When Ben realized someone was trying to scam him online, he decided to teach this person a valuable lesson.
But little did he know, he would actually become friends with the scammer. So how did it happen?
Joel From Liberia
One day, Ben Taylor received a Facebook message from someone named Joel from Liberia saying, “My name is Joel from Liberia, West Africa.”
The message continued: “I need some assistance from you. Business or financial assistance that will help empower me.” So how did Ben respond?
He Responded
The message looked suspicious, but Ben replied anyway and asked the man how he could help. He wasn't planning to help him, of course.
“That’s how they bait people," he later told CBS news.
An Offer
The stranger offered to send used electronics to a place in New Jersey, which Ben could sell for them to share the profits.
The site looked abandoned based on Google images, but Ben didn't want to give up just yet. So, he asked Joel to send him pictures of the Liberian sunset.
Feedback
Joel sent him a few photos, which seemed genuine. That's when Ben came up with an idea that would change both of their lives.
In his message, he explained that the photos were great and that he just needed a better camera.
Grateful
Then, Ben went to the store and bought a $60 camera for him. Joel thanked him and said he was looking forward to doing business with Ben.
But would Ben hear from him again?
They Didn't Lose Touch
To Ben's surprise, Joel didn't stop talking to Ben after he sent him a brand new camera. Instead, he started sending Ben more photos, which looked much better than the ones he took with his old camera.
But that wasn't all.
He Made A Youtube Channel
Ben also started a Youtube channel and made videos of what he received from his Internet friend, promoting the photographs.
Was his channel successful?
Making Money
Ben also began selling the booklets of Joel's photographs to his family and friends, and he was surprised to see when he got requests from people all over the world.
He actually made decent money, too.
Success
It wasn't long before Ben had made a good profit. He couldn't wait to tell Joel all about it.
So what was his next move?
He Went To Visit Joel
Ben decided to fly out to Liberia to meet his business partner. By then, he had sold over 6,000 copies of the book and wanted to share the profit with Joel.
Joel, who was a father of 7, was ecstatic! He could have never expected to make so much money from his photos.
Helping Others
Joel used his earnings to help many people in his community. He also made a lot of new friends in his town.
Joel said that Ben was the first person to answer him. He had sent hundreds of messages to people all over the world, but no one wanted to help him.
Father Of Seven
Joel desperately needed money to feed his family. "I'm a father of seven," he said.
"To feed the kids, a lot of things run into your mind." Joel hoped that someone would help him out of poverty.
Desperate Plea
His plea read: "My name is Joel from Liberia, West Africa. I need some assistance from you. Business or financial assistance that will help empower me."
However, most people just assumed he was a scammer.
It Wasn't The First Time
Ben later admitted he had no intention of helping Joel at first. "I've gotten these types of messages before," he said.
"So when I got it, I just figured here's another one of those scams, and so I wanted to teach them a lesson because you don't just mess with people and get away with it." However, he is glad he agreed to help Joel, seeing how hardworking and determined he is.