On the 14th of December I paid Jakescreavity /Susrite/tmx12/slimdolly (These 4 monikers are associated with his phone numbers +2348137560560/08148334178) to design a website for me using a theme. I paid an initial 40k as part payment and I didn't think anything of it at the time. I had already worked with him mid last year which went smoothly and he was quite helpful hence why I was comfortable working with him again. I'm currently paying for a slot in his VPS plan. So there was a bit of trust in our work relationship.

Days went by and I noticed he was barely doing anything on the site. I reached out to him and he claimed his transformer went bad so he has been unable to work. He said he has been burning money on fuel and couldn't continue doing so. I was sympathetic to his cause so I remained calm. I even consoled him for what he was going through. Few days went by and he told me his generator blew his laptop charger twice but I shouldn't worry because the transformer will be fixed soon. Once again, I didn't stress it.

However, I noticed some things were wrong with the initial theme I wanted to use which I had gotten through him for 67k thereabout because of a discount he claimed his account had on themeforest due to a "Group Service Program" he had going on with them. This so called discount allowed him get the themes at a %20 discount.

The day I bought that theme he sent a screenshot of mail that allegedly came from "Themeforest" telling him that his Group Service discount was expiring on the same day. So seeing that the supposed discount was ending on that day, it forced my hand to send him to "discounted cost" of the theme which was 67k.

I told him that I would like to change theme to another one I found. He claimed that he had a friend that has the unlimited plan for the theme but it would cost me 60 USD. He claimed to have negotiated with the "so called friend" for a part payment which was about 40 USD so I paid 47k for that on the 23rd of December. I didn't hear from him again. I called him for days he didn't pick. There was a day I had to leave him over 15 missed calls yet he didn't pick. I contacted a friend of mine to help me reach out to him with his number and he picked up. He then called me immediately claiming that he was arrested and his lawyer just brought his phone to the prison cell and that's when my friend's call came in. He said he was most likely going to be released the next day and would call me. This was on the 26th.

Since that day I haven't heard from him neither has he picked nor returned my calls. On the 30th or thereabout my friend called him again with another number because he was no longer picking his calls as well and he picked up . He claimed that he is in the hospital receiving treatment due to injuries sustained in prison. I haven't heard from since since this day till date. It has been Since the initial payment.
I expected him to have been reaching out and even apologizing for the delay and pleading but he didn't. Instead, he ignored my calls and text.

On the 4th of January (Thursday) I used another number to call he didn't pick. Then I sent a text saying I was interested in his VPS hosting and called again. This time around he picked up and told me to text him on WhatsApp. Same person that has been ignoring my messages and texts. I told him with the fake account that I wanted to buy a theme and he still said he has a group discount lol. Same discount he told expired on the 14th of December and he was yet to renew.
Few minutes afterwards he texted me on WhatsApp trying to explain. I told him that I would just rather get a refund. He told me he will be able to start the website on Monday(8th of January) hopefully if he recovers his laptop. However, on the other unknown number I was texting him about the VPS and web design, he said if I were to pay immediately he would start the website in 30 minutes and deliver within 5-15 days. Even as I was texting him with my own account I asked if he had renewed the group service discount and he said no. Whereas, he was telling me on the fake account that he has an active group discount.

After this day, I didn't hear from him again. The following week (told him to refund me by Monday being 8th of January) he didn't reach out. I texted him on Friday of the same week he didn't respond. Texted again on Sunday to no avail. He read my messages but didn't respond. I called him, he didn't pick nor return my calls. I proceeded to text with another number and he replied swiftly.
Till today (29th January) I have not heard from him.

I may not be able to recover my money back and have no clue how to proceed to recover what has been lost, but I want to put this out there so people would be weary or careful when dealing with him.

Apparently he has also been called out before;

https://www.nairaland.com/7830420/scam-alert-pls-dont-fall#125612977

This is quite unfortunate. I am sorry to hear your plight. Reach out to me via the contact below, I might be able to help in my small way. No payment attached.

It's unfortunate, I don't know the full story but, it's things like this that makes client coming from Nairaland fearful of being scammed.

Did he have a website or a company name

Yes sure he does. He also has a personal blog.

Shomek:
Did he have a website
or a company name

Dhatgirl:
Yes sure he does. He also has a personal blog.

you will need to his blog
name

WebXperrt:
This is quite unfortunate. I am sorry to hear your plight. Reach out to me via the contact below, I might be able to help in my small way. No payment attached.

It's unfortunate, I don't know the full story but, it's things like this that makes client coming from Nairaland fearful of being scammed.

i recommend this web designer, he is detailed in his doings, working on first project with him..so far so good..all is well

Free training session 💯

Posted this already twice and I got banned. Had to create an account to post them as pictures.

Also...

