[Resolved]

[John Devola]

Wanted to make this report as Matt has scammed myself and the community out of money and pretty much flat-lined the SytheScape project as I don't feel like putting any more of my own money in.

Scammer's profile link: Visual Basic Matt
Explanation of the trade: Was developer of SytheScape - ran away with donations
Amount scammed: $1450 in donations
How they scammed: Massive retard

To preface this: The reason this emerged was that Matt already had a BMT Micro account, rather like G2A which would allow us to accept needed donations in the form of Paypal without getting rekd by charge backs. Having seen that Matt was a Zarpor owner for 7 years and currently developer of another project, I mistakenly thought he was trustworthy.

So this all starts with me wanting to get the SytheScape project underway. I wanted to buy some plug-n-play source code from a server I once played (Zarpor) and set it up for the community.

I contacted Matt, and we agreed on $250 for the source as well as $250 fee when set up - I know the setup fee is not agreed here, but you can see from the paypal transactions. The source was only $250 as he had mentioned out of good faith that he had sold it to multiple people beforehand.

(removed - personal information)

Now as you'll see in the above discord conversation, we were going to agree on a "weekly retainer or some hourly rate in future" to do dev work on the server. Pretty typical.

Note: I would like to put here that after this whole thing happened, Matt tried to remove the source code from my possession that I paid for. Luckily I was able to move it to my home machine before he was able to take it. That is why I am not putting the original $500 in this report.

So we set up a time-tracking program he suggested, and that he uses for his other server he works on "Ely".

As you can see, this is very straight forward. We posted bugs, and he would log his time spent for each bug. You can see in "Projects" that he has currently logged 9 hours and 7 minutes fixing these bugs. If he was spending more time on the server and bugs that weren't listed here. He had the opportunity to say something and post additional bugs he was fixing, and track time for them.

After the first month, we were already having issues, it seems as though he had forgotten our agreement and that I had already paid him $500 for upfront source code and setup.

At this rate I was rather fed up that he was holding onto the donations as if they were his personal income and requested that the BMT micro be hooked up to a joint SytheScape account that had accountability and everyone could see where the funds were going. He wasn't fine with this, his argument was that most of the expenses (such as advertising) would be chosen by him, he should have complete control over the funds and they could not go into a joint account at all.

I thought I was fair in proposing this arrangement after this snippet, he had logged 9 hours of work. Whether it was 9 hours of work or not, I dont know. He had the option to log more if he wanted, this was the tracking system he had agreed to. note: I mistakenly here (in the picture below) say that I had already paid him $750 for the source & setup, this was infact only about $500.

He claims that @ $10 an hour, it would add up to more than the $1200 he had from donations. Which is odd considering the tracking program he requested he had only logged 9 hours in.... How was he claiming he had worked OVER 120 hours? 1200 dollars / 10 (dollars / hour) = 120 hours

This is about the time that @Charlotte stepped in and asked about seeing the funds for the server and where they were going (which I had been trying to do). We created a group chat with her, myself, and Matt which I have since left but have some of the messages I sent (as I was running them charlotte before hand).

It all centered around the $1450 in donations that Matt was holding at this point, and thought he was entitled to all of. Not reimbursing me for any upfront costs, since the donations were to the server and not to his personal bank account.

Here are the expenses and server donations for SytheScape through September.

My proposal that I sent to the group chat was this

I thought it was extremely fair.

1. Debts would be paid (to myself for the initial loan to SytheScape to set it up and server costs)
2. ~10-20% is put aside into the SytheScape account for advertising
3. Anything thats left (within reason of course) is paid to Matt for his development services. Note: This is after the agreement of paying him for his hours worked through time tracking, he obviously was no longer ok with what he himself proposed, so I was trying to come up with an alternate solution to pay him.

He gave many excuses to Charlotte, trying to say he had server expenses on credit cards....

Basically at this point we knew what was going on. He had spent the money from donations on his credit card debt and was backed into a corner.

@Visual Basic Matt feel free to come up with any ad hominem argument you like. I have presented facts here and instead of spewing your shit maybe tackle the issue at hand instead of personal insults directed at me.

@Charlotte I would appreciate your input on this report but would like another mod / global / admin to handle it as an objective 3rd party who has no prior knowledge of this.

