After what happened to me this morning, I expect the North Carolina School of Science and Math to ask for my diploma back.

I got scammed.

This is very embarrassing for me, as I consider myself pretty savvy when it comes to these things, but I want to share this just in case it happens to someone else. If I can prevent one person from being taken in by a scammer, then I will consider it money well spent.

I assume most people reading this are required by their employer to take “how not to get scammed” training. I’ve always felt a little aloof and smug taking it, because there is no way I will get scammed, right? I mean the signs are easy to spot: contact from an unconfirmed source, urgency, and asking for something that is equivalent to cash so it can’t be refunded.

This is my second week as an employee of Percona, and my boss is Peter Farkas. I am very eager to do well in this role, so if Peter needs me for anything, I’m ready to do it.

I was talking to a friend of mine who turns 60 today when I get a text from “Peter”. It was from an iPhone and a US number (Peter doesn’t live in the US) which seemed a bit odd, but it is amazing how creative the human brain can be in these situations. It is one of the reasons conspiracy theories gain traction even if they are obviously baseless.

So I thought, well, Peter is a world traveler so perhaps he got a new phone with a US number. Seemed reasonable. I mean, who would know that I worked for Peter (with the exception of the 10,000 people who looked at my LinkedIn announcement) and I don’t openly publish my mobile number. Must be legit, right?

Well, he was in a meeting and need me to run a quick task. He needed some Xbox gift cards for a presentation in a few minutes. Could I go get them?

In hindsight the scam is obvious. Why would he need Xbox gift cards? Why would he need them “for a presentation”? Of course, my creative mind came up with all kinds of plausible scenarios. Perhaps he was pitching to a client that just loved the Xbox? Perhaps he needed them as prizes?

I didn’t stop to think “why me?”

He knows I live 20 minutes from the nearest store, but I hopped in the car and floored it to get there in hope that I would be in time. On the way I’m thinking I’ll hit Lowes since they have the widest selection of gift cards in town.

(sigh)

I was told to buy two $250 cards and to scratch off the numbers and send a picture. I will admit that I managed this task in record time. I am that efficient.

Then I was asked to do it again, this time two cards at $200 a piece. Yes, dear reader, I did it again.

At some point while I was scratching off the second set it hit me. What was I doing? This doesn’t make any sense. I pinged Peter on WhatsApp, who of course said it wasn’t him, and with a profound sense of shame drove home, ignoring further messages from the scammer.

I’m out $900. Well, definitely $500 as I never sent in the second set of numbers, and instead I gave those to a friend of mine with an Xbox and a young grandson who likes Minecraft. At least he’ll get all the extra Minecraft content they make.

I can’t stress enough how painful this was to admit, but I hope some good comes out of this. Many people running these scams are forcibly conscripted so perhaps someone in Cambodia gets a little something extra tonight for stealing my money. And by reading this, please be reminded that it is easier than you think to be taken in by such things.

Note: several people have asked me if I can get my money back. I doubt it. It wasn’t a fraudulent transaction even if it was used for fraud, so I don’t think Synchrony Bank (the people who administer my Lowes card) or Lowes should be responsible.