[eric-hu]

  After the five reviews, Aaron asked for my phone number
  and said he’d call me the next day with a meeting place. 
  It has now been three days and I have yet to hear from 
  him. He’s also stopped responding to my emails, including 
  one in which I asked him, “Is this really a scam?” Which 
  means, obviously, I’ve been duped.

I think you're right, the email looks like it was sent after the intended meeting time.

I still think that a waiting time and a 'missed' appointment could've been a part of the scam. After all, when you've been on hold with customer service for 10 minutes, do you really want to hang up at that point?

[yarian]

10 minutes? What planet do you live in and how much is the rent for a one bedroom? :) If I wait 10 minutes I consider myself lucky, usually more like 30.