Thanks

 

[Visual Basic Matt]

The tracking time system was only used for admins to report and compile bugs and updates the community requested, and not to decide how much time I spent on the server. Back end stuff, the site and forums license (which was never sold to you) As well as ongoing projects for the server and numerous other things were not put on that site.

Your numbers are inaccurate as well. I have 7 years of experience in RSPS. You don't know how to run a private server, evident by the last month of sythescape with ZERO productivity. Money was going to be invested into advertising (about $600 worth) in the coming months. It was a time when school started for most and immediate advertising would be a bad investment for the server. The money that was made also likely had to stretch out for several months. I'm not an idiot after years of running an RSPS I know where investments have to be made that the server won't grow without them.

You handled this situation very poorly, blocking me on all platforms and attempting to tarnish my reputation without willing to work something out. Obviously there was a misunderstanding and I had the impression I was going to be calling the shots and investing for the server being the sole developer and the one with experience.

You sat back advertising your startup business and focusing elsewhere with little care for the server. Again, evident by the state of the server right now.

You say I tried to remove the source code from your possession. All I did was remove the link from my personal Dropbox account because I had already set up the server under your full control when I took it off my own dedicated server and set it up on yours.

May I also add you had someone delete my post about you twice silencing my ability to even defend myself after you publicly called me out. - SytheScape is Live!

This whole situation was handled very poorly. I lack trust in you because of my past with you and the way you handled this says a lot about how unprofessional you really are.

 

[Sun]

I removed a screenshot showing Matt's full name. I will be posting shortly after I've taken the time to read the full thread.

 

[John Devola]

The tracking time system was only used for admins to report and compile bugs and updates the community requested, and not to decide how much time I spent on the server. Back end stuff, the site and forums license (which was never sold to you) As well as ongoing projects for the server and numerous other things were not put on that site.

I understand you think you were owed for more. Thats why we were trying to come up with multiple ways to pay you more - all of which you refused as you thought you we're owed the TOTAL amount of donations. Regardless of the costs that I was paying.

Your numbers are inaccurate as well. I have 7 years of experience in RSPS. You don't know how to run a private server, evident by the last month of sythescape with ZERO productivity. Money was going to be invested into advertising (about $600 worth) in the coming months. It was a time when school started for most and immediate advertising would be a bad investment for the server. The money that was made also likely had to stretch out for several months. I'm not an idiot after years of running an RSPS I know where investments have to be made that the server won't grow without them.

Good? So put the money in a joint account that myself and admins can see, and then we can all figure out a system to save up money for advertising the server. As shown in screenshots above, we never wanted to control when to buy advertisements, in fact I said to you multiple times you can control the funds for the server and where they go - as long as they money was being paid for the server costs.

I don't know why you throw the number $600 out there as being "set aside for advertising". You said to me that you would set aside about $100-200 and you were owed the rest lol. In fact EVEN IN the solution I proposed, there was less set aside for advertising and more going to you.

Also just as an aside, you do not own SytheScape - you are an employee. You act sometimes as if you think you own the server... this is not the case.

You handled this situation very poorly, blocking me on all platforms and attempting to tarnish my reputation without willing to work something out. Obviously there was a misunderstanding and I had the impression I was going to be calling the shots and investing for the server being the sole developer and the one with experience.

I was very willing to work something out lol, I proposed to you many solutions multiple times. In fact in the group chat with @Charlotte you responded "fuck no" after I proposed 1. paying debts of server, 2. paying you, 3. rest goes to advertising. You were unwilling to accept that the server had costs (including my initial $500 to you) that needed to be reimbursed before you got paid.

In addition and as stated above, I didn't want to decide where the advertising money went, that was your prerogative. Again, which I stated multiple times to you. All we were asking is that the money went into an account that we could all see and account for so that we knew you were not embezzling donations - which you must have been as its the only SANE reason that you couldn't / wouldn't do what we were asking.

On the blocking note - I proposed pretty much 3 different solutions that all were in your favor and you refused them all. I'm not about to spend my good days going in circles hoping that one time around I'll actually go in a square.

You sat back advertising your startup business and focusing elsewhere with little care for the server. Again, evident by the state of the server right now.

I'm sorry that I have rent to pay and have a startup business to run - outside of my hobbies that I try to do for the community of Sythe.

