So, this just happened to me. I got hired for an IT contract position for a data migration job. Originally when I applied it was supposed to only go for 8 days (drug test and paperwork on my part, no big deal for me). After doing the drug test I was told it was now only 3 days, and that there was a meeting to go over what was needed, and that the meeting was paid for, and okay, fine, less money, but kinda desperate in this moment and the position itself was very close. The guy in charge of the meeting and the project absolutely came across as an asshole and provided no way to get in contact with him.
Now here's the fun part, I get told that I will only be doing data wipes and no migrations, but I reconfirmed with my recruiter that this is still a three day job, so okay, again, kinda desperate. I've done these jobs before, and the game is basically here's the work you have to do you have the time allotted to do it, get it done, and nobody takes less time to do these jobs than allotted, otherwise you don't get paid as much. It's stupid because you basically have to be inefficient to get paid a worthwhile amount.
I show up on site on Monday and get the workload assigned to me, and it's not a lot, but that's okay, I know how the stupid game is played. I finished up today, called one of my contacts, asked if there was anything else that needed to be put into the system and they get back with me, but after hanging up, they text me what took me so long and I get in contact with the guy in charge who proceeds to yell at me for not getting done in the first 20 minutes to an hour of the first day saying that he emailed the recruitment company that the role for my time had been even further reduced, like it's fucking my fault that nobody communicated that to me
Like, how the fuck would that be worth my time to even show up for an hour's worth of work? I would have literally gone home and not done it, day one. I swear this was trying to take advantage of me from the beginning, knowing that it the job wasn't what was being described as, but trying to get me to do it anyways.
For the record, I emailed the provided instructions and the work that I did to the recruitment agency as a CYA move as soon as I got home today.