My Scam Story by Yves Gaudouen

“After my divorce, I had one goal: to keep a roof over my kids’ heads. They were four and five at the time. I was getting 80,000 euros from the divorce after selling the marital house. That money was supposed to pay down my mortgage and secure my new apartment.

But my financial advisor had other plans. His name was Oscar. He told me I could help another client of his—someone just like me, recently divorced, trying to rebuild. He asked me to lend the money for a few weeks. He drafted a contract. He showed me paperwork. He promised I’d be repaid in a month with an extra 5,000 euros. And if the client defaulted, he’d cover it himself. He spoke so smoothly. And I trusted him blindly.

Four weeks passed. Nothing. Then another week. Then two. Each time: excuses. Finally I tracked down the supposed client. And I’ll never forget his words: ‘Oscar scammed me too.’ My stomach dropped. It wasn’t just money I’d lost—it was everything. Without that cash, I couldn’t cover my loan. Which meant losing the apartment. And possibly my children.

I took Oscar to court. The judge ruled in my favor. But Oscar knew the game. Nothing in his name. His BMW was a lease. His villa belonged to his partner. His accounts were empty. I spent nearly 20,000 euros in legal fees, and got nothing back. I stopped sleeping. I barely ate. Stress and anxiety became my daily life.

Then one night, scrolling online, I found his weak spot: reputation. He was a golden boy in his community. His partner was on TV asking for charity donations. Their whole image was built on respectability. So I reached out to TV shows that expose scams. Two ignored me. One declined. But a small new program said yes.

We showed up with cameras. The moment Oscar saw the lens, he cracked. His charm evaporated. He looked exactly like what he was: a thief. Within minutes, he ran off in his BMW. Days later he called me himself, begging me to stop the broadcast. He offered to repay every cent. The next day, I had nearly 100,000 euros in my account.

I saved my home. I kept my children. And the episode aired anyway. It’s still online. People keep sharing it. And honestly—I’m glad. Because for once, everyone sees the real Oscar.

There are several lessons to take from this story:
-First, never lend money that you actually need.
-Don’t let yourself be influenced by someone just because of their title or position.
-If you’re pressured to make an important decision in a very short amount of time, that’s already a red flag.
- Don’t rely too much on the police or the justice system to save you—filing complaints and taking legal action can help, but authorities don't have the means to prosecute every scammers.
-And above all, don’t feel ashamed! Scammers feed on that shame. They rely on silence, because as long as nobody talks about it, they can keep running their schemes.
-And finally, remember: everyone has a weak spot—even scammers.”