You say I tried to remove the source code from your possession. All I did was remove the link from my personal Dropbox account because I had already set up the server under your full control when I took it off my own dedicated server and set it up on yours.

I didn't pay for compiled .class files, I paid for the source. Which are usually .java files incase you've forgotten.

May I also add you had someone delete my post about you twice silencing my ability to even defend myself after you publicly called me out. - SytheScape is Live!

You can attack me personally here if you wish, not on that post.

This whole situation was handled very poorly. I lack trust in you because of my past with you and the way you handled this says a lot about how unprofessional you really are.

Yathink? We can agree to disagree and let the community of our peers decide that for themselves.

To be honest I wouldn't have actually made this report if you had just scammed me. There have been many instances both on this site and off where I have wished that people would realize their full potential and give them a chance to do so - and unfortunately they just can't rise above themselves.

The community that is donating to this server has a right to know where their donations are going and what they are being used for. I am sorry that you not only have taken money from me but from every donator to SytheScape as well.

 

[Visual Basic Matt]

If we were trying to come up with ways why did you refuse to reason with me and block me instantly?

When I talked with Charlotte I mentioned I was fully open with disclosing or coming up with a way everyone could monitor funds and where funds were going. Having the experience I have managing funds for a RSPS and from the beginning I thought this was the plan. I also said how I didn't trust you and didn't want to send all the funds when you are belittling my work towards the server so much.

Your version of proposing a solution is demanding money and counting down from 10 until blocking me.

The live server files and source files are separate. When I removed it from dropbox I noticed and manually copied the source files back over to your dropbox so they no longer were linked to mine. (This is why I asked to connect to the dedicated server one last time when we were transferring)

I didn't have intentions on attacking you, I only intended on defending my own reputation. Likewise you didn't have to call me out on that thread.

At the end of the day I provided the community with the continued development of the server, the website and forums. The fact that you chose to not handle this properly and do nothing with the server after the fact is on you... I would have had no problem continuing to develop the server and finish the things I had been working on had you not acted the way you did.

Since you did absolutely nothing for the server other than your initial investment, it's a damn shame it comes down to you handling this so poorly and ruining it all.

 

[John Devola]

If we were trying to come up with ways why did you refuse to reason with me and block me instantly

We were not trying to do anything...

I think this picture sums it all up. I propose a fair solution and you say its ridiculous.

You wanted to have time tracking, that is what you got. I can not help you any more.


I dont see any reason to respond further to this. An admin or mod will reply with their BTC / PayPal address and you can send the funds if it is indeed your intention is not to scam.

Have a good day.

 

[Visual Basic Matt]

What ended up happening is I put way too much of my time into a project I had high hopes for giving up other sources of income because of it. As I was already paying the dedicated server and planning advertisements I thought everything was sorted and the project was heading for success. I was put in charge of funds with this in mind however, things weren't made clear from the start that. Being non-profit I assumed it made perfect sense. One person in control of funds, the developer, everyone could see when and where funds were going and monitor the balance if they'd wish I'd have no problem whatsoever with that.

Remove John from the equation and we have a successful server. Simple as that.

 

[Sun]

@ the staff team: Please leave this to an Admin to handle. I will also make a note in SL to make sure this happens. Thanks.

Message me if you have questions.

For now I'd like to add-

I had spoke to Richard to confirm that Matt could be paid for developing the server because generally as a TC member they would not be paid for their efforts; however, it was acknowledged that this was a larger project and it would only make sense to pay for the hours put in to developing the server. We came up with payment for hours worked would be after an operating budget was established. At this time, this has not been done because of the disagreements of what was owed & where. There are also initial investments that need to be paid off first before a full payment system is worked out for developing efforts. Of course once an operating budget is established & secured and initial investments are paid off IN FULL, donations can continue to pay for hours worked as allowed.

Money is not owed to anyone else until all other investments are paid & the operating budget is established; otherwise, someone will always be out of personal money. Payment for hours worked is only doable with an established operating budget. One could argue, "what about the hours put in to developing?" Well, that's true, but this is a TC effort. This is still in Sythe's name - this is no one person's server. This is why the order of things need to happen in the way I've outlined. $600 was offered to be paid at the time which imo was more than fair with the amount of donations collected thus far.

