It started with a promise that felt almost impossible to resist. A guaranteed job placement, a clear path to financial stability, and a website polished enough to quiet any doubts. The testimonials sounded sincere, and the person on the call spoke with the kind of confidence that makes hesitation feel unnecessary. Paying $500 seemed less like a risk and more like buying peace of mind. For a moment, everything lined up—welcome emails, orientation videos, plenty of talk about “unlocking potential”. Then the cracks appeared, and the confidence faded as the training looked nothing like the job it was supposed to lead to.
The assignments that followed raised even more questions. Instead of tasks related to the promised role, there were instructions to invite friends to “opportunity webinars” and post vague motivational lines online. Whenever clarity was requested, the answers became increasingly indirect. Eventually, it hit with uncomfortable heaviness: this wasn’t a job. It was a cleverly disguised recruitment scheme, one where income depended on persuading others to sign up and pay the same fee. That moment of realization was frustrating and embarrassing, but once the sting settled, a more important question took its place—what now?