I'm keeping my name confidential for personal reasons but am submitting my story so that others can beware. I am also attaching a screenshot of someone else she did her modus on. I felt cheated, used and angry for what has happened. She hurt me emotionally because we started as friends and now, she owes me money.

I met Ann about a year ago at work and I immediately felt connected to her. She is a big girl with a really loud voice and she seemed to be friends with everyone. She seemed to be "in the crowd" but she also seemed to be a "keeper of secrets." I know she talks a lot, that's part of who she was and that's what makes her so bubbly and friendly but I have shared with her sensitive things about me, some even controversial and none of it ever surfaced. I knew I could trust her. She was my friend.

Now, during this time, I was doing side selling in the office to earn a little. What I do is I have a supplier overseas providing me bags, clothes, perfume, jewelry and other items and I offer it to my colleagues to see if they are interested and simply put, do the retail selling. Ann knows this and understands why I have to do it. As a single mom and the head of my nuclear family (parents and siblings), I need to maximize all possible sources of income and I simply need to invest. So when she said that she'd like to help me out, I didn't think twice. It started with one or two items that she'll just sell at the same rate I was - so she was doing it free of charge. After a week, however, her sales pattern was just astounding so I thought it would be fair for me to either divide the profit or better yet, be her supplier.

I earned about 200% of my usual profit in the first month. Sales dwindled by the second month for Ann and that's understandable, I still got profit for the goods that were sold. As a supplier, however, it was essential that I get paid for the items I passed to her (I have to pay my own supplier too!) but due to the nature of our relationship, I told her to pay me when the items are already sold. Ann told me that she'd like to be more aggressive and just sell any item that she could so despite a pending balance, she asked for additional goods. I saw this as a business opportunity because Ann was about to be moved to the morning shift and since there wasn't anyone selling goods in the morning shift, I being on the night shift, would be able to maximize the office market.

Sales improved the following month but Ann was still behind with all the stocks that were not yet paid. We talked about allowing a payout schedule (ie selling the items in advance and getting the payment on payday). She shared to me the buyers of each item with her and when we can expect the payment. All items were accounted for and I trusted Ann.

The fourth and fifth month wasn't any better but since everything was accounted for - and I was able to get to know the people on the list and confirmed that they owe Ann, I did not see an item of concern. Ann told me that the people are simply not adhering to their committed payment schedule causing the delay and I understood that. I also had a similar disposition in the night shift. I, however, had to ask Ann to cover the earlier supplies because it's creating a domino effect. She was quick to cover the remaining supplies from the second month but asked to hold off on the succeeding, at least until she is able to collect.

I wasn't oblivious to the other businesses that Ann was also doing. On top of the goods she's selling from me, I knew that she was also selling sandwiches and was also offering debt services (loan other people money and get 20% interest).
I was confident that she'd be able to cover the rest of the unpaid supplies as well as the uncollected payment as time passes.


I started to hear some word that Ann was in the hole on the sixth month. Word has it that she owes one or two people some money and was also behind her payment. I confronted Ann and she admitted that it was true. She relayed her difficulty in collecting the money and since it's staggered collection - the full payment for all the items that were owed was simply next to impossible.
It was a tough situation to be in. Ann was also a single mom and she can only accommodate so much. I understood her and gave her some slack. I was, however, starting to be concerned, and started to collect directly from the individuals identified on our list.

Some individuals were surprised that I was collecting from them because they did not know I was Ann's supplier. I stopped because I felt like it was improper for me to do so. But time was flying and I wasn't in any better state too.

We're now on our 10th month and Ann owed me about Php 200,000 - stocks and pending payment for purchased goods. All forms of communication with Ann are currently unavailable and/or inactive. I investigated the situation myself and found out that 1) she has already moved 2) she owed a lot of people money and 3) she also had a similar case in her previous call center.

I was so angry with what she did. For me, this is estafa on the grand scale! So I started to escalate her to her superior and unfortunately, I was advised that my business arrangement is personal in nature and the office cannot intervene. I was so pissed off and I felt cheated not only because of what Ann did but because the company I work for - with all its prestigious image and so-called care for employees - apparently cannot help me!

The 10th month is still ongoing and as I become more and more agitated and stressed of the situation, I realized that 1) I cannot press charges because I do not have a business contract 2) I cannot hold the company I work for liable because there was an office policy against selling without a license/approval 3) I have to charge this to experience and likely absorb the costs. I will not stop, however, in warning off others as regards the modus.

Be on guard at all times and always be objective. Don't be afraid to make a stand especially if you're on the right.