At the end of the day, no matter what Matt is owed (if we are talking about more than the hours logged which may, or definitely, add up to hundreds more), there is money that is owed back to the server so we can't move forward unless this money is put in a shared account between the heads of the server (which was supposed to be Matt & John) as well as an Admin (which was going to be me since I was the one that got involved) in order to keep track of everything accurately and for accountability purposes.

Nothing else was going to change. Neither of you can decide more is to be paid to any one person when there is no operating budget for the server itself at the very least.

Also pls don't post any other personal info about Matt (like his last name) @John Devola - if proof of payments need to be submitted, you can do so through the Admin who handles this.

 

[John Devola]

Sounds good. I agree with everything posted @Charlotte thank you. Would like to add that I don’t expect or want a penny more from the server than I put into it.

 

[video]

@Visual Basic Matt and @John Devola both of you need to provide documentation of all of your expenses for this server (this can be done in pm or by reaching me on discord video#0001 for privacy)

We will then be able to determine who is owed how much from the donations

 

[John Devola]

Proof of Payment for Source & Setup was above (in first post, deleted by Charlotte). Totaled to about $515 I believe.


Proof of Payment for VPS.

One of these $115 charges is on me. I was using the VPS for some personal work in September (we had transferred it to one Matt was paying for). Luckily I still had it around when we needed the server transferred back onto it...

The total without that one payment of $115 is $502.17

Note: my total expenses are (515 + 502.17 = $1017.17)

I had originally said $940 in the expense sheet - my fault, miscalculated the paypal fees and a little under what the VPS cost was. All proof of payment is provided.

 

[Zarpor Jon]

Former SytheRSPS Admin/Manager here. Just wanted to make it know, that in private, Matt logged additional hours, significantly more than what was noted in Trackingtime. That system was used more for me to send him tasks to work on than it was for him to time himself.


I reckon the amount of time I worked with him personally to fix bugs on the live SytheRSPS server came out to about ten hours, and I know he put in dozens of hours outside of this himself.


Made a throw-away account just to post this, as I've never been a Sythe user, but I had previous experience with the server SytheRSPS was based on.

 

[John Devola]

Former SytheRSPS Admin/Manager here. Just wanted to make it know, that in private, Matt logged additional hours, significantly more than what was noted in Trackingtime. That system was used more for me to send him tasks to work on than it was for him to time himself.


I reckon the amount of time I worked with him personally to fix bugs on the live SytheRSPS server came out to about ten hours, and I know he put in dozens of hours outside of this himself.


Made a throw-away account just to post this, as I've never been a Sythe user, but I had previous experience with the server SytheRSPS was based on.

Can confirm this is true and I'd trust Jon's assessment.

Edit: What this means.... I have no idea. I'll leave that for admins to decide how this should be reflective of compensation in this case.

 

[John Devola]

@Visual Basic Matt seems perfectly happy to scam and start another server of his own. Perhaps we should put his paypal info and emails back up on the top thread if he wont pay?

DogeScape

 

[Visual Basic Matt]

What does me starting another server have to do with any of this? I am free to do what I want with my time now that I left the project. Sythe admins are still working to resolve this.

Leave me alone this is borderline harassment. Joining my discord server and spamming it calling me a scammer is really mature of you when a sythe admin is currently handling this.

This is getting ridiculous...

 

[John Devola]

That’s not me. I was considering it to be fair. Until I see a response from you though to video’s question I will not speak ill of that brave man.

I’m glad you responded at least to something on this thread. Albeit not a question asked by anyone

 

[Visual Basic Matt]

As well as the discord invite link created 6 minutes BEFORE your sythe post.

Seems more than likely it was you, especially by how you've acted from the start of all this.

What response???

 

[John Devola]

Good good looks like you told video the truth. What happened to the credit cards?

And I didn’t spam your discord server, but if you want me to I’ll write a bot to make accounts and blast it to Uranus. Lmk

 

[Visual Basic Matt]

Yes I told him the truth, something you've failed to do throughout this whole situation.

And again I don't appreciate you threatening me when admins are handling this situation.

Please stop, thanks.

 

[Dragonfarmer420]

About time you coded something in relation to Sythersps. Aren't you supposed to be a representative of Sythe? Grow up and start acting like one.