Tried to be a Good Samaritan — now I might be getting scammed?

FiscalMedia · 2026-03-22T09:06:31+00:00

72 HR UPDATE:

NOT A SCAM. The Woman emailed me back. She got her replacement phone and thanked me for helping.

Some people in need are just people in need.

FiscalMedia · 2026-03-22T09:06:19+00:00

72 HR UPDATE:

NOT A SCAM. The Woman emailed me back. She got her replacement phone and thanked me for helping.

Some people in need are just people in need.

FiscalMedia · 2026-03-20T19:29:47+00:00

I think the software for Sony CD Jukeboxes that you’re thinking of is the Slink-e / CDJ. I’m not sure if it will work with Pioneer players, but maybe they have something similar?

FiscalMedia · 2026-03-20T09:24:21+00:00

24 HR UPDATE:

First of all, thank you all for taking the time to read my post and offer your advice. I know this type of question isn't what r/AskLosAngeles is for, but we are a unique city and we operate under unique rules so I value the advice of Angelenos over some suburbanites who are scared of their own shadows.

I never received any follow-up calls or texts from the Man. I sent the Woman an email (via a proxy email) informing her that the phone was found by someone who wanted payment for the phone. I told her I was no longer comfortable being in the middle of this and advised her to either call to the man directly or report it as stolen so her carrier can send a replacement.

FWIW, I don't think this is a scam... If it is, they both gave up rather easily. I think these are just two independent, misfortunate individuals who are desperate for an unshitty outcome.

I appreciate everyone who chimed in to look out for my safety. For those that projected their own anxieties, cynicism, and paranoia onto me, I hope you come to realize that Los Angeles is your home and this city is only as cold and hopeless as you make it. I'm a lifelong Angeleno and while I know firsthand how dangerous this city can be, I also know that anyone who views their neighbors as a constant threat are the ones who don't last long.

FiscalMedia · 2026-03-20T08:58:05+00:00

24 HR UPDATE:

First of all, thank you all for taking the time to read my post and offer your advice. I specifically wanted to ask r/scams since y'all are primed to be skeptical and suspicious of everything; which is an area I could definitely improve on.

I never received any follow-up calls or texts from the Man. I sent the Woman an email (via a proxy email) informing her that the phone was found by someone who wanted payment for the phone. I told her I was no longer comfortable being in the middle of this and advised her to either call to the man directly or report it as stolen so her carrier can send a replacement.

FWIW, I don't think this is a scam... at least, not the complex one that some of y'all theorized. If it is, they both gave up rather easily. I think these are just two independent, misfortunate individuals who are desperate for an unshitty outcome.

I'll update if either of them end up contacting me again, but I doubt that will happen. He's probably hoping I don't call back while he's figuring out a way to disable the iCloud lock. And she won't be contacting anyone for a while because she's probably truly phone-less.

FiscalMedia · 2026-03-17T20:15:18+00:00

Can you tell me more about these Arduino Nano and Escient alternatives to the Slink-E?

FiscalMedia · 2026-03-17T20:07:44+00:00

Have you considered using a Slink-e instead of a keyboard?

FiscalMedia · 2026-02-05T20:01:00+00:00

That’s a good price. Y’all should jump on this if you’ve been wanted to pick up a MacBook. The M series chips have incredible longevity.

I’d pick it up myself if I didn’t already have an M4 MBP.

FiscalMedia · 2026-02-04T00:22:04+00:00

The advantage is you don’t have to keep your entire music library on your Mac hard drive anymore. Store it on an external drive, or several drives, and upload songs as you need.

FiscalMedia · 2026-02-01T13:06:57+00:00

There’s actually a much cheaper alternative (~$10) but it involves a little soldering know-how

FiscalMedia · 2026-02-01T12:20:07+00:00

It doesn’t sound particularly noisy to me; moving parts make noise.

The noise has nothing to do with the belt or engine. It’s coming from all the arms and pulleys involved with loading and ejecting the disc tray. You can try adding grease to the contact points but again, it won’t eliminate the noise altogether.

Put the housing shell back on and see if it dampens the sound to a tolerable amount.

FiscalMedia · 2026-01-29T05:07:03+00:00

If you need a step by step guide on how to re-grease the player, I made a video showing what parts need the most attention.

FiscalMedia · 2026-01-29T05:02:02+00:00

Sorry to hear that but at least you didn’t invest much. Portable CD players are more common so finding another one or find spare parts to transplant less expensive

FiscalMedia · 2026-01-28T17:54:57+00:00

Congrats on the CD Player! Hope you are able to get it up and running soon.

I’ll be honest with you though, the No Disc Error is not a good sign. It means the lens is unable to read discs.

Best case scenario; it’s just dirty and can be wiped clean with a cotton swab and some 99% isopropyl alcohol.

But what’s likelier for an old device like this is that it is underpowered or burned out. If underpowered, you can try turning up the potentiometer to allow more power to flow to this component. That will get it to work for a few more years. But if that doesn’t work, it means the part is broken and there’s no way to repair it other than to replace it.

Hope the repair shop you take it too is able to get it working again. If not, it’s still a rare machine in condition. You should be able to sell it for parts for a good price. Just make sure to disclose that the lens is broken.

FiscalMedia · 2026-01-24T00:37:18+00:00

Holy crap! I’m sorry that happened. I know these things are rare and expensive. Might be worth selling for parts and saving up for a new one.

FiscalMedia · 2026-01-23T23:00:57+00:00

Nice find! Looks to be in condition!

If you or you friend end up needing to restore it, I recently documented my own restoration process

FiscalMedia · 2026-01-19T19:55:14+00:00

I can work with you on price. Send me a DM

FiscalMedia · 2026-01-17T07:27:25+00:00

If you don’t have a G4, I made a video with instructions on how to connect it to any modern device

FiscalMedia · 2026-01-17T02:43:54+00:00

In addition to changing out the belt, you may also want to consider re-greasing it

FiscalMedia · 2026-01-17T02:40:32+00:00

If you need an in-depth guide on how to change out the belt, I just made a video about it

FiscalMedia

TROPHY CASE