Article by Georgia Rankin Art by Kristopher Ligtenberg
I haven’t ever considered dog walking to be an odd job, but boy was I wrong. My quick stint over the summer resulted in my nearly losing $3,500. But maybe that’s a dramatic way to begin my story.
The day was sticky, and I was sitting in my brightly lit kitchen, scrolling through my phone. Taking a bite into my sour punch straw, I contemplated.. Should I have a fourth one? Suddenly, a text message from an odd number popped up on my phone. It was one of those numbers that you know is not a friend but rather a random company reaching out to you again. This time, however, it was not an annoying company, but Rover! Beloved Rover, an app I used for walking dogs during a summer living in Somerville, MA. My new message was from a woman who I knew as none other than the niece of a William McPhail. It was an innocent message, simply asking if I would be willing to walk her uncle’s bulldog, Eddy. Or, rather, De Eddyyyyyy (as listed on his profile). She said he would be willing to pay $300 for 1-2 walks per week. That was an offer I could not pass up.
So began several emails exchanged back and forth between Mr. McPhail and I. He told me many things, like how Eddy was a gift from his late father, and how he, his Australian wife and his 3 year-old, Desmond were all good Christians. Most importantly, he explained his reasons for moving to Colorado Springs: I am an HIV/Aids cure researcher/critical care specialist. I will be relocating to your neighborhood from Paris… I am coming down there to manage the health of the CEO of a private company. Naturally, I had to continue my correspondence.
William McPhail began to seem more odd with every email I exchanged with him. This was no ordinary dog-walking job. Looking back, it seemed as though Mr. McPhail was casting me in a game of Clue, where his financial clerk, estate manager, and store manager were scheming against me. At the time, I just thought he was really weird. And French. To my dismay, his thoroughness got the best of me.
I am not one to place blame. However, I would like to add that several people around me, including my own father, were encouraging me to entertain Mr. McPhail and his job offer. Having recently purchased a brand-new (year 2000) little white pickup truck from my landlord, the idea of being able to pay it off in a matter of months was all too appealing. For $300 a week? Dad said, “Something a little bit strange might be worth it for that much money…” Also, I would like to add that I was being encouraged and reaffirmed that Mr. McPhail was real by not only my father, but none other than my confusing summer situationship.
Let that be the context in which you read through the following email. (I will let his words speak for itself). I firmly believe in giving people the benefit of the doubt!
On July 20th, 2024, at 11:51 a.m., Mr. McPhail wrote:
Good day to you Georgia,
How are you doing? I and my family look forward to meeting you, I promise you won't regret working with me and my wife. We are calm, cool and fun to be with. Eddy is so Adorable, fun to be with and playful as well. I got an update for you, My wife just told me that she has a personal Store Manager that would be taking care of the items/groceries needed, she said she has already contacted the Store Manager so all you will have to do now when you get the Check is deduct $300 for your first week pay in advance as a sign of commitment on my own part and please get the rest sent to the store manager via western union or any method of payment she later decided, I so much count on you and your words and I know you are a Honest and God fearing person so I trust you to take are of this perfectly, Please am so sorry about the changes. I respect my wife so much and she also has a say and that's what she has just made me understand...I will get in touch with you as soon as we have the tracking number so that you can be sure of the delivery time and date. I so much count on you and do hope you can understand and take care of this.
Hoping to read back from you soon.
The moment I knew (cheers, Taylor Swift) came quickly after receiving this email. Despite William’s assurance that he was “calm, cool, and fun to be with,” I was sure I was being swindled. And I was angry. Why had I devoted so much of my time towards emailing this man for him to ask me to transfer over $3,000????? This is probably too confusing to explain, but, in short, the “lady who owned the house” (or was it the store manager?) asked for a hefty Western Union transfer. Despite my rage, I still wanted answers.
I decided to take my confusing summer situationship with me to the mail center, as I needed emotional support picking up the suspicious check from Mr. McPhail. Sure enough, after tearing open the large white envelope I had received, I slid out a very odd looking check. No bank. A woman’s name I didn’t recognize. And the strangest part– the address of a women’s health care imaging corp, based in New Jersey. New Jersey…?
Thank god for my friends from New Jersey! (I think this a lot.) And thank god for women and ultrasounds! My good friend, Darby (Princeton, NJ), had been to the address listed on the check.
Darby and I got to work. We found the phone number for the women’s health care imaging office, and dialed it. A woman picked up, and Darby started telling her our situation. (“My friend is a dog walker, and she just received a check in the mail with your office’s address on it… We are concerned it’s a scam… very confused…") Unbeknownst to me, that hadn’t been the first call the office had received that day.
The woman instantly knew about the “dog walker.” She asked us, “You mean the one who called earlier?” We were flabbergasted.
Although I came out with $0 and a wounded ego, Mr. McPhail helped me realize that I am both Honest and God-fearing. And maybe a little too hopeful.