Itโs true, no one likes internet scammers. They fill your inbox with hopes, dreams, and lies. Offer you goods in exchange for money youโll never see again or promise trouble unless you comply. But what do most of us do when we come up against one? Ignore, hang up, delete. Thatโs what most of us do, but thatโs not what Ben Taylor of Ogden, Utah did.
It all started with this Facebook message that read, โMy name is Joel from Liberia, West Africa. I need some assistance from you. Business or financial assistance dat will help empower me.โ
Already looks pretty sketchy, right? Ben thought so too. He replied, โHow can I help?โ
But of course he didnโt really intend to help this โJoel.โ Rather, he wanted to know more about the scam process. โHow they bait people,โ Ben told CBS. What Ben found out was that Joel said to mail used electronics to some place in New Jersey, they would then be resold and the profits split. What Ben did next is what any good modern-day internet user would do. He looked up the address on Google Earth.
As you can see the place is pretty run down with salvage cars and more around. Street view proves itโs worse than we thought with a cop checking the place out.
But you can trust Joel right? He did say that, โBIBLE says in Proverbs 22 โa good name is better than silver n gold.โโ
Ben agrees, but offers a different proposal. He said he owns a photography business and could use some pretty pictures. โHow about a sunset? How about a nice, Liberian sunset?โ He decided to play with him. Saying that he would pay for good pictures. In actuality, his plan was to distract him from scamming other people. Funny enough though, Joel did send two โsunsetโ pictures. They seemed legit and not stolen due to the fact that they wereโฆwell, rather poorly done.
However, Ben told him, โgood job, you just need a better camera.โ So Ben actually sent him a brand new $60 camera.
While most people thought Ben was off his rocker, Joel was all for it, deciding to devote himself to this new business. And Ben decided that Joel needed serious help with his photography skills.
What happened next was something no one expected. Joel actually got better!
So, what was Ben to do? How could he compensate the man so he didnโt become the scammer? Create a YouTube video of course.
In the video, he marketed a booklet he had made of Joelโs photos. He called the booklet, โBy D Grace of God,โ inspired by Joelโs messages.
While Ben planned to sell just a few to friends and family, he ended up selling out to people all over the world!
In no time, they had raised $1000, and Ben told Joel he could have half of it for his efforts. And the other half? Well, he could have it if he donated it to charity.
And so, Ben wired the money, knowing that $500 is equal to a yearโs salary in Liberia. So, how could Ben expect Joel, a scam artist to actually donate all that money once he received it? Well, he really didnโt think he would. That is, until another batch of pictures arrived at his doorstep.
Turns out, Joel had bought out as much school supplies as he could and donated it to five schools in his area. In abundance!
Impressed with his new friend and partner Joel, Ben traveled all the way to Liberia shortly after.
Ben finally got to meet the man he had once seen as a scam artist. Joel admitted that he wasnโt looking to scam people, he was looking for a friend.
But how did he do it? With an ancient cell phone he used to randomly send Facebook messages to people, hoping to find someone willing to lend a hand.
Why did he do it? Heโs a father of seven, looking for a way to legitimately earn enough money to feed them. At the time when Ben visited Liberia, the two had sold over 6,000 copies of the book, earning over $30,000. It was time for a plan. While Joel would have his basic needs met, he wanted the rest to go to the community.
The biggest part of the profits will go to the children in need. But the rest will be used for microloans for other families struggling. While Joel may have learned a lot, Ben claims he has learned more. He is no longer the cynic he once was. He set out to embarrass a scam artist and ended up friends with an amazing human being. โIt feels good to help others,โ he claims.
And Joel? Well, when asked why he didnโt just spend the money on himself and give his family a better life, Joel answered in only a way that he could. โItโs stealing, and that would be dishonest.โ
Now thatโs a story we can all learn something from. If youโd like to donate to the cause, invest in one of Joelโs books By D Grace of God.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
