Are my enemies trying to grind me down with fake work?

Not long after becoming a freelancer, I began to receive odd requests and commissions from strangers. The “prospective clients” would lead me down bizarre, tortuous paths culminating in dead-ends where, abruptly, all the lights would go off and I would be left alone in a dark street asking, “He-ello? Is anybody there?”

Once, a battery company enquired about my services. I said I didn’t know anything about batteries. They said it was fine; they liked my stuff. We skyped, emailed and phoned endlessly about fees and requirements. After working on numerous drafts over several weeks I was told “Your lack of knowledge of batteries is a major problem.” I never heard from them again.

Another time a man whose identity and impressive credentials appeared to check out offered me a substantial retainer for six months of work. I declined other jobs that coincided with the retainer period. On the eve of the first day of the contract I received a call from my contact. He didn't say anything; all I heard was a single sound: a long, high-pitched expulsion of wind. No further correspondence was entered into.

I don’t want to sound paranoid, but I can only think I’m being pranked and trolled by foes I’ve made by writing certain harsh facts on these pages during the past six years.

That only stands to reason. What is an occupation, if not a not a breeding ground for unlikely friendships and bitter enmities?