TALES OF WOE-HOW TO TRY TO HELP A FRIEND
GET RICH QUICK
I received a telephone call from an old friend in the evening of Thursday February 25, 2010. I hadn’t heard from him since late 2006. When I saw the name on caller I D despite myself I thought “What now”? I know that doesn’t sound like a friendly response to a call from a long lost friend. I was glad to hear from my friend, but I also knew some catch would be attached. The conversation started off in a very friendly manner catching up with one another and our families. We reminisced about the old days playing in our band the Darvons. We remembered our kids when they were babies, and the failures of each of our marriages (he's on his fourth I stopped at one).
This went on for about ½ hour then I could hear the catch coming. X (Not his real name) said “Hay, Tom the reason I’m calling (here it comes) I found this wonderful opportunity.“ I thought (Lord help me.), but replied, “What’s on your mind?” X said, ” Now keep an open mind. I found a generator that can make all the electricity for an entire home for no cost!!!!! I already bought the plans online for $97.99.” (For the morbidly curious to address is www.magnets4energy.com I debated typing it out because it made a link but as I went back and re-did it voila it didn’t). I checked out the aforementioned address, which is an obvious scam, but I tried to be careful with X’s feelings . I wanted to let X down easy, but I also didn’t want him to spend any more money. X has a history of falling for “Get rich quick schemes”. Check the address and you will see the obvious.
The first video shows a huge industrial sized generator. The second shows the usual suspects purporting how inventors of these wonder devices are always killed off by powerful or government entities. The third show a home sized generator with which you can generate free electricity for your house for life. There is a buy now link on the website. It seem they are having a sale on plans. What X had bought for $97.99 is now on sale for $47. A second company revealed in the first video EBM Technologies led me to a Google search, which gave me a needed email contact info@gammamanager.com.
I called my daughter Tracee to ask her for advice in how to diplomatically handle the situation with X. I said, “Tra do you know a nice way to tell an idiot they’re an idiot?” Tra said, “Dad you’ve heard from X haven’t you?” I replied,”Yeah.” We talked it over and I had an idea. I would email the address in the first video. A copy of my email is below. I also forwarded a copy to X.
THE EMAILS
To: EBM Technologies
Dear Sir,
As a graduate electrical engineer I am interested in the generator shown on the Internet. I am particularly interested in how you claim to overcome the Law of conservation of mass/energy. Please forward me all pertinent information on this revolutionary scientific discovery. Having practiced for over 40 years I am astounded by your claims!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tom Whitworth
BSEE WVU,1968
By late the next day when I had received no reply I emailed X the email below.
X,
I have conducted a search on EBM technologies, and have come to the conclusion that their claims are scams. I have found nothing in their claims to refute the laws of physics.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perpetual_motion
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservation_of_energy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservation_of_mass
Tom W.
I still have not heard back from X I don’t know if I offended him or if he was trying to scam me. We have known one another since 1965 so I hope he wasn’t trying to scam me, but I wasn’t trying to offend him either. Woe is me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Related
Comments
AUTHORAndy12345
I got the address for the website from him!!!!!!!!!!!
Tom, who is to say that EBM tech had anything to do with the website that your friend "X" bought from??
- AUTHOR
prasetio,
Thank you for your kind comment.
nice information. I never know before. Thanks for showing me about this.
- AUTHOR
Eileen,
Thank you for your visit and your kind comment.
Yes its a shame that people try to scam the unsuspecting people, but even the knowledgeable one get caught too at times. Dont feel b ad.
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Sheri,
I'm afraid your right, but I had to try.
Tom,
Some people just don't seem to understand the adage that "if it seems too good to be true, it probably isn't" You tried to do right by X, but we all know he probably won't heed your advice anyway!
- AUTHOR
Thanks Tony, I'm not sure he had an agenda. He falls for get rich quick schemes on a regular basis.
Tom it seems kinda sad that an old friend would want to call you with a agenda. Why can they not just call just to say hi ? Anyway you handled that one like a champ !
- AUTHOR
Jan,
I see the validity to your point.
I'm an honest type of person and I ALWAYS tell friends what I believe they near to hear in situations like this. If he's on the level, you might just have saved him some money; if he's trying to scam you then who cares what he thinks!
- AUTHOR
Austinstar,
I had considered following the course to which you refer. I just wanted to try to help a guy that has been scammed over and over again.
We all have friends like this. Honesty seems to really tick off our friends. I just say, "I'm really not interested, and I'm too broke to worry about it." Works better than trying to prove to our friends that they are being scammed.
- AUTHOR
Thanks sweetie!!!!!!!!!
Love, Dad
Hi Dad,
Handling X with kindness is how you've always done it, whether he deserves it or not. It's what you've always taught us!
Love, Tra
- AUTHOR
Pamela,
Thanks you. I sure hope he wasn't trying to scam me. I tried to let him know the product couldn't possibly work.
Tom, Since you hadn't heard from him for so many years, I wonder if he was trying scam you although it sounds like he didn't know he'd been scammed. You were very thoughtful in the way you handled the situation.
- AUTHOR
sheila b.
I think with X it's more a gullibility factor. I don't want to think an old friend would try to scam me.
I knew someone who was always looking for a way to get rich quick. And like your friend, he wanted others to invest their money in them. Did he believe in the scams? No, he believed in finding a way to get money from someone else's pocket to his. He never followed through on the real estate or business schemes, he just spent the money.
- AUTHOR
dahoglund,
Tracee made that suggestion. I was trying to save X some money.
I guess it's one of those damned if you do damned if you don't situations.
Tom,
I think my friends were simple ignorant about business and had bought in on some telephone scheme. Basically we just told them that it might be as good a deal as they think but we didn't think it was right for us.
- AUTHOR
eovery,
I worked with Seimens on the last project I did. We mostly used Allan Bradley SLC,s for our project automation.
I broken some minor laws in my life , but can you imagine breaking a basic law of physics?
Hey Tom, I am a PE in Electrical Engineering too. I work basically in automation now with the Siemens PCS7 system. Yeah, these guys can sell a lot of junk and people believe it. I have had several people take to me ideas and are just stupid.
Keep on hubbing!
- AUTHOR
vrajavala,
I'm not sure if X was trying to scam me or not. He's always been prone to get rich quick scemes.
so many people lose friends when they try their MLM schemes.
- AUTHOR
dahoglund,
How did you handle your situation?
I've had similar experiences, although not from someone so long lost.
- AUTHOR
Pop,
When we were talking he expressed a particular disdain for either voice mail or answering machines. I was between a rock and a hard place!!!!!!!!!!
Dear Tom, You are patient and extremely diplomatic. Next time let him leave a message!
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