georgia, Indiana and New Jersey. Better Business Bureau has asphalt pavers on their scam tracker report. And paving professionals has a five step guide to avoid falling into these puddles. Because I bet the paving professionals are like, they're taking our money and making us look Sc. Look at this machinery. You do if you're scamming. Henry does not have this. Henry doesn't have this. Henry got a bucket and a spoon. Yes. And he's like, here, a paintbrush. You know how when you make a sheet cake and then you just spoon the icing on? That's what Henry's doing. He's not doing. That's how that Reminds me. He was like, how y' all laying pavement? And you don't have one of them that was not parked at any of the hotels they were staying? No. Cause they would have been easily spotted. Yeah. No. He's like, no, no, no. We got it. And notice the young man doesn't even have a vest. So they bought that for nothing. Yep. It's not a vest profession. No. We got reflective vests. Buckets and spoons. Spoons and extra asphalt and. No, no, no. It's because we like to really make sure our asphalt is down clean. That's why we use a spoon. We're all about precision. You never know what you gonna get. Butter knife. Yeah. Okay. Think about it. How would you cut your butter? Right. That's how they got you the machine. You wouldn't get a big rig to put butter on your rolls. No. You would get a small butter knife and you rub it and you let it sit. Yep. Shelly said, oh, okay. Okay. You're onto something. Y' all know something. So how to avoid an asphalt paving scale, which I didn't know we needed to avoid these. Yes. Because I'm a millennial and I don't own property yet. Yeah. Lauren laughing like, she doesn't. Right. Lauren's like, ha, ha, ha. I've been to your house. I've literally been to your house. Lauren, like, that was a supportive laugh. Yeah. She was like, I've literally been to your house. Me and Mariah didn't laugh, didn't laugh. We're like, same. She's like, right. All of us so homeless. Wish I had a home. So how to avoid them? The number one most obvious sign that you're going to be scammed is that the contractor shows up at your door. It seems plausible. It's like, I didn't ask for this. Right. A surprise. Reno. No one's doing that. It's like if a plumber showed up and was like, y' all got anything clogged in there? Yeah. Oh, my God. Oh, you know what? How y' all pipes doing? Three bathrooms, actually. They would get me on that one. I'll be like, come snake this shower for me real quick. Come snake this shower. Most, if not all, reputed contractors will not perform door to door sales. Be very wary of any contractor that just sews up to your door. There's no such thing as leftover asphalt, Henry. That alone. That is such a horrible, so bad but necessary point. Just so you know. It's like, baby, come here, sit down and just tell you something. Hold my hand when I hold my hand when I tell you this. There's no such thing as leftover asphalt. It doesn't exist. No. It must be at a very precise temperature to be compacted successfully. And there's no time to drive around trying to unload extra. Yes. Asphalt is set up and finished through a compaction process. If it's not compacted while at the optimal temperature, it will not achieve the proper densities and will lose. It will become a loose aggregate that will crumble apart and deteriorate. Asphalt is a recyclable material and is processed back into aggregation state. Okay, this is getting very complicated. So basically, like, the asphalt gotta be hot. If it's not, you can make it hot again, but it's gotta be mixed with new asphalt. You can't just be like, I got some leftover asphalt. And you also need, like, emulsion, sand, fresh rock, all this stuff to make the. That new asphalt. So due to the price and temperature constraints of the material, no reputable paying company would have a substantial amount of asphalt left over, nor would it be usable. Coming from another job. No. So, like, we don't even. Companies don't just keep it in the fridge. They're like, let's just keep some extra asphalt. Because you probably have to also think of, like, the depth of the hole, the size of the hole, and so it. It's very precise. That's why I'm like Shelly, paying 18 for that small little dip. She was tripping. Oh, my God. She really takes pride in her business. In the water. Run off. Well worth it. What are other things that can't be left over? I'm trying to think, huh? Like, asphalt can't be left over. Well, it's like. It's like a. If I went to, for example, like, to get my hair braided, I wouldn't feel comfortable if my hairstylist was like, oh, I have this half open bundle that I used. Half on somebody else. I'll use the other half on you. I want a fresh one. Yeah, I'm thinking like, somebody's like, oh, I just had surgery. We got half a kidney leftover. Yes. Yes. Do you want it? Yeah, I know you're on the list. It's still fresh. It's still fresh. We just got it. We just got it. No, thank you. It's in the cooler. No, we only got half of it. Do you want it? Do you want it? I don't know. I don't think you can have certain things. This is another bullet point. If there's no written and signed Contract up front before any work is done. That's a dead giveaway that you're a target of a scam and about to get robbed or get very poor quality. If they're like, oh, no, we don't need to sign nothing. We got the truck right out here. Get them spoons in them and get them out the bucket. But that's interesting because I think most people would think, well, if I'm not signing, it's not a scam, you know, because then they can't. It's not. It's not like I put my name on something bizarre. Oh, Lord. I'm terrified that Stanley and his friends are gonna go through this bullet list and figure out a counter narrative. And now they're gonn contracts and everything. And then they're going to explain why their asphalt doesn't need to be mixed with your asphalt. It's a special asphalt. You know, in 2025, we got a new mixture. We got AI asphalt. We got this on chat GPC. This is 3D asphalt. We just printed it out in the truck. Yeah, this asphalt they don't want you to know