That's right—ultimately, he forfeited the $1,500 he paid me for my travels, having wasted both of our time while losing $1,500 himself for being a scumbag. (This I was proud about.) I was also proud to have figured him out and to blacklist him to prevent him from harming others.

If I had to do it all over again, I would—likely just the way that I did it. I was optimistic and unsure at first if he was legit. The only thing I think I could have done better is maybe receive more upfront, but I reasonably decided that I wouldn’t trust a stranger myself with a $10K upfront payment.

Another thing I might do next time is ask for a picture of photo ID held up next to their face.

I was going to record the interaction, but the moment that I met face-to-face to him, the energy was intense and I had forgot. - I wish that I got a picture of him, although I can now identify him in the future.