themeateater.us Michael Wilson, Mitchell Austin Fake job offer scam

I got an email from TheMeaterEater, a online video content producer on hunting/fishing and cooking game, that they had found my profile as a video editor and wanted to talk to me about a remote editing position. It seemed completely possible at this point as I have been looking for remote video editing work and have been a professional editor since 1996.

The pay was good, they'd supply a computer (hmm, but okay I need a new one). I "interviewed" via app.wire.com site and the questions were boilerplate and very non-specific (which in hindsight is weird because the company caters to a very specific group of people who hunt and fish plus there's usually discussion about work experience). But I thought maybe they are using an HR screening company to filter out folks not worth talking to. 

Then I got a call from a very unprofessional sounding guy "Mitchell Austin" who mumbled and had to ask to repeat more than once that I got the job. I was happy. The phone number was NYC 929-520-9585. He said you need to get back in touch with MeatEater for the "onboarding" details. 

I got back in touch with "Michael Wilson" who's profile pic was a white dude with a 1950s haircut on wire.com. Despite his anglo name and face, his English wasn't perfect. They had me fill out boilerplate HR docs with MeatEater logo on it. 





They needed me to have a smart phone with some special software and hardware for logging workhours. They had one they could send me and send payment to Venmo account: @FREDDYH97. What? You have a special phone you want me to use for company use and will reimburse me after selling it to me? You want my bank routing information? I tapped the brakes and started digging. The real company: TheMeatEater.COM did have an editing position open but it wasn't remote. Also the difference between ".us" and ".com".

I emailed TheMeatEater.com and they said they were not hiring remote editors and this "Michael Wilson" does not work for them. The real company said two others had contacted them with similar experience.

They got my name, address, phone number and image of my drivers license and signature. No money, no bank accounts. What a giant waste of time and energy.