Be Careful, Lest You Blame Yourself #1

In the time past in the island,

When technology has not been this

Advanced, we have been hearing of

Fraudsters, people who approach

Other people under false pretense

To eke out money from them

One of my uncles was contacted

By such people decades back, having

Known the kind of business my uncle

Was into which was selling of

Frozen fishes, he was one of the

Major distributors of frozen fish in

Our island at this period. When

Those people contacted him, they

Told him that they had a business

Proposal for him which will

Yield him a lot of money and he

Will become the leading distributor

Of frozen foods not only fishes

In our island. My uncle was glad

And asks of how to go about it,

They told him he would at first

Register with them and after

Registering they will send one of

Them to their headquarters at the

Center with his details to see the

Section his business would fall to

After registering with them

With some amount then, they send

Somebody to their supposed headquarters

As they stated the following day

When they visited my uncle in his

Shop. About three days after the

Person returned with their

Acclaimed good news that my uncle’s

Business name has been fixed among

The first group category of buyers

Those in this category according to

The explanation given unto him

Would always be given preferential

Treatment above other registered

Businesses, those in this category

Can buy any amount of frozen

Foods from the company while

Goods bid for by others would

Wait until they are satisfied and

In case the goods are of limited quantity

While rationalizing for other businesses

They will never rationalize theirs’

What they bid for would be supplied

Them. However, before the deal is

Sealed my uncle needs to add

To the money he had paid as the

Registration fees with the company

Because his business name has been

Registered because of the strong influence

Of the person who went to the headquarters

With his details. My uncle was glad

To hear this and he ran around to raise

Additional money demanded for by

The people and would even give

The person who took his details to

The headquarters special amount of

Money to say “thank you” to him

For a job well done. Then, someone

Comes with frozen foods and said

The goods have arrived the company

From the overseas order and the company

Is ready to treat him well, thus, the company

Was ready to collect 20 percent from

Him for an order of goods worth million

Naira. After paying such money upfront

The goods would arrive the third day

And he will be given freedom of repaying

The money back within a month. Meanwhile

While paying the money he can

Order for a new consignment as he should

Remember that his business name has been

Placed on first category, he is special

In the company. My uncle was happy for

This development and ran around to take

Loan to add to the little money on

Him to make the deal happen, for it

Is a life transforming deal that must not

Elude a business person. After given

The money to the company’s representatives

Which was common those days, the person

Traveled and others who were said to

Be marketing for the company could not

Be found around the island again. He was