about. No, no, this. That new asphalt. That's why they keeping us down. That's why the prices are so high, and that's why we drive regular cars. Keep a low, low profile. You just. You just hit on the pavers driving unmarked trucks. Mariah wrote the list. Mariah's is him. How much asphalt have you laid, Mariah, Be serious. I don't want to talk about it. I do have some leftover after this. Okay. Okay. You do. I do. I'mma follow me home. Yep, I'll follow you. It's gotta stay high. Yep. Or they have plates or phone numbers from out of states are another good indication that this crew is traveling. Paving company and probably looking to scam you. So. So I guess. And then the last point is they have no online reviews. Cause they have no online presence. They have no online presence. Yes. They know happy customers. Like, if I'm in California, somebody got Montana plates. And they're like, yeah, hey, miss your driveway. Looking kind of wrinkly. I got some leftover ass for my last job. Come in in Montana. Go ahead and get some. Lay it down for me. Go ahead and get started. You want 50,000 dol. No, I need a cool 18. Okay. Just 18. Okay, that's fine. That's a deal. Even better. It's a steal and a deal. That's what I'm saying. Oh, that's a steal, man. I mean, a steal for You. Yes, yes, yes. This is so insane to me. Final thoughts on the on the asphalt scammer. It's crazy. I. To me, this is like the most masculine man scammer. Like, it's like me and two other dudes, we're gonna go threaten to do manual labor and then walk away. Yeah, it's like so half baked and so like toxically masculine. Like, I. It's like they should have. I feel like they just picked like the most Bob the Builder ass, like, scam that is just so basic to me. And my thought was, you know, one of them likely Henry, accidentally did. Like, he maybe worked with a contracting company where it kind of like maybe there was a next door neighbor or something who was like, oh, just use the extra asphalt to do our driveway too. We'll take the money. And he was like, oh, if I can just do like. Seems like they. No, it doesn't seem like this was enough planned. Like, this is exactly how I'm gonna scam. They fell into it and it doesn't seem lucrative enough to continue. Yeah, it seems also boring. Very boring. Like, and on the run for work. And also like you're having to like kind of sell people and beg them and stuff. You have to be very extroverted to people. Yes. It's like social battery on E. I can't. But I don't know if you even have to sell it. You just be like, look, this hole you got right here, do you want that fixed or no? It's like when you get those tickets in your car. My last car, I would get these. I was so offended. It was like, we buy junk cars. I was like, excuse me. Oh my God. How you gonna insult me? And gaslighting. They want me to call you negging my car. Nagging my car. You know, it's like he just printed out some business cards. He's like, whoever calls, calls. Right. My car identifies as junk. Bring it on over here. I knew it was a scam. Yeah. I will say this is. I won't say it's a lazy scam. Cause you gotta work real hard and be out in the sun and working with your asphalt. Even finding asphalt, I don't even know how to find it. It just. It just seems easier to just pave people's driveways. Yeah. And do a good. I mean, I don't get paid the full price of doing the full job. Cause also now that we know that above board that asphalt is such a mixture. You're buying so many things to even put something together. They're not. They're only buying, like one part of it, I think, which is how they're getting away with it. They don't got the sand. They don't got the. They'll be like, oh, we actually have to go somewhere to get the rest of it. And we'll be back tomorrow. Be right back. Right. They done got the N C D O T certified asphalt, which I knew that off the top of my head. Of course. Everyone does. You know, I know all about asphalt. They need fresh sand. Yes. Well, thank you all for being here today. Thank you for having us. Pleasure. We always ask at the end of this show, where would you like to be found? These socials, any projects, all those things. Yes. People can listen to our daily radio show on Sirius, XM Channel 102. It's on at 6am Pacific, 9am Eastern on radio Andy or on demand anytime on the Sirius XM app. And if you don't want to pay for Sirius, you can listen to our monthly podcast, Smith Sisters Live Deep Dive, which where we do deep dives and interviews and it's out in front of the paywall wherever you get podcasts and follow us on Instagram @SmithSisters live. Yes. Perfect. Love it. You can also follow my personal at Mariah. Mariah, Mariah, where occasionally we drop merch. We Mariah drops merch. Another scam. You heard it here first, folks. The scam artist is scamming. She can't stop herself. And then Rachel. Any socials? Ivatecitizen Rachel. But I'm where my sisters are, so you'll find me. That's beautiful as always. You all can snitch on your friends, family and your enemies@scamgodespodmail.com if you want to see the photos and of these men, they you can see those @scamgodesspod on Instagram if you wanna chat with me. Scamgodesspod on Twitter if you want to see my own personal shenanigans. D I V A L A C I D Valacy on all platforms. All episodes of Scam Goddess are streaming now on Hulu and all episodes of Going Dutch first season are streaming now on Hulu as well. And my book Scam Goddess is available everywhere. Books on sold Congregation. I want y' all to get out there and put your asphalt into it. Come on, man. Amen. Scam Goddess. This has been an earwolf production in association with Team Coco Scam Goddess stars and it's hosted by me, Lacey Moseley, AKA Scam Goddess Our producer is Jessica Cisneros, and our audio engineer is Rich Garcia. Research for the show is conducted by Kate Doyle. Stay scheming. I'm gonna put you on, nephew. All right, unc. Welcome to McDonald's. Can I take your order, miss? I've been hitting up McDonald's for years. Now it's back. We need snack wraps. What's a snack wrap? It's the return of something great. Snack wrap is back. 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