And

So, I am working on a website for you, I had issues for two weeks, came out, explained to you, told you I've got the theme, send you a screenshot of the theme with me and all I just need to do is start once my laptop is ready. You told me you don't need my service again... I accepted to pay you back even though you didn't even pay the theme money to me directly, you paid it yourself to the sellers account. Now he isn't doing a refund... Still Im still promising to get you a refund once I sort my wife medical issues out.. You called me out here...

What should I have done?
See, below is an image of my wife having blood transfusion.

How have I scammed you?

You see that your reply when she said she doesn't need your services anymore... I swear, that's maturity. You sound too mature there. I don't really need a website but I'll create one. How's your wife? Is she getting better?

Hematuria is a crazy sickness. She will keep peeing all the blood you're giving her and you will keep buying blood every 3 days. It's better you visit some professionals on this. Life comes before anything.

I should have purchased one of your domains on afternic to help out but it's too expensive. I'll drop you a message soon.

Everyone in life at one point or the other falls into sh!t like this. It doesn't mean you should come and destroy him on Africa largest forum.

The whole story doesn't sound like fraud, scam or someone running of with someone else funds. It's just about tolerance.

JakesCreativit:
So, I am working on a website for you, I had issues for two weeks, came out, explained to you, told you I've got the theme, send you a screenshot of the theme with me and all I just need to do is start once my laptop is ready. You told me you don't need my service again... I accepted to pay you back even though you didn't even pay the theme money to me directly, you paid it yourself to the sellers account. Now he isn't doing a refund... Still Im still promising to get you a refund once I sort my wife medical issues out.. You called me out here...

What should I have done?
See, below is an image of my wife having blood transfusion.

How have I scammed you?

Bro, send me a dm. Let's take care of your wife first. That's a priority now.

JakesCreativit:
Also...

Lol you're coming here to post all these to make me look insensitive? Funny. You had a pending job for over a month and you didn't see the need to respond to my messages? Texts nor calls? I gave you ample time to reach out which you didn't. However, I'd text with another number and you'd respond?

Days where I gave you multiple missed calls did you reply and explain your situation and asked me for patience that I refused? Did you keep in touch and I refused? It's pathetic really. You want to play the victim, go ahead.

It took me posting this for you to reply me after how many weeks.

JakesCreativit:
So, I am working on a website for you, I had issues for two weeks, came out, explained to you, told you I've got the theme, send you a screenshot of the theme with me and all I just need to do is start once my laptop is ready. You told me you don't need my service again... I accepted to pay you back even though you didn't even pay the theme money to me directly, you paid it yourself to the sellers account. Now he isn't doing a refund... Still Im still promising to get you a refund once I sort my wife medical issues out.. You called me out here...

What should I have done?
See, below is an image of my wife having blood transfusion.

How have I scammed you?

Did you reach out to me telling me he refused a refund?
Did you tell me about your issues.
Stop lying geez.....
Did you reach out to me telling me about your wife's issues? Lord have mercy

Don't come here and play victim like I knew all these. You have not spoken nor responded since the 5th of January.

You could come out here to reply on NL with epistles but you couldn't reply a WhatsApp message lol.

You're the one running around calling yourself a scammer not me. I simply posted my experience wherein everything is a 100 percent true.

Post a screenshot about you telling me about these health issues and feedback.

You don't have a phone you're using to access the internet? How tf are you getting all these chats?

I'll remove my post because I don't want to engage if it has to do with anyone's health.
I'll leave it to God to decide who is wrong or right.

I wish you well and safe recovery to your wife

MadMenGroup:
You see that your reply when she said she doesn't need your services anymore... I swear, that's maturity. You sound too mature there. I don't really need a website but I'll create one. How's your wife? Is she getting better?

Hematuria is a crazy sickness. She will keep peeing all the blood you're giving her and you will keep buying blood every 3 days. It's better you visit some professionals on this. Life comes before anything.

I should have purchased one of your domains on afternic to help out but it's too expensive. I'll drop you a message soon.

Everyone in life at one point or the other falls into sh!t like this. It doesn't mean you should come and destroy him on Africa largest forum.

The whole story doesn't sound like fraud, scam or someone running of with someone else funds. It's just about tolerance.

Lol.....tolerance? What do you know
Tolerance is when the person responds to your messages and calls. Asks you to be patient rather than ignore you for close to a month.

Tolerance funny
For you to post this, it's either y'all are friends or you're not that objective. Lol
You commented on his previous post as well.
For someone Who's barely active, you sure know when something has been posted about him every time.

LeakedAngel:
Bro, send me a dm. Let's take care of your wife first. That's a priority now.

