The Advice I Almost Took: Dodging a Financial Bullet

by Henrik Bacilieri

A guy I met through a mutual friend invited me out for coffee this month.
He knew I was into finance and wanted to pitch me something.

Turns out, it was a "guaranteed return" investment involving crypto mining hardware in Eastern Europe.

He had spreadsheets, videos, even photos of warehouses.

He said:

“We’ve never lost a dime. 15% monthly returns. You just wire the money and the system takes care of the rest.”

I’ll admit it—I was tempted.

I even started calculating how much I could put in without feeling it too much.

But then something kicked in:

“If this is so good, why is he asking me for $5,000?”

❌ Why I Walked Away

  • The “guaranteed return” language was a red flag

  • No legal contracts, just “promissory notes”

  • I couldn’t verify the mining rigs or team

  • He was more focused on getting money fast than on educating me

This wasn’t investing.
It was gambling with a sugar coat.

🧠 What It Taught Me

Even people in finance can get lured into bad ideas.
All it takes is a slick pitch and a little FOMO.

I’m learning that part of being a good advisor is protecting myself first—because if I fall for these traps, how can I guide anyone else?

Not every opportunity is worth chasing.
Some are worth walking away from. Quickly.

Henrik Bacilieri

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