As the saying goes, "If it's too good to be true, it probably is", and that's exactly the case with a young, naive woman who came into my office in tears after she was recently bilked out of nearly $2,000.
Jennifer (not her real name) was sitting on the bus on her way to work, when a older woman, sitting next to her, sparked up a friendly conversation, inquiring about Jennifer's life. Jennifer, not realizing that she was being sized up by this predator, was forthcoming about her current financial situation, and expressed dissatisfaction with her job. Well, Ms Predator apparently jumped at the chance to offer her an "opportunity" to make some quick, and easy money.
Jennifer was immediately filled with excitement at the prospect of finally being able to buy the new car she was saving for, and listened carefully to the plan, which involved buying into an already established business -spearheaded of course by our elusive predator- of computer refurbishing (or something of this nature).
Jennifer is nobody's fool, so she asked many question in an attempt to validate this woman's offer, each one met with a quick and practiced response. It all seemed too good to be true for Jennifer, and so she snatched the bait and "invested" the necessary $700.00 down payment on this exciting venture, for which she then received a hand-written contract acknowledging the receipt of this money, as well as other "legalese" chicken-scratch, barely recognizable as English grammar, but good enough for Jennifer to feel as though it were a legitimate transaction.
Jennifer received a phone call later in the day from her new business partner who informed her that she now required an additional $400.00 in order to continue forward with the business plan. Jennifer willingly met her at a nearby public area to give her the money, but it wasn't until after the third time she was required to meet the financial demands of her "partner", that she began to realize that something wasn't right. She questioned her predator about this practice, but this only angered the predator, who now became upset and even more demanding; a classic predatory response.
By this time, Jennifer had invested a total of $1,700 into this bogus business, was continually being harassed by her predator via cell phone calls and texts (some indicating subtle threats), and was so distraught, embarrassed and ashamed, that she reached out for assistance from a Private Investigator for help. She attempted to file a police report, but because she willingly engaged in a private business matter, they were unable to assist beyond offering some sound advice about prevention from this sort of scheme, as well as a suggestion of some civil action against her partner.
It was heartbreaking to witness the shameful tears roll down Jennifer's face as she sat across from me at my desk. I explained to her in more detail what her options were, and how I might assist, and she opted for talking her predator to small claims court, even having calculated the minuscule chance of ever recovering the lost investment from this bottom dweller.
I'm quite sure that Jennifer has learned a valuable lesson in dabbling in any future "get-rich-quick" schemes, and perhaps she might help prevent others from similar dangers. The world is full of shady opportunists, and we must all do our part to flush them out.
Recent Comments