Fraud and Fraudsters

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I will be writing this post with underlying emotions of utmost disgust and anger towards those who take advantage of innocent and naive people, stripping them of their valuables and their ability to trust others in the long run. Please forgive me in advance if it becomes too intense.

Valuables can encompass various things: feelings, hard-earned money, a delicate heart, or even a secret you shared with someone.

Recently, we became victims of an app that claimed to be an investment company. It was the first time anything like this happened to us. I was skeptical from the beginning. However, many people around us, including good friends, recommended it. They were benefiting from it by inviting others, but they themselves were naive at that point (or maybe not, God knows better).

_{It's not a breaking news now. It was created by me using Canva, earlier this year. I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs and tell the whole world about this, but I didn't for some reason.}

A fraudulent online investment app called JawaEye has been accused of stealing Rs. 25 billion from unsuspecting users in Pakistan.
The app was operated by a fake company claiming to be based in Indonesia, and used a Ponzi scheme to attract customers with the promise of lucrative profits.
Thousands of Pakistanis invested a minimum of Rs. 15,000 each as a sign-up fee, but the app primarily operated through its website, with the Google Play version likely being used to build trust. The app was recently removed from Google Play, but not before hundreds of videos promoting it had been uploaded to YouTube, and dozens of Facebook groups had been created to lure people to sign up.
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I still can't believe we fell prey to this. We're not the type to believe in easy profits or lucky draws. Maybe, just maybe, it was peer pressure. I'm still attributing it to peer pressure. Numerous educated and noble individuals around us, suggested us to join. We resisted for months, but eventually gave in. I suppose this is how the circle of friends influences us sometimes. You can't strain your relationships, but yes, we're equally guilty of letting our guard down.

What hurts me the most, is the level of inhumanity one can reach. I mean, how could they? Their lack of regard for others is just unbelievable. How could they sleep peacefully at night? What kind of people spend this ill-gotten gain on themselves and their families, especially their kids? These spineless people are of the worst kind. I am almost certain they lack any character. Not only are they fraudulent, but they also lack even a shred of goodness, dignity, or credibility in any aspect of their lives.

Isn't trust the sole key to so many things?? Some of you might suggest that greater caution is necessary — and I fully agree with you. But, think for a minute, what if every online platform out there is cast into doubt? What if our WhatsApp chats are no longer end-to-end encrypted, or our Google information is not secure? If none of our banking informations are protected? How can we spend our lives, walking on egg shells? Doesn't all of this already fall within the realm of trust? Yes we have to trust at some point. Without it, the system will just collapse.

How many times do we, as laymen, read the user's agreement, and even if we do, do we truly understand the terms? They can insert anything under those ambiguous conditions. So what's the solution? Do we need to hire a (inaudible French) lawyer every time we sign up? Those deceptive individuals were so clever, making everything appear so tidy. They even crafted a legal license for their app and we're not really well-versed in these technicalities. They thoroughly considered every detail or possible outcome.

I can still feel that anger while writing this. So if any of you from that disgusting group of people or all such fraudulent people read this or come across this, I pray that you never find peace in your life and not even after that. You didn't only strip people of their hard earned money but also their ability to trust. You strained so many friendships in the process. May you reap what you sow — yes, it's my heartfelt wish for you and your kind.

I needed to vent this out — get if off my chest...Feeling lighter already! Writing can be so therapeutic.

Now, a word of caution to my fellow dreamers and Steemians; Please, please be very cautious of such fraudulent apps and people. You can never be too safe. Conduct your own research. Take your time. As there is a very popular saying; Haste makes waste, so, Just don't succumb to any peer pressure. Be very thorough in your research, and if it's a large sum of money, don't hesitate to get legal advice. In the end, It's your money and it's your decision what you do with this.

P.S.: While getting this off my chest was kind of therapeutic, it was also extremely difficult. I felt vulnerable sharing this experience, which brought back all the bitterness related to the incident. The feelings of helplessness that came with this deceitful experience resurfaced. But if even a single someone benefits from it, I'll consider it payback for sharing this.