I thought it was just another job. A friend of mine suggested I try something in logistics, you know, arranging things for a company. The pay was basic, nothing fancy. But I was greedy. I didn’t want to settle for that, so I went straight into sales. I thought, at least in sales, I could make more money, get ahead faster. I didn’t really think it through.
When I got there, something felt off right away. The people weren’t friendly, and everything was so secretive. They handed me this massive contract—30 pages long. I couldn’t use my phone, couldn’t chat with anyone, couldn’t even look away from the screen. If you broke any of the rules, they’d take money out of your pay. It felt like a prison, but I told myself it was just how things worked. I didn’t want to quit without giving it a shot.
Then I saw what we were really doing. We were scamming people. We’d create fake profiles online—dozens, even hundreds of them. It was all so systematic. We’d message guys, pretend to be someone else, and get them to trust us. Over time, they’d get convinced to invest their money in fake crypto or other schemes, thinking they were going to make a lot of profit. Once they were hooked, we’d disappear, taking everything they’d put in.
I was there for only one day. I couldn’t do it. The more I learned about how the system worked, the sicker I felt. They trained us to build fake relationships with people, to play with their emotions just to steal from them. It was disgusting. These were people already struggling with bills and debt, looking for hope, and we were robbing them blind.
I didn’t even get paid for that day, but honestly, I didn’t care. I felt so guilty. I couldn’t sleep that night, thinking about the people on the other side of those screens. They trusted us, and we were taking everything from them. I quit the next morning. They didn’t even argue, just told me to leave.
I walked out with nothing—no phone, no passport. I felt like I’d barely escaped. But I knew I’d crossed a line. I didn’t feel right about it. I believe in karma, and I knew that what I did, even just for a day, would come back to me.
That’s why I’m at a different job now. At least here, we’re building real connections. No one’s being tricked or manipulated. People make their own choices. There’s no scam. It’s not perfect, but at least I can sleep at night knowing I’m not hurting anyone.
Karma is real, and it’s always there. You can’t run from the choices you make. You live with them, and at some point, you’ll pay the price. But I’m trying to do better now. I’ve learned that it’s never too late to turn things around.”
Humans of Kuala Lumpur
Photostory by Mushamir Mustafa
Transcribed by Preeti Patel
