Editor,
Last week, two young men approached me and asked me if I am a friendly, non-violent person.
They said they were doing a project for their communicationsclass and would only take a couple minutes out of my time to ask me some questions. The first I did not have time to talk to because I was on my way to an appointment with my adviser, the second I decided to help out.
The young man continued to ask me what my major was, what I did for fun and what I was interested in. I thought, "This seems like a simple enough survey."
To make a long story short he was really selling magazine subscriptions in order to receive $1,000 and a trip to Acapulco. I told him that I was not interested and I ended up having to walk away after comments and protests from him which I did not appreciate.
What kind of scam is this? Is there really a class that requires people to sell magazine subscriptions as a project? If so, isn't it illegal to make students sell things as part of their grade?
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I doubt it's really part of a class unless it is a study on how people react when you waste their time with misleading senseless scams using annoying tactics.
If he really needed help with a project and had he been doing a survey I would have gladly given him two minutes of my time. But he tried to sell me something I did not want and was pushy about it.
Had he said in the first place that he was selling magazine subscriptions I would not be this annoyed, but that he mislead me and wasted my time makes me angry. I am a busy person with school and work. Yes, I have a real job, something that those who are participating in this scam might consider. I have worked all my years of school to earn an honest living without pestering anybody by misleading them.
I resent the way he misled me to sell me something I did not want. Next time I will have to resort to saying that I am unfriendly and violent.
Jennifer Salaz
UNM student