Nobody, not even his client knew about this is entire "wife" situation he finally came out to talk about just because he got called out, he has been mute on her and claimed he had a serious issue with the police authority which he is not talking about here, that was the major reason she gave him all the time to settle whatever problem he claimed to have with the authority, i can clearly vouch for her coz i called him and spoke with him around December when he wasn't picking her calls anymore, then after I told him I was a friend of her's and why has he been ghosting on her and not picking up her calls, which he claimed to be in the police station when answering that call, and few days passed which he stopped recieving my calls until i called with he different number,he picked and I told him I was same person who spoke to him a week ago about a pending job (during our first discussion when he was he the station he gave a clear assurance of being out of there the next day that his lawyer was already on getting him out,yet took me a week to call him back) , then he claimed to be in the hospital as when he was answering me.
now he has been called out.. if you give your client a clear heads-up why u haven't met up with an agreement is a different situation/understanding.. not going ghost mode on a customer till you've been reached by a different/anonymous link. How does that tell he's being honest with his situations here and there?

MadMenGroup:
You see that your reply when she said she doesn't need your services anymore... I swear, that's maturity. You sound too mature there. I don't really need a website but I'll create one. How's your wife? Is she getting better?

Hematuria is a crazy sickness. She will keep peeing all the blood you're giving her and you will keep buying blood every 3 days. It's better you visit some professionals on this. Life comes before anything.

I should have purchased one of your domains on afternic to help out but it's too expensive. I'll drop you a message soon.

Everyone in life at one point or the other falls into sh!t like this. It doesn't mean you should come and destroy him on Africa largest forum.

The whole story doesn't sound like fraud, scam or someone running of with someone else funds. It's just about tolerance.

Turns out you are quite good at standing for him , same stunt u pulled on the previous thread he created and someone called him out... If you are speaking about maturity, looking at the beginning of this thread(first post) till the end , you'd clearly see she never used the words you claimed ur buddy didn't do, turns out you and him are the ones already calling it a scam,fraud.

He told her all his gadgets (phones/laptop) were with the police authority and upon getting them he'd get her job up and running since he had already bought what she paid him for..

So why has he been silent on her after possibly getting his gadgets back without notifying her nor telling about why there might be another possible delay(his wife)

Was it so difficult to tell her his wife was in a serious situation or that he has possibly collected his gadgets back from the authority

Then again why was he picked up by the authority that resulted to them man handling him to the point that left him in the hospital, he never made mention of all these problems ( Police , Hospital, his wife ) not until he was reached out to days/weeks via an anonymous means when ever he goes silent or doesn't respond to calls with numbers he was familiar with..

Dmedalion:

Nobody, not even his client knew about this is entire "wife" situation he finally came out to talk about just because he got called out, he has been mute on her and claimed he had a serious issue with the police authority which he is not talking about here, that was the major reason she gave him all the time to settle whatever problem he claimed to have with the authority, i can clearly vouch for her coz i called him and spoke with him around December when he wasn't picking her calls anymore, then after I told him I was a friend of her's and why has he been ghosting on her and not picking up her calls, which he claimed to be in the police station when answering that call, and few days passed which he stopped recieving my calls until i called with he different number,he picked and I told him I was same person who spoke to him a week ago about a pending job (during our first discussion when he was he the station he gave a clear assurance of being out of there the next day that his lawyer was already on getting him out,yet took me a week to call him back) , then he claimed to be in the hospital as when he was answering me.
now he has been called out.. if you give your client a clear heads-up why u haven't met up with an agreement is a different situation/understanding.. not going ghost mode on a customer till you've been reached by a different/anonymous link. How does that tell he's being honest with his situations here and there?

Bro, did you realize I didn't even engage in the whole drama? I'm not interested in who is right or wrong. I lost my wife 3 years ago to some kinda sickness and I know what that means. I'm less concern about the whole story going on. I just wish to help whomever is sick.

FYI, We have spoken, even did a video call and I can confirm the state of the lady. I'll be on my way to the hospital tomorrow. You should learn to read better. You sound more like someone pained by this whole situation. If you come after my post again, I'll put you in your place.

LeakedAngel:
Bro, send me a dm. Let's take care of your wife first. That's a priority now.

irrespective of his current situation as he claimed, be sure to request proper medical documents before assisting him..
Because nobody, not even his client knew about this is entire "wife" situation he finally came out to talk about just because he got called out, he has been mute on her or claimed he had a serious issue with the police authority which he is not talking about here, that was the majir reason she gave him all the time to settle whatever problem he claimed to have wih the authority, i can clearly vouch for her coz i called him and spoke around December which he claimed to be in tbe police start when answering that call, and few days passed which he stopped recieving my calls until i called with he different number then he claimed to be in the hospital, now he has been called out.. a shocking news about his "wife" being a critical condition is the new topic... I mean if you give your client a clear heads-up why u haven't met up with an agreement is a different situation/understanding.. not going ghost mode on a customer till you've been reached by a different/anonymous link. How does that tell he's being honest with his situations here and there?

