All I wanted was a status symbol. What I got was a $31,000 lesson in the downside of payment appsThis article triggered my memory to run back and see how many times I have been scammed .. although I would love to blame someone for the folly, I was the naive and dumb person to fall for the scam.
Oh, life .. It has a way of making you feel like you're cruising on a high-speed highway, only to realize you're on a one-way street to "Why did I do that again?" lane. I've had my fair share of life's little surprises, and trust me, they're not always the good kind. You know, like a surprise pizza delivery. More like a surprise call from your bank asking why you've just wired $5,000 to a shady guy named "Steve" who promised to keep your lights on.
Let me take you back to 2016, the year I decided to dabble in retail with a shiny new store in Virginia. Ah, the grand opening – a day full of hope, promise, and the faint aroma of potential wealth wafting through the air. Then came Friday, 3 PM, just when you think the universe is on your side. Enter: a phone call from "Dominion Virginia." The guy on the line was as convincing as a politician during election season, insisting I fork over $5,000 right now, or my business would literally be in the dark.
And me? Well, I was the kind of person who would probably believe that pigs might actually fly if they had jetpacks. So, I scurried to meet the guy at a nearby restaurant, handed over the cash, and even got an "invoice." I strutted back home, chest puffed out, ready to impress my spouse with my quick thinking. Spoiler alert: I was about to join the league of not-so-bright bulbs. My spouse Googled Dominion, and voilà – the scam alarm went off. Yup, I got swindled, and all I could do was laugh at my own expense. Third time’s a charm? Well, let's just say my charm was nowhere to be found.
Fast forward to 2021, and I'm reading about how Zelle users lost a cool $440 million to frauds. How do we keep falling for these scams? It's like when you're busy with life, and suddenly someone offers you a great deal that seems as real as a $3 bill. They know just enough about you, talk like they're your long-lost buddy, and bam, you're handing over cash faster than you can say "Zelle."
I remember the time I needed to renovate a condo. A realtor-recommended contractor gave me a quote that seemed like it came from the Discount Home Makeover Network. She was ready to start Monday and asked for a 50% advance. Did my scam radar beep? Nope. Instead, I happily trotted to the bank and deposited the cash into her account. On Monday, she pulled off the ultimate vanishing act – her phone, business address, even her existence went poof. My money? Long gone. My ego? Bruised but still standing. Lesson learned? Apparently not.
Then there was the bathroom renovation saga. The guy worked at a snail’s pace, telling sob stories about his wife in the hospital, all while I played the role of a sympathetic fool. After weeks of "progress," he asked for payment via Zelle due to an "emergency." I complied, only to find myself ghosted once more. Thanks, Zelle, for making it so easy for my money to evaporate into the ether with no trace.
So, how do you guard against these lovely life experiences disguised as scams? Here are a few tips:
Beware of offers that seem too good to be true or come with a ticking clock. Scammers love urgency because it leaves no room for you to think.
Don't let your mouse click faster than your brain. If a link or attachment demands your life's story, halt and verify before proceeding.
When someone asks for money and you don’t recognize the number, think twice. Scammers often masquerade as people you know and love, with the best excuses for why you can't speak directly to them.
life .. generally it's unpredictable, messy, and often downright absurd .. But if we can't laugh at the ridiculousness of it all, then what's the point? The key is to learn, grow, and develop a healthy dose of skepticism – because let's face it, the world is full of "Steves" ready to sell you their bridge in Brooklyn.
In the end, life is a mixed bag of tricks and treats, and sometimes the trick is realizing that you've been duped .. But it’s also about getting up, dusting yourself off, and chuckling at your own expense. After all, if you can't find humor in your mistakes, you're missing out on one of life's greatest coping mechanisms.