This customer asked a Best Buy worker a question that was way above his pay grade—here’s how he responded.
Best Buy customer tries to trick employee
In a viral video with more than 754,000 views, Best Buy worker Dallas Ponzo (@dallas_ponzo) shared the weird question a customer asked him.
The customer wanted to know what router would work with a VPN. “All of them,” Ponzo assured him.
A VPN is a virtual private network. A VPN creates a secure internet connection, can mask your IP address, and adjust your online location.
“No, I need one that just tells them I’m in a different location,” the man replied.
“I want this because I need my boss to see that I’m in a certain location, but I’m not actually gonna be there,” he eventually added.
Ponzo told him that if he wanted the computer system to show that he was in a fixed location, a standard VPN might not be the right option.
“He was shocked; he thought all VPNs you can just choose which location you want, and when I told him that it bounces from computer to computer randomly, he was like, shocked,” Ponzo said.
How to hide location from your employer
If you’re a remote worker who wants to work from outside your current city, state, or even country, it’s advised that you speak to your manager or company’s HR first. They might give you the go-ahead, or there may be policies in place that only allow you to work in specific locations.
While we don’t recommend this, some people may choose to jet off and lie about their location. They’re hoping they don’t get caught or preferring to deal with the consequences once they come.
If you’re looking to conceal your location, there are a few routes you can take to make it seem like you’re working from one place while you’re in another—you know, in case your employer is checking up on you, according to Indie Traveller and ZoogVPN.
- VPN software. This is the easiest way to conceal your location. All you have to do is install an app and choose a location. While there are free ones, the fastest and most reliable have a monthly or yearly subscription. Popular ones include ExpressVPN and NordVPN.
- Travel router. This might be necessary in cases where your company may already have a router installed. Or you can’t download an app. Or you need to share the VPN connection across devices.
- Private VPN. This is the most secure option. A private VPN will make it look like you’re logged in at home. It won’t be obvious that you’re using a VPN; while it’s complicated to set up yourself, there are services (be warned, they are pricey) that can do it for you. “Even a very savvy IT department won’t notice anything different from your normal activity,” Indie Traveller stated.
Will a VPN fully hide my location?
If your employer is just checking your IP address, you might be safe. But there are other methods, like GPS and geolocation technology, Wi-Fi tracking, and fingerprinting, that can get you busted.
Commenters react
“… average consumer has no idea what a VPN is…” the top comment read.
“VPNs let you pick the location of the server. Don’t think you can pick a specific address unless you make your own VPN and run it from your home network,” a person explained.
“this is the level of understanding I’d expect from best buy… also why I don’t ask questions there…” another said.
@dallas_ponzo Boss makes a dollar I make a dime or w/ever
♬ original sound – Dallas
The Daily Dot reached out to Ponzo and Best Buy for comment.
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