There is one piece of advice I wish I had listened to much earlier in my life.
"Don't chase quick money. Be patient and trust the process."
I heard those words many times. My sister kept warning me not to trust online platforms that promised quick money. My brother said the same thing. They always told me to research properly before joining any platform and never allow desperation to make my decisions.
But I thought they were just being too careful.
As a university student, I wanted to earn money online as quickly as possible. Every time I came across an app that promised huge earnings within a few days, I believed it. I convinced myself that I had finally found the opportunity that would change my financial situation.
That decision became one of the most expensive lessons of my life.
I paid different so-called coaches who claimed they had access to secret paying platforms. Some asked me to pay for registration before they would send me the link. Others said I had to buy their online course first before they would introduce me to the "real" platform.
I paid because I believed them.
After collecting my money, some of them disappeared completely, while others gave me platforms that turned out to be useless or complete scams.
Then came the experience that changed everything.
I joined one particular earning platform and deposited some money. Everything looked genuine. I started earning, and they even allowed me to withdraw small amounts three different times.
Each successful withdrawal made me trust them even more.
I was convinced that everyone who warned me had been wrong.
Because I trusted the platform, I deposited even more money, like thousands of naira.
Finally, I reached the amount I had been waiting to withdraw. I was excited because I thought all my patience had finally paid off.
Then I clicked the withdrawal button.
Instead of receiving my money, I got a message telling me to deposit even more money before my withdrawal could be processed.
I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
I had already invested thousands of naira into the platform. Why should I pay again just to withdraw my own money?
That was the moment everything began to make sense.
I searched Google, read reviews, and discovered that many other people had fallen into the exact same trap. The platform had already been exposed as a scam. Those small withdrawals weren't proof that it was genuine—they were simply bait to gain people's trust before asking them to invest larger amounts.
Nobody had to tell me I had been scammed.
I already knew.
Losing that money hurt, but it also changed me.l cried out my eyes because i have invested so much in that app.
A few months later, another person approached me with almost the same kind of offer. This time, they promised I could make ₦100,000 in one night if I simply registered through their link and made a deposit.
Before my previous experience, I would probably have believed them.
Instead, I replied with a message that still makes me laugh whenever I remember it.
I said,
"If you're so sure it's real, use your own money to register me. Once I receive the payment, I'll gladly give you your own percentage."
After sending that message...
Silence.
The person never replied again.
That was when I realized how much I had changed.
The old me would have rushed to make another deposit.
The new me had become wiser.
If you ask me whether people learn more from advice or from their own mistakes, my answer is our own mistakes.
My sister advised me.
My brother advised me.
They genuinely wanted to protect me, but because I thought I had already discovered something profitable, their advice didn't mean much to me. The platform had already gained my trust through those small withdrawals, so I believed I knew better.
It wasn't until I lost my own money that the lesson finally sank in.
Does that mean advice isn't valuable?
Not at all.
Good advice can save us from unnecessary pain. The problem is that many of us don't fully understand the value of that advice until life teaches us the same lesson in a much harder way.
Today, whenever I see any platform promising quick riches, I don't rush anymore. I research first. I ask questions. I read reviews. I think before acting.
Looking back, I don't celebrate the money I lost.
I celebrate the wisdom I gained.
Because that painful experience transformed me from someone who chased shortcuts into someone who understands the value of patience, careful research, and trusting the process.
THIS HAPPENED TO ME LAST YEAR AND BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR. I'M GLAD I LEARN FROM MY MISTAKE SO QUICK.
Sometimes, the best advice we ignore becomes the lesson that changes our lives forever.
