Trending
Man tries to scam a scammer but ends up making a new friend
Ben Taylor tries to scam a scammer but is surprised when things don't turn out how he expected! Who knew a best-selling booklet was in the making?
Emily Medlock
08.19.19

It’s true, no one likes internet scammers. They fill your inbox with hopes, dreams, and lies. Offer you goods in exchange for money you’ll 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. That’s what most of us do, but that’s not what Ben Taylor of Ogden, Utah did.

YouTube
Source:
YouTube

It all started with this Facebook message that read, “My name is Joel from Liberia, West Africa. I need some assistance from you. Business or financial assistance dat will help empower me.”

YouTube
Source:
YouTube

Already looks pretty sketchy, right? Ben thought so too. He replied, “How can I help?”

YouTube
Source:
YouTube

But of course he didn’t really intend to help this “Joel.” Rather, he wanted to know more about the scam process. “How they bait people,” 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.

YouTube
Source:
YouTube

As you can see the place is pretty run down with salvage cars and more around. Street view proves it’s worse than we thought with a cop checking the place out.

YouTube
Source:
YouTube

But you can trust Joel right? He did say that, “BIBLE says in Proverbs 22 ‘a good name is better than silver n gold.’”

YouTube
Source:
YouTube

Ben agrees, but offers a different proposal. He said he owns a photography business and could use some pretty pictures. “How about a sunset? How about a nice, Liberian sunset?” 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 “sunset” pictures. They seemed legit and not stolen due to the fact that they were…well, rather poorly done.

YouTube
Source:
YouTube

However, Ben told him, “good job, you just need a better camera.” So Ben actually sent him a brand new $60 camera.

YouTube
Source:
YouTube

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.

YouTube
Source:
YouTube

What happened next was something no one expected. Joel actually got better!

YouTube
Source:
YouTube

So, what was Ben to do? How could he compensate the man so he didn’t become the scammer? Create a YouTube video of course.

YouTube
Source:
YouTube

In the video, he marketed a booklet he had made of Joel’s photos. He called the booklet, “By D Grace of God,” inspired by Joel’s messages.

YouTube
Source:
YouTube

While Ben planned to sell just a few to friends and family, he ended up selling out to people all over the world!

YouTube
Source:
YouTube

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.

YouTube
Source:
YouTube

And so, Ben wired the money, knowing that $500 is equal to a year’s 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 didn’t think he would. That is, until another batch of pictures arrived at his doorstep.

YouTube
Source:
YouTube

Turns out, Joel had bought out as much school supplies as he could and donated it to five schools in his area. In abundance!

YouTube
Source:
YouTube

Impressed with his new friend and partner Joel, Ben traveled all the way to Liberia shortly after.

YouTube
Source:
YouTube

Ben finally got to meet the man he had once seen as a scam artist. Joel admitted that he wasn’t looking to scam people, he was looking for a friend.

YouTube
Source:
YouTube

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.

YouTube
Source:
YouTube

Why did he do it? He’s 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.

YouTube
Source:
YouTube

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. “It feels good to help others,” he claims.

YouTube
Source:
YouTube

And Joel? Well, when asked why he didn’t just spend the money on himself and give his family a better life, Joel answered in only a way that he could. “It’s stealing, and that would be dishonest.”

YouTube
Source:
YouTube

Now that’s a story we can all learn something from. If you’d like to donate to the cause, invest in one of Joel’s books By D Grace of God.

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Article Sources:
To learn more read our Editorial Standards.
Advertisement