PSA: How I Almost Became a Millionaire but Got Scammed (Phished) Instead; AND: An Ode to Love (True Riches)
Elaborate Scheme but Dodging Questions and Getting Too Personal; True Wealth
image generated using Google Gemini
“If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” (anonymous/traditional)
How would you like to get an unexpected email saying you caught the attention of a billionaire philanthropist who has noticed something in you that he likes and so he wants to provide you with some money to pursue the things that you (and he) find important?
Your response to that is probably something like, “Well, I would know right away that was not real. I’m not that gullible!”
But let me tell you just how smooth and elaborate this phishing attack was: I got an email that said a billionaire wanted to “donate” some money to me — that I had been selected to be one of the recipients of philanthropic donations that he regularly makes.
It didn’t say at first how much money was involved. The email came from someone I didn’t know, supposedly a woman named Sina Belschner, who was contacting me on behalf of the billionaire philanthropist’s foundation.
So I looked up Sina Belschner online, and there is such a person who apparently works at a university in Germany. So I thought, “Yeah, being an educator, she could be interested in protecting and helping kids” (something I’ve written about) and that’s why she’s helping out this foundation. The billionaire mentioned was my next research project. Sure enough, there is a person with the name given who is those things (a billionaire and a philanthropist), and lo and behold, something that interests him is keeping children safe.
And so I thought, “Well, that makes sense — he or one of his associates found something I wrote on substack about how strongly I feel about that topic, and how I protected the young kids I worked with both physically and emotionally,” — perhaps this article which contains this section:
Anybody can say this, of course, but I want to assert as strongly as possible: I would never hurt any child in any way. In fact, quite the opposite is the case: anybody who does so in my presence won’t be doing it for long, unless they kill me first — especially when it comes to my “grandchildren.”
Still, though, I wondered how they found my article, especially when English is not their first language — we’re talking about a woman in Germany and a man (Guillaume Pousaz) who was born in Switzerland — near Geneva, and thus French is probably his first language (although he is now based in the Arabic and English-speaking Country of Dubai).
NOTE: Please realize that neither the real Sina Belschner nor Guillaume Pousaz are the “bad guys” or people here; their names were used by the scammers without their knowledge or consent. When I tried to contact Frau Belschner using the email address I found for her online (in the link above), my email to her bounced. Mr. Pousaz did respond, almost immediately in fact, verifying that the other person corresponding with me is indeed a poser/impostor (see the latter half of this post for the gory details).
Due to my suspicions, I asked those who contacted me, “Why specifically am I being chosen for this ‘donation’?”
They ignored my question. Not just once, but twice. So that raised an alarm. I would think, if they really did find my article about protecting kids in the Internet thicket somehow, they would answer my query by responding with something like, “We saw your article on substack about protecting and defending kids, and we feel the same way about it” or something of that nature. So my suspicions were raised a little higher by their not being specific about why they favored me in the first place/from the “git-go,” and then ignoring my question.
Yet I began to think that this might be true/real; and if it was, the next question was: How much money would be involved in this “donation”? This guy’s a billionaire, I reasoned, so he probably wouldn’t take the time to make a gift of a mere thousand dollars, and likely not even $10,000, so … $100,000 maybe? That would be nice; not life-changing, but nice.
Finally (reeling out the bait gradually) they divulged that the figure to be ‘donated’ was 1.5 million Euros. I looked up what that is in dollars: currently about 1.7 million. Not too shabby! I could move up from $3 buck Chuck to something a little more hoity-toity.
Making the scam even more believable was that they stipulated that one half of the “donation” was to be used by me to help people locally in whatever way I (as the “expert” on what was needed in my area) deemed best. The other half ($850,000 or so) was to go to me so that I could “take care of myself” and not be burdened or distracted by having to worry about how I would pay for the “bare necessities of life,” as Kipling’s Baloo would put it.
The scammers then began to extract personal data, but only gradually, somewhat smoothly. First, they wanted to know my full name, phone number, address, and such things that anybody could find online anyway. So what’s the harm in providing information they could easily discover on their own? They were probably just making sure that I really was who I said I was, I guessed.
The phishers also wanted me to say how I would use the money to help the community. That made sense that they would at least be curious about that.