Dmedalion:
irrespective of his current situation as he claimed, be sure to request proper medical documents before assisting him..
Because nobody, not even his client knew about this is entire "wife" situation he finally came out to talk about just because he got called out, he has been mute on her or claimed he had a serious issue with the police authority which he is not talking about here, that was the majir reason she gave him all the time to settle whatever problem he claimed to have wih the authority, i can clearly vouch for her coz i called him and spoke around December which he claimed to be in tbe police start when answering that call, and few days passed which he stopped recieving my calls until i called with he different number then he claimed to be in the hospital, now he has been called out.. a shocking news about his "wife" being a critical condition is the new topic... I mean if you give your client a clear heads-up why u haven't met up with an agreement is a different situation/understanding.. not going ghost mode on a customer till you've been reached by a different/anonymous link. How does that tell he's being honest with his situations here and there?

wait, it seems the economy has gotten into your sense of reasoning. I pray you never find help when you need one cos that's what you're portraying. I'm guessing you skipped where I said I made video I call to confirm the situation. Just rest bro. Your hatred will get to you one day. I'll do everything I can to make sure that lady becomes well. If you want to d!e due to this, feel free to.

LeakedAngel:
Bro, did you realize I didn't even engage in the whole drama? I'm not interested in who is right or wrong. I lost my wife 3 years ago to some kinda sickness and I know what that means. I'm less concern about the whole story going on. I just wish to help whomever is sick.

FYI, We have spoken, even did a video call and I can confirm the state of the lady. I'll be on my way to the hospital tomorrow. You should learn to read better. You sound more like someone pained by this whole situation. If you come after my post again, I'll put you in your place.

firstly my condolences on ur wife.
Secondly, we are all here for various business purposes, and if you had an issue which will result to not meeting to an agreement, speaking up on time is best thing to do, a reasonable person would understand that than not saying anything and not picking up calls.. even without knowing the said developer I clearly told her to give him time that he may turn up and possibly facing something.
Then again if she hadn't brought it up, would you have the said opportunity to assist him?
Like I said earlier nobody knew about his wife until yesterday he made that post here

LeakedAngel:
wait, it seems the economy has gotten into your sense of reasoning. I pray you never find help when you need one cos that's what you're portraying. I'm guessing you skipped where I said I made video I call to confirm the situation. Just rest bro. Your hatred will get to you one day. I'll do everything I can to make sure that lady becomes well. If you want to d!e due to this, feel free to.

Bro, save your stress. You should know it's either an alternate account or a good friend of the OP. That's why I decide not to reply him.

Dmedalion:
firstly my condolences on ur wife.
Secondly, we are all here for various business purposes, and if you had an issue which will result to not meeting to an agreement, speaking up on time is best thing to do, a reasonable person would understand that than not saying anything and not picking up calls.. even without knowing the said developer I clearly told her to give him time that he may turn up and possibly facing something.
Then again if she hadn't brought it up, would you have the said opportunity to assist him?
Like I said earlier nobody knew about his wife until yesterday he made that post here

oga, you have a problem

MadMenGroup:
Bro, save your stress. You should know it's either an alternate account or a good friend of the OP. That's why I decide not to reply him.

If you had read properly you would have seen where he clearly stated he was my friend who had reached out to the developer on my behalf in December.
Smh

Dhatgirl:

If you had read properly you would have seen where he clearly stated he was my friend who had reached out to the developer on my behalf in December.
Smh

why does he keep disturbing someone who isn't even interested in the whole saga? Is it a must for the guy to start playing blame game? The guy is just here to help, why is your friend acting that way?

LeakedAngel:
wait, it seems the economy has gotten into your sense of reasoning. I pray you never find help when you need one cos that's what you're portraying. I'm guessing you skipped where I said I made video I call to confirm the situation. Just rest bro. Your hatred will get to you one day. I'll do everything I can to make sure that lady becomes well. If you want to d!e due to this, feel free to.

Because you say this (curse) doesn't mean it will come to past because you're not God. Lol
Sha na you get your phone therefore you're at liberty to type as you may Sir.
Nobody is stopping you from helping whomever you choose you to.
I do pray you do all you can to help her and she bounces back to perfect health.
Nobody will ever wish anybody ill health.
I pray she gets all the possible assistance she can get.

MadMenGroup:
why does he keep disturbing someone who isn't even interested in the whole saga? Is it a must for the guy to start playing blame game? The guy is just here to help, why is your friend acting that way?

Acting what way please? He's simply defending what he knows before the other guy went on about God knows what.
Did my friend attack him before he told him that he'll never find help in his life?
ThankGod man is not God