I have definitely learnt a lot from running my business and like everyone I have had my share of ups and downs.
A lot of opportunities offered to me via my website and I have had some amazing experiences that not only I have enjoyed but many of my staff also. When I received an email from Dubai asking me to train 12 girls for 2 weeks it really didn’t seem unusual.
I was given credit card numbers and a 50% deposit to secure the girls places and once the amount cleared I was then asked to take a further $2500 for their agents fee and to then Western Union the money to him in the UK. Once the extra money cleared I figured withdrawing the sum and sending it would be fine as I had already been paid 50% of my fee and couldn’t believe anyone would deposit such a large sum of money that couldn’t be trusted.
He then asked if he could pay me in full and take a further $5000 from the credit card for the agent. The funds didn’t clear and I didn’t feel comfortable with the process. He offered another credit card but my accounts manager said don’t do it. So I explained I couldn’t go ahead with the transaction and was happy to wait till after the girls arrived. He then said he couldn’t send the girls over.
I rang Westpac fraud and explained my case and they believed it was a 99% chance fraud and stolen credit cards and that I could expect the money to be taken from my account at anytime with in the next 6 months. I couldn’t believe that people could be so cunning and deceitful. I am very grateful for this experience however as I have learnt a lot and I’m happy that it’s not going to break me like I know these situations have done to many other businesses.
Michelle Merrifield's Blog 