- PPF Points
- 2,100
He Promised Me 10x ROI… I Lost Everything Instead
I mean… where do I even start?
Picture this: dude slides into my DMs spreading that “you’ll 10x your cash in just 90 days, bro—easy” gospel. The confidence? Off the charts. He didn’t look sketchy, either—he looked like the type of guy who’d probably sell me a timeshare at a Tony Robbins conference. He had receipts: stories, PayPal screenshots, Lambos in every shot like he’s physically allergic to Toyotas. His “proof” folder was basically a digital flex zone—dudes with Rolexes, silly grins, DM convos about $20K months. There’s even a podcast where he preaches the hustle gospel every week.
Legend, right? Except, here I am: broke, humiliated, wishing my bank would just ghost me before it emails another “you're overdrafted, dingus” notice.
TLDR: I got played. Badly.
This isn’t just me sobbing over my empty wallet. This crap cut deep. Losing trust? That stings harder than losing the cash. If you’ve ever drooled over some “fast money, low effort” siren song, please… for the love of your rent, read all this. You might dodge the bullet I took right between the eyes.
Chapter 1: The Hook — “I Turned $1,000 Into $100K, and So Can You”
Where did this circus start? Instagram, obviously. There’s something about reels with Lambos in the background—like, dude, can you even park that thing? Scroll, scroll, pause: he’s talking about turning $1K into $100K with zero ads, zero experience, and 100% grindset. Relatable, because my bank balance at that point was just sad clown music.
Then, plot twist—he follows me back. I know now that’s the oldest trick in influencer grout, but then? Felt like I’d just been knighted by the hustle pope.
First message out the gate: “Hey bro, what’s your income goal for the next 90 days?” Like we’re business partners now. Told him a modest $5K/month would feel like hitting the Powerball. He says, “Light work. Got a system. Changed 3,000 lives.” I mean, who am I to argue? Take my money, Mr. Lambo.
Chapter 2: The “Program” — Just $1,997 to Unlock the Secret
He pops over a shiny landing page. There’s video, testimonials, action shots, profit graphs shaped like Everest. Personal coaching, he says. ACT NOW, he says, price drops to $997, today only.
That kind of cash? Wasn’t just burning a hole in my pocket—it was probably my last $997 of sanity. But, oh, I got the full package:
Plus, money-back guarantee. Oh, my sweet summer child.
Told myself it was an “investment.” Rationalized. Swiped the credit card. Patted myself on the back for being such a savvy little entrepreneur.
Chapter 3: The Reality — Nothing Was What It Seemed
Paid. Waited. Annnnd… boom: curtain drops.
That “done-for-you” system? Literally a couple Canva docs that looked like someone’s homework assignment. Zoom calls? Not even “live”—just old recordings. Personal coaching? Nah. Got bumped to “team” who replied once then vanished harder than my initial deposit.
Slack group? Tumbleweeds and the echo of regret. Whole system? Affiliate marketing 101 with no actual hands-on help.
When I asked real questions, I just got served a hot pile of motivational sludge:
Cool, bro. Thanks.
Refund? LMAO. Couldn’t even get a “sorry not sorry.”
Chapter 4: The Downfall — Chasing Losses, Spending More
I mean, you can’t just admit you got duped, right? No, you double down. I shelled out another $600 on ads (crickets), $300 on a “funnel optimizer” (spoiler: nothing new), $200 for “VIP access” (basically the same recycled garbage with a different thumbnail).
Every time, I told myself, “You’re one module away from making it.” Never happened.
End of the road: about $3K lighter, zero profits, nothing to show except the world’s saddest internet bill.
Oh, and the lost time? That’s what really burns. Paused everything else that might actually have worked—because obviously this was the ticket. Spoiler: It wasn’t.
Chapter 5: Why I Fell for It — And Why You Might Too
In hindsight, it’s so obvious I was prime scam bait. Maybe you’ll see yourself here too:
1. I Wanted Fast Results
Dude, I was exhausted. I wanted a shortcut, not six years in the “building a business” wilderness. The promise of “easy” is catnip for desperate people.
2. The Social Proof Trap
Those glowing “testimonials” looked real enough to my desperate eyes. Turns out, probably as fake as Louis Vuitton at the flea market.
3. Urgency & Scarcity Theater
“5 spots left!” “Offer expires tonight!” All that FOMO. Textbook emotional manipulation, and I fell for every trick.
4. The Foolproof Fantasy
“No tech skills.” “Just follow the system.” “Guaranteed.” It all felt safe. So nice, so comforting—until you realize all that “support” is smoke and mirrors.
Chapter 6: What Happened to the Scammer?
You know what I found months later? New username, new branding—exact same scam. Just shuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic. New course, recycled content, same attitude. He just rinse-and-repeats: build hype, peddle garbage, cash out, skip town, reboot.
Sometimes I wonder how many versions of him are out there: same pitch, different haircuts.
So yeah. That was my collision with “hustle culture.” If this stops one person from giving their last $997 to an IG “guru,” my empty bank account won’t feel quite so empty. Learn from me: don’t chase Fugazi Lambos. And if a dude with a sports car and a ring light says you can 10x your money in three months? Block. Move on. Save yourself.
Trust me, your sanity’s worth more than his “proven system.”
I mean… where do I even start?