I worried, though, about how such a large sum of money would be transferred. Probably wired between banks, right? But to wire me money, they would need not only my bank routing number (easily discoverable, so no big deal), but also my bank account number (private). Armed with this data, they could withdraw from rather than deposit money into my account. So I was wary of them asking for this information.
But they never asked for those numbers!
Finally, though, after cleverly waiting hours to respond to my messages to them, and even over the entire weekend — apparently to make it seem that they were not overly anxious and only responding during normal work hours, thus appearing more legitimate and less “needy” or suspect — the “phishy” part landed: they wanted copies of a government-issued ID and a recent utility bill.
This answered the question I had before: Why would they want to withdraw funds from my bank account when there’s hardly anything in it? They apparently researched me (finding the “helping and protecting kids” connection between Pousaz and myself), so they would know that we don’t have much money in the bank, as we basically live month-to-month, or hand-to-mouth, as the saying goes. So why would they go to all this time and trouble to construct this somewhat-believable story when they wouldn’t get much from me monetarily even if they drained my account?
The request for the ID and utility statement caused their motive to dawn on me: Identity theft/fraud is their game (“phishing”).
How evil is that? To target someone by taking advantage of their desire to protect and help kids; despicable, really.
Fortunately, I am not money-hungry enough that I let this bait blind me to logic. Even when I was at the stage where this really seemed like it might be legit, it didn’t keep me up at night with dreams of sugar-plum fairies dancing in my head (or what I would buy with the dough). The extra money would have been nice to have, no doubt, but it wouldn’t really have changed the quality of our lives all that much. We have what we need; we get by. So my disappointment in almost being duped was relatively minor and even somewhat comical to me, in a droll but also irritating way.
For your education (PSA, or Public Service Announcement) and maybe even entertainment, here is the complete group of emails sent, in chronological order:
1)
On Jun 5, 2025, at 1:02 PM, Belschner, Sina <sina.belschner@ph-gmuend.de> wrote:
Hello, You have been selected to receive a Donation from Guillaume Pousaz, a Dubai-based Swiss-born entrepreneur, investor and philantrophist and CEO founder of payment platform Checkout. kindly confirm if this is your valid email so we can send you more information.
Thank You
Belschner, Sina
Communication Manager
Guillaume Pousaz Foundation
2)
On Jun 5, 2025, at 2:27 PM, B. Clay Shannon <clayshannon@icloud.com> wrote:
Hello,
I have to say, I wondered if your text was spam, but on doing a little research it seems legitimate, but I wonder why I would be selected to receive a donation.
At any rate, I'm curious, and my email address is no longer what it was (the aol.com one is semi-defunct); it is now axx3andspace@gmail.com
I am part Swiss, by the way — Kollenborns aus Romanshorn am Bodensee (my mother's maiden name was Kollenborn).
-- B. Clay Shannon
3)
On Fri, Jun 6, 2025 at 11:23 AM B. Clay Shannon <clayshannon@icloud.com> wrote:
Your email doesn’t contain my name. Is it me (B. Clay Shannon) you are reaching out to?
[ they didn’t answer that question, which is fishy (no pun intended) ]
4)
On Jun 6, 2025, at 9:50 PM, Guillaume Pousaz <info.guillamepousaz@gmail.com> wrote:
Hello B. Clay Shannon,
Thank you for your reply.
Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Guillaume Pousaz, a Dubai-based Swiss-born entrepreneur and investor. and the CEO and founder of payment platform Checkout.com.
As part of our philanthropic works, The Guillaume Pousaz Foundation has agreed to give part of our assets to charitable causes because we want to affect life positively. Over the years, we have donated hundreds of millions of dollars to various institutions and now it is time to assist entrepreneurs and individuals. Therefore, you have been selected to receive a donation of 1,5 Million Eur as part of our commitment to providing meaningful support to individuals and communities in need. We believe in your capacity to create a lasting, positive impact to the less privileged and needy in your locality.
This donation is divided into two distinct portions, each with a unique purpose that aligns with our shared vision of uplifting those in need and empowering those who inspire change.
Support for Your Community
A portion of this donation is specifically designated to assist individuals or families in need within your locality. We trust your intimate understanding of your community’s challenges and your ability to identify those who will benefit most. Whether you choose to use these funds for direct assistance, to launch or sustain community programs, or to support other impactful initiatives, we encourage you to direct these resources where they will make the greatest difference.
