I had made up my mind to give HYIPs a break for 1-2 weeks, but what just happened today is making me break that point of view. I got a phone call from an HYIP agent today, it seemed like a plain phone call but it was very unnerving phone call. He called me, told me he was a regular reader on my blog, and wanted to know which of the HYIPs I would recommend. I told him I would not recommend any. He further went to ask me which one I was involved in, that was quite direct, and I told him it depended on his classification of which one what an HYIP was. I told him one that I invested in, but he didn’t consider an HYIP. Not that type he said, I told him None (at least none I was interested in encouraging anyone to do). He was excited, as he seemed to have caught me red handed. He went on to inform me that he actually had my picture on a form for one of the companies. Success point he called it, and that I had 40units. He told me I was spoiling market for him as many people believed in my advice. The worst part of this conversation, was that I figured out that he had been using my picture as a marketing tool, people get better convinced knowing I’m involved.
The truth is, I didn’t even know the name of what I was involved with, I thought it was divine success. A guy (not an agent, just a guy who posted a comment on my site and wanted to see me for something) simply came to my office, told us about one of these schemes (without a name), my colleagues and some friends had some loose cash to gamble with, we pulled funds together to make 80k and gave it to him. He asked for a passport photograph and said he preferred that the person must own a First Bank Account, the onus fell on me, so I gave him my passport. I have not seen the guy since then. We all knew it was a gamble, and not an investment. Now that has become an Agent marketing tool.
Here is my FIRM warning to anybody who reads from here. Don’t let anyone deceive you. These HYGPs are not safe, and they are crashing already. I make it a point of duty to either personally have a little sum I can afford to loose in a few of these schemes, or have a friend that has in them, I also ensure I’m not more than 2 people away from all the MDs. This way I can provide up to date information about any and every one of them, not as an outsider, as an insider. I don’t mind if my money or my friends money does not come out, I don’t expect it to, if it does I’ll be pleasantly surprised. N10,000 is what I can afford to loose and not weep. These agents are paid 20-25% of what you give them as commission, that means that on every N2000 slot they get N500 and on every N2500 slot, they get N500. They don’t have the capacity to tell you the objective truth.
I have not vowed to destroy any HYIP, but I will fulfill my civic obligation of intimating you with the truth as I know it. It’s easy for me to invest in all these things tell people that they work and I’m getting paid, but because I know their structures are not built to last, I come here with warnings. These schemes will not die by an act of the government, they will die by natural causes. EFCC has said clearly that they are powerless to act until someone complains of not being paid.
I believe we are all taking the various decisions we are taking fully aware of the possibilities. Don’t let anybody cajole you with my involvement in any HYGP – High Yield Gambling Program.
The agent tried to convince me that the one he was working for was for real, and that he was sure they were into legitimate things. I disagree. If he or anybody has any reasons why he thinks any organization that promises to give 100 times your investment is for real, he should please walk into my office at anytime and explain it to me.