Reddit Scam - What Do I Need To Be Prepared For In Small Claims Court

My Location: Texas

Scammer Location: Florida

I am a collector of US Coins and recently fell pray to someone who did not deliver coins after payment. Doing some investigation - honestly, wasn’t that hard because of the scammer’s online presence, I am 100% confident I know the name and address of the scammer. I am preparing to open a small claims case against them as they reside in FL - I will be filing there.

I have been able to secure a lot of the proof, including the connection between Reddit username and the individual’s actual name, however I want to make sure I am as prepared as I can be. So, I have a few questions in hopes to get some advice.

Before I caught on that this was a scam, the Defendant started to delete some messages from our chat. 1) Can I subpoena original, unedited transcripts from Reddit and PayPal while in small claims court? I have currently submitted a personal request to Reddit for unedited transcripts of our conversation, but I don’t know if they will deliver unless court ordered to. Same thing for PayPal, but I am less concerned as there is full history available including their username and actual name.

Next, the Defendant sent me a shipping label that they altered to change locations so the tracking information would indicate that it was indeed on its way. They used PirateShip to purchase the label from UPS. 2) Do I need to get proof from UPS or PirateShip to prove that the Defendant purchased the label or is it enough that I have proof of the tracking number that he provided to me matching the tracking number?

3) Lastly, what am I allowed to ask for as damages within the claim? I am proposing the cost of goods + shipment, small claims court submission fees, summoning fees, and execution of payment fees. In total, roughly $3500. The Defendant is employed and owns a house, so I assume that will be enough to create a lien against assets and/or garnish wages? With this sum, should I look to employ legal representation? Especially since I am out of state?

Sorry for the long post - and thank you in advance.