By entrusting this responsibility to you, we hope to see these funds bring relief to those who are struggling and to foster opportunities for growth, stability, and hope.
Support for You
The remaining portion of the donation is intended for your personal use. We recognize that in order to serve your community effectively, it is essential for you to have the resources needed to care for yourself and meet your own needs. This portion of the donation is a gesture of our appreciation for the work you do and our desire to ensure that you are empowered to continue being a source of strength and positivity for those around you.
Our Confidence in You
This donation reflects our confidence in your abilities, your dedication, and your compassion. We believe that your efforts will bring joy and relief to many and that your leadership will inspire others to join in the mission of community support and upliftment.
We hope this contribution serves as both encouragement and affirmation of the critical role you play in making a difference. Please know that our support is not only a gesture of trust but also a celebration of the impact you will continue to make in the lives of others.
Information Needed from you to process the donation are-
Full Names:
Address:
Phone Number:
Age:
Occupation:
Country:
Thank you for being a beacon of hope and a force for good in your community. We are excited to see the positive change this donation will help bring about under your guidance. Also, we would like you to send us a reply on how you will make use of these funds when given to you.
With warm regards and best wishes,
Guillaume Pousaz
Guillaume Pousaz Foundation
P.O.Box. 111485, Dubai
+971-2-3155810
5)
On Sat, Jun 7, 2025 at 4:02 AM B. Clay Shannon <clayshannon@icloud.com> wrote:
Hello Mr. Pousaz,
Thank you very much! Here are my answers:
Full Names: B. Clay Shannon
Address: [elided]; Monterey, CA 93940
Phone Number: [elided]
Age: 66
Occupation: Amateur History blogger on substack and possible future director of foundation to help children
Country: USA
As for how I would use the donated funds: I need to research the best way to assist children in need. This could be by setting up a foundation or in a less formal way by making direct gifts to help those in need, possibly orphans, perhaps from Palestine and/or Ukraine. I am certainly open to suggestions in how best to help kids especially.
-- B. Clay Shannon
axx3andspace@gmail.com (main)
[It was also somewhat suspicious that they never did send an email to my preferred email address, although they asked for it and I specifically noted it above; they kept emailing me at the icloud address, an account that I forgot I even had]
6)
On Jun 9, 2025, at 8:49 AM, Guillaume Pousaz <info.guillamepousaz@gmail.com> wrote:
Hello B Clay ,
Thank you for your reply. We have contacted the bank (Pacific Premier Bank), and they need the following information:
A copy of your valid government-issued ID.
A recent utility bill (e.g., for electricity, water, gas, or internet) from the last three months.
Please forward these documents as soon as possible so the bank can process the payment promptly.
Awaiting your response.
Sincerely,
Guillaume Pousaz
7)
from me
Hello Guillaume,
I hope you don't mind that I am a little leery of this. Although it, of course, would be very nice to have these funds to help kids (and myself), I don't understand why I was chosen to receive them. I know that I would use them to a good end, but how do I do know that YOU know that?
I don't mean to offend you, if you really are who you say you are, and I do have a theory about why this would be the case. I researched you and your foundation, and I see that you are interested in helping children and keeping them safe (as I am), but are you the REAL Guillaume Pousaz?
When I googled if it were dangerous to give people a copy of your ID and utility bill, it turns out that it is.
If this is a scam/phishing attempt, it is a very elaborate one, so I don't know what to think. It makes sense for the reasons stated above, but like I said, I'm hesitant to do something "dangerous."
I will send an email to another email account or two to try to discern the reality of this. If you receive them, please respond here from this email address so I know that "this" Guillaume Pousaz is the same person as the real Guillaume Pousaz.
I certainly hope that this is "legit," but if not, it will make an interesting substack article, at least.
8)
from the phisher/scammer:
Hello B. Clay,
I hope you're doing well.
As part of the process for completing the transaction, the bank requires a copy of your valid ID for verification purposes. This is a standard compliance step, and I kindly ask that you provide the ID so I can forward it directly to the bank.
Please rest assured that your information is safe and will be handled with the utmost confidentiality. