Totally Unbelievable! The owner of Best Resumes Of New York in East Islip, Ann Baehr, has stolen my resume and is now passing it off as something she wrote. I found out about this when I saw my own resume on her website. I mean it was really my resume, word-for-word. Well you know what? Let’s be fair: She had changed the name at the top and put '555-555-5555' as the contact phone number. She didn't even bother to change the font or the layout. Maybe her scanner doesn't recognize text too well, so the only option she has is to cut-n-paste. I doubt that she even knows how to format a document, let alone publish one.After the initial shock, I got angrier and angrier with each word I saw. So I calmed down and decided to email her to let her know that she was posting my work on her site. I said that though this may be just an honest mistake, she in fact did not have my permission to use my resume. No response.Two weeks later: I emailed her again, this time with a little bit stronger language, asking specifically for the company to contact me. No response. Another week or so later: I emailed a third time with a very strongly worded, bright-red, size 48 point font email demanding that the company remove my resume from their website unless they wished to have me proceed with legal action. I got a phone call from the owner of the company, Ann Baehr; within about 1/2 hour. After the introductions, Ms. Baehr said that she wanted to 'personally' call and make sure that no one was using my name to try and hurt me. (?) Maybe because in her mind she had used my resume to try to hurt me? I don't know. So I said, no it was me who contacted her. I then explained the situation. Her response started with this obviously-fake shock at my accusation. 'I really just can't figure out WHAT you are talking about!' So I directed her to look at the link I had sent in all three emails. She went to the link. She then stumbled and stuttered out a bunch of nonsense which segued into a bogus fairy tale that went like this: 'OH yeah...I remember this customer...' (Once Upon A Time...) A man and his brother came into her office, each a handsome prince in his own right...No wait......EACH ordering their own personalized resumes, and this particular resume (the one I only THOUGHT was mine you see), was one that SHE had written for one of these brothers. She then babbled on about how the other brother wanted something TOTALLY different, one was in construction and the other one was the COMPLETE opposite, and was a banker. So that's why she remembers them so vividly (11 years later). Keep in mind that all of this takes place with me holding the phone 4 inches away from my ear because she was propelling her assorted gabble at me in this louder-than-it-needed-to-be, totally obnoxious east coast accent. At this point, I was still trying to be reasonable, so I tried to give her an out...a way to save face since she seemed to be putting a lot of effort into this massive lie.I also already knew from experience raising teenagers, that she wasn't going to back down from her lie anytime soon. So my approach was basically: 'Ok, well I'm not going to argue with you about the brothers *eyes rolling* ...But I'm telling you I know I wrote this resume. I have the original dated file INCLUDING my handwritten editing notes from when I wrote this 3 years ago.' She offered no response so I continued...'Maybe one of the brothers somehow received it after I had sent out a batch, and then brought it into your office.' No response. So I continued. 'I think the best way to resolve this is that you just take the resume off of your website.'She just laughed and said 'I don't think so.' As you can imagine, the conversation went downhill from there. I know that she is dead wrong here, but I have to say that she stood her ground with such a display of false confidence that had I not already known the truth: That this woman had stolen my work...it really would have seemed authentic. I mean it's obvious that this criminal has had a lot of practice here. Then suddenly the tide turned. There was a lull in the conversation, and I broke the silence by offering this:'By the way, Ann' 'I should mention that I am still in contact with many of the Corporations that I have sent my resume to; Corporate Business Partners who still work with me. These are relationships that I have nurtured, on an Executive Level, from about three years ago, WHEN I WROTE THIS RESUME, until today.' 'The main reason that I stay in contact with them is that I still do business with many of them as a consultant. This means that they have to keep my information on file.' 'This includes my personal information like my social security number (so they can pay me) AS WELL AS my resume.' 'And many of them have kept the stamped and dated envelope in which the resume first arrived. The envelope is usually is stapled to the back of the document, as a common practice.'It gets better... 'The post-dated envelope matches the Executive Grey Linen paper on which I had had my original resume laser-printed. Three years ago. You know...when I wrote it.' Uh-oh. So she stayed quiet while she listened to all of this, and then I was done talking. She still stayed utterly silent. I mean dead silent. For more than a minute. I mean I was having to say, 'Hello?' a couple of times.She then stumbled around a little bit, and having no reasonable response she proceeded to launch into this yelling rampage of pretty much just nonsense, but also some thinly-veiled, ridiculous threats. So I just ended the call.A few words come to mind...FORGERY, THEFT, FRAUD, PLAGIARISM, and UNFAIR BUSINESS PRACTICES.Are there any more? Class? Anyone?HOW about...Falsification, Infringement, Literary Theft, Piracy, Deceit, Graft, Sham, Misrepresentation, Counterfeiting, Invasion of Privacy, and Perjury.Ok.The *most* likely scenario here is that Ms. Baehr advertises for different employment positions in different nationwide publications, posing as a potential employer. Then when honest folks send in a resume, she just scans the good ones and posts them online as a 'sample' of her 'great work' and 'literary talent.' Give me a break. I guess it's a compliment to me and my writing skills that she is so desperate to be able to continue to take credit for my work? Anyway, I'm still pissed. Please do not pay this conniving thief any money; she is a con-artist and an imposter.
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