Picture this: dude slides into my DMs spreading that “you’ll 10x your cash in just 90 days, bro—easy” gospel. The confidence? Off the charts. He didn’t look sketchy, either—he looked like the type of guy who’d probably sell me a timeshare at a Tony Robbins conference. He had receipts: stories, PayPal screenshots, Lambos in every shot like he’s physically allergic to Toyotas. His “proof” folder was basically a digital flex zone—dudes with Rolexes, silly grins, DM convos about $20K months. There’s even a podcast where he preaches the hustle gospel every week.
Legend, right? Except, here I am: broke, humiliated, wishing my bank would just ghost me before it emails another “you're overdrafted, dingus” notice.
TLDR: I got played. Badly.
This isn’t just me sobbing over my empty wallet. This crap cut deep. Losing trust? That stings harder than losing the cash. If you’ve ever drooled over some “fast money, low effort” siren song, please… for the love of your rent, read all this. You might dodge the bullet I took right between the eyes.
Chapter 1: The Hook — “I Turned $1,000 Into $100K, and So Can You”Where did this circus start? Instagram, obviously. There’s something about reels with Lambos in the background—like, dude, can you even park that thing? Scroll, scroll, pause: he’s talking about turning $1K into $100K with zero ads, zero experience, and 100% grindset. Relatable, because my bank balance at that point was just sad clown music.
Then, plot twist—he follows me back. I know now that’s the oldest trick in influencer grout, but then? Felt like I’d just been knighted by the hustle pope.
First message out the gate: “Hey bro, what’s your income goal for the next 90 days?” Like we’re business partners now. Told him a modest $5K/month would feel like hitting the Powerball. He says, “Light work. Got a system. Changed 3,000 lives.” I mean, who am I to argue? Take my money, Mr. Lambo.
Chapter 2: The “Program” — Just $1,997 to Unlock the SecretHe pops over a shiny landing page. There’s video, testimonials, action shots, profit graphs shaped like Everest. Personal coaching, he says. ACT NOW, he says, price drops to $997, today only.
That kind of cash? Wasn’t just burning a hole in my pocket—it was probably my last $997 of sanity. But, oh, I got the full package:
- “Private Slack group” (spoiler: ghost town)
- “Weekly Zoom calls” (try, pre-recorded)
- “Plug-n-play” systems (if copying Canva templates is your definition of tech)
- “DFY funnels” (old PDFs, yawn)
- “No tech skills needed” (unless you call panic a skill)
Plus, money-back guarantee. Oh, my sweet summer child.
Told myself it was an “investment.” Rationalized. Swiped the credit card. Patted myself on the back for being such a savvy little entrepreneur.
Chapter 3: The Reality — Nothing Was What It SeemedPaid. Waited. Annnnd… boom: curtain drops.
That “done-for-you” system? Literally a couple Canva docs that looked like someone’s homework assignment. Zoom calls? Not even “live”—just old recordings. Personal coaching? Nah. Got bumped to “team” who replied once then vanished harder than my initial deposit.
Slack group? Tumbleweeds and the echo of regret. Whole system? Affiliate marketing 101 with no actual hands-on help.
When I asked real questions, I just got served a hot pile of motivational sludge:
- “Trust the process.”
- “You’re overthinking.”
- “The only failure is quitting.”
Cool, bro. Thanks.
Refund? LMAO. Couldn’t even get a “sorry not sorry.”
Chapter 4: The Downfall — Chasing Losses, Spending MoreI mean, you can’t just admit you got duped, right? No, you double down. I shelled out another $600 on ads (crickets), $300 on a “funnel optimizer” (spoiler: nothing new), $200 for “VIP access” (basically the same recycled garbage with a different thumbnail).
Every time, I told myself, “You’re one module away from making it.” Never happened.
End of the road: about $3K lighter, zero profits, nothing to show except the world’s saddest internet bill.
Oh, and the lost time? That’s what really burns. Paused everything else that might actually have worked—because obviously this was the ticket. Spoiler: It wasn’t.
Chapter 5: Why I Fell for It — And Why You Might TooIn hindsight, it’s so obvious I was prime scam bait. Maybe you’ll see yourself here too:
1. I Wanted Fast Results
Dude, I was exhausted. I wanted a shortcut, not six years in the “building a business” wilderness. The promise of “easy” is catnip for desperate people.
2. The Social Proof Trap
Those glowing “testimonials” looked real enough to my desperate eyes. Turns out, probably as fake as Louis Vuitton at the flea market.
3. Urgency & Scarcity Theater
“5 spots left!” “Offer expires tonight!” All that FOMO. Textbook emotional manipulation, and I fell for every trick.
4. The Foolproof Fantasy
“No tech skills.” “Just follow the system.” “Guaranteed.” It all felt safe. So nice, so comforting—until you realize all that “support” is smoke and mirrors.
Chapter 6: What Happened to the Scammer?You know what I found months later? New username, new branding—exact same scam. Just shuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic. New course, recycled content, same attitude. He just rinse-and-repeats: build hype, peddle garbage, cash out, skip town, reboot.
Sometimes I wonder how many versions of him are out there: same pitch, different haircuts.
So yeah. That was my collision with “hustle culture.” If this stops one person from giving their last $997 to an IG “guru,” my empty bank account won’t feel quite so empty. Learn from me: don’t chase Fugazi Lambos. And if a dude with a sports car and a ring light says you can 10x your money in three months? Block. Move on. Save yourself.
Trust me, your sanity’s worth more than his “proven system.”
