I was conned out of R50K last week

So, you think you have problems? Think again. If problems were a competition, I’m totally convinced that I would be world champion. Not quite light reading on a Tuesday morning, but allow me the privilege of explaining.

I got conned out of R50 000 last week. Yes, you read correctly. R50k! In a nutshell, I paid for pool repairs. Apparently, the e-mail with the quotation from the pool repair guy was intercepted somewhere in the vast expanse of cyberspace.

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Being the trusting man I am, I transferred the money electronically per the “fake” e-mail. After all, I have known the pool repairman for the last 35 years. Hammer to the head. The fraud department at the bank, as well as the police, are investigating, but getting my money back seems to be a lost cause.

I know that for many people, R50 000 is small change. Social media is riddled with tenderpreneurs bragging about spending way more than that on a Saturday evening, even washing their hands using champagne.

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But for me, R50 000 is a fortune. It has taken quite some time to save up that money. On some strange level, I can deal with the fact that I have been conned. But what I will never forget for as long as I live is the disappointment on my wife’s face when I broke the news.

We were looking forward to teaching the little grandchildren how to swim this summer. And we were planning on hosting pool parties for friends and colleagues. We had even set a date to host an early Christmas get-together.

Being a victim of fraud really sucks. I have, over the past week, on more than one occasion, fantasised about how I would get my revenge. But now that the anger has abated, I realise the last thing I want is to exchange my hope for revenge. I do, however, still want justice, no matter the form.

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The reality, though, is that my problems are pretty insignificant. My family are all healthy, we are all well-employed, and we are privileged to spend a lot of time together. At the end of the day, my blessings far outweigh my problems. And for that, I am truly grateful.