There’s a particular kind of optimism that only hits when you receive money you weren’t counting on. It’s not joy but delusion. The kind that makes you feel like you’ve finally cracked the code.
So when I got paid for a freelance gig, a clean ₦200,000 sitting pretty in my account, my brain skipped every rational step, and my first thought wasn’t “save” or “budget” just one loud, irrational thought: how can I multiply this?
In April of 2025,
When ZeibeX Investment Ltd. came into the picture, along with Emeka’s friend, the self-proclaimed oracle of cash doubling.
He showed up at my house with the confidence of someone who had done this too many times.
“Just do am. 200k in, 400k out in 18 days. Na steady payout. I fit even link you with the admin.”
He had answers to every question. A suspiciously “clean” dashboard. Testimonials with corporate-sounding names, fake Google reviews. It was just polished enough to fool an overworked, semi-hopeful Nigerian because sometimes, it’s not ignorance scammers exploit; it’s fatigue.
I knew it was risky but I called it a “strategic risk.” In reality? It was ego, dressed up as intelligence and greed, disguised as a plan. I told myself it was worth a try. Worst case, I’d lose ₦200k. Best case? I’d double it and finally stop calculating fuel money like a final year student.
So I transferred the money and instantly became the investor I had always imagined myself to be. Uber rides. Soft life. A new confidence.
I paused all freelance outreach because why stress when your money is working for you? In my head, the return was guaranteed. I started planning for a lifestyle that hadn’t arrived, but what I was really doing wasn’t investing. It was fantasizing.
Day 3: the WhatsApp group disappeared.
No warning, just silence. “This group no longer exists.” I refreshed the page. Nothing. Checked the Zeibex site. 404.
Messaged the admin with grey ticks. Called Emeka’s guy. He picked up and then hung up immediately.
And just like that, the entire performance folded. So coordinated, it almost deserved an applause. My ₦200,000? Gone. Without refund and without remorse.
In the days that followed, I didn’t feel anger first, I felt curiosity. How did I, someone who prides himself on spotting red flags, still fall for this?
Then the answer hit me:
Financial literacy isn’t enough !!!
The thing is, even smart people make stupid decisions when they’re tired, pressured, or desperate to win in a daunting economic landscape like ours. Where hustle culture and financial anxiety go hand-in-hand, it’s easy to get tricked by anything that promises a shortcut.
ZeibeX didn’t teach me how to invest; it taught me that discipline is louder than hope. That real money moves are slow and incredibly quiet. Boring, if you may.
And unfortunately, that’s what the ₦200,000 paid for.
About the Money Moves Series
This series shares real stories from Nigerians navigating their finances in a city that constantly dares you to pretend you’re richer than you are. Some stories will sting. Some will make you laugh. But all of them will be true. Got a money story to share? Anonymously or not, we’d love to hear from you and feature that.
Until then, watch out for the next one.
While you are here, 👇
