Image is mine
During my service year, Ponzi and Pyramid schemes were the in thing. As one Ponzi scheme was crashing, another one was opening and people were rushing to invest their money hoping to recover some of their losses. I at my end wasn't left out as I wanted to cash out too.
So one day at the Corpers lodge where I resided during my service year to my country Nigeria, I got approached by some corpers who were seeking for investors for this newly opened Ponzi scheme.
It was 100% ROI and payment was usually made within 24 hours. The lowest capital to be invested was fifty thousand Naira, and I was to be merged with any random investor for pay out.
After payout, two random people will be merged with me to pay me fifty thousand Naira each, making it a hundred thousand Naira since I was investing the lowest sum.
I gave them my name, indicated the package I was going for and it was sent to the organisers. Almost immediately, someone was merged with me.
I did not waste any time as I hurriedly paid out my fifty thousand Naira via transfer.
In less than an hour again, I was merged to receive payment from two random investors. Just as I was swift in paying out, they were also swift in paying me back.
Fifty thousand Naira left my account and hundred thousand Naira came back. I was too excited, my joy knew no bound, and I rushed to my close friend Precious to inform her of my win. Precious was equally happy for me and we celebrated.
Everything was going well until the following day, Precious approached me indicating interest to be part of the Ponzi scheme.
I'm like, “oh that's great, have you approached Ezinne to add your name to the next batch of investors?” I had inquired because that's the first step to becoming a part of the scheme.
“No I haven't, and that's why I'm here to see you.” Precious responded with traces of anxiety.
“See me? If it's for guidance, Ezinne is who you should be seeing and not me.”
“Will you just hear me out?” Precious got jumpy.
“Oh ok, go on.” I responded calmly.
“So like I told you before, I want to be a part of the scheme. I also would like to earn, so that I can have enough money to sort out my expenses. You know the allowance we receive from Federal government is not enough to go by”.
“Ok so how can I help?” I inquired, knowing where she was headed but just wanted her to say the words with her mouth.
Precious continued, “I need you to give me a loan of fifty thousand Naira, once I cash out, I will pay you back with the interest.”
“Hmmmm… Have you forgotten, I'm also investing?”
“I know you are investing too, but you just cashed out hundred thousand Naira yesterday. You are in the fifty thousand Naira plan. If you put back fifty thousand Naira, you will have an extra fifty thousand Naira left.”
“Now that's the problem, the fifty thousand Naira will be all that I'd have left until the next allowance or investment money comes, so how do I get on by?”
I did not want to give her the money because I have not had any good experience loaning people, but Precious was not backing down.
It almost felt like she rehearsed the whole conversation in her dream, as she was defending from all corners.
“But I just told you that I will refund you when I cash out, so getting on by shouldn't be a problem. I mean, it's just 24 hours interval”. Precious pointed.
I thought about it critically and not to seem like an enemy of progress or a bad friend, I asked for her account details and sent her the fifty thousand Naira.
That evening, we were all merged including Precious and we all paid out. We slept in excitement, hoping to wake up to credit alert and ball.
But by morning when I had woken up to check my phone, I found nothing. No new message from my bank and no credit alert.
For a moment there, time stood still and I had a pressing bowel, a sweaty forehead and palms. I had so many questions, “could it be? Naahh it can't,” I responded to my incomplete question.
I refused to even say it, let alone think it that my hard-earned fifty thousand Naira was gone with the wind.
I hurriedly tied my sleeping wrapper on my chest and dashed out to Ezinne's room.
On getting there, I saw Ezinne and other corp members seated with their arms folded. They were all wearing a long face like people mourning and lamentations filled the air.
All I could hear was, “so the system has crashed? None of us are getting paid?”
I heard the words loud and clear, but I assumed my hearing was failing. I just told myself let it be that it is my ear that is not hearing well, or my brain is processing something entirely different from what they were saying.
I walked straight to Ezinne and I asked her, “how far? No alert this morning?”
She looked at me in disgust, then turned to one of the guys in her room and said, “I don't think this one knows what's going on”. And the guy responded, “leave her to be asking silly questions.”
My fears were confirmed, I froze and my heart went cold.