Internet Fraud: My younger brother has joined them

It's a good morning here!

I'm still struggling to be balanced here because I couldn't concentrate here for just two days. So sorry if you haven't seen me in your blog this few days.👍

Just last week, one of my junior siblings at home messaged me that he wants to buy a phone. I was surprised because I thought the financing would be from me, so I decided to reply smartly to all his chats to avoid being billed because now what I'm Saving is not for phone nor anything close to that.

He said I shouldn't be worried because he's financing everything and that got me more shocked. How? Where's is the money coming from? He said he's been working and saving for the money for some months and it's all ready now. Working where? I asked him again because I can't remember when we discussed about him working.

Meanwhile this boy is 16years in the final class of secondary school. He's living with our parents and other siblings in our home town.

I knew where he was heading to because he was trying hard not to hit the nail in telling me where he got the money from. The amount we are talking about is roughly $150. I know that my dad can not give out money to buy phone for his children neither will mom. That's how they trained us🤷

After much talk, he opened up and told me that he got it from "hustle" and that's yahooo(internet fraud). I wasn't surprised and I wasn't mad at him at all. Infact I love how he opened up to me. I've been a far away elder brother to these siblings of mine that we seldom talk on personal things. So I was happy hearing that he decided to tell me. I played along and never shouted at him and he felt comfortable letting me to know in details. I asked him some questions and he voiced out completely. He told me all the processes he used in getting the money from the questions I was asking. I have lots of friends into the Yahoo and they've persuaded me countless times to join but I refused, that's where I got all the basic info on the Yahoo of a thing. So I was asking him based on what I know and he was replying accordingly

Back to the phone matter, I told him to send the money so I could get it for him when coming home and he agreed, he sent the money to my account ASAP.

When I got home from work that night, I told my immediate younger brother living with me and he flared up with anger that how could a small boy be doing internet fraud. I was trying to calm him down but he refused, he picked up his phone and called him instantly, reign threats on him and I was just looking at him. I asked him "do you think that your threat would make him to stop? This is someone that's gradually slipping out of our control and gaining his own control. The best we can do now is to draw him nearer, let him know the other side of this acts. He was still angry so I just let him be.

When I travelled home last Sunday, I could not get the phone along because phone shops were closed due to the Easter celebration. I got home and he was expecting me to unleash the phone to him but it turned the other way when I told him that I was not able to get it. Meanwhile I just told him that we'll find time to discuss about an important issue. My stay there was so choked up that I hardly stayed with them at home, I was all out for the wedding ceremony which I enters house to sleep at midnight.

After the whole event, I called him down one on one, started letting him know where he's heading to if he doesn't stop it. I analysed all the words with people's experiences coupled with good examples. I told him to stop now because if he continues at this tender age it'll definitely steal his mind away. There'll be a point that it'll enter so deep into his blood and and it'll be tough to leave. It's just like someone being addicted to drugs- once in, hard to opt out.

I gave him instances of people that are using rituals to enchant clients to pay, those people started little too but addiction made them to diversify into the ritual realm. I asked him that if he doesn't stop, there'll be a time he'd be asked to bring blood for sacrifice and by then he has gone far to opt out. Ofcourse he can't use my blood because even my shadow can't be caught, he'll end up using parents if the people insist that the blood must be from family. "would you like to use any of the family members for sacrifice/rituals?" I asked him and he answered "No".

We talked at length and I was giving him instances with clarification and he was affirming to all them.

After a long talk, tears began to drop out from his eyes, and I was convinced that the words were entering into him. He decided to quit and I gave him tips that would help him out, such as limiting moving with those friends (this will be hard because these boys are everywhere, even his 98% of his church friends are into it). I told him also to delete his working tools in his phone and stay off.

The money he's gotten already (which he sent to me earlier), I told him I'd get the phone for him because the one he's using currently is bad and that's only when he promise that he won't go back and He agreed.

I told him about this platform as well, that if he could channel the effort he's been using to 'hustle' in the internet fraud to this readcash, he will make it big in a short time. He concurred.

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Closing Remark

It's very tough to handle teenagers especially with the influence of this modern world. They're easily influenced by what's trending as long as they're mingling with people outside.

Are we going to cage them from going outside? Are we going to cage them from going to school or church? A big No! Some parents would say that these children get the bad influence from friends in school alone, but that's false conclusion. Have you seen people in church settings?

Here in my side of the country, 80% of youths are into internet fr*ud and it's more like a normal way of living. When these children start mingling with them all in the name of church brothers or friends, they'll be enticed to jump into this "normal" current way of living.

To the parents, try and be closer to your children. You won't know what they're doing with their phone if you're not close enough. As I'm writing this, my parents know nothing about this...

Pray for them also to follow the Godly path and never to deviate to the other side. Call their names in prayers, let God help you to control their minds because Only Him knows what's in the deep mind.

But this is painful how the sermon preached in churches does not longer query the mind of these children. Check very well in the midst of 10 youths, you'll find 6 or 7 into internet fr*ud.

Image source

I was travelling on Sunday and a lady in bus was making a call, talking from top of her voice, asking some of the details of the current trend of in the Spanish 'hustle'. You needed to see how she was talking with boldness and not hidding anything or minding if we'll look at her with a strange look. That's how this thing is rampant. I wonder how this earth will be in the next 5years.

Thank you for reading

20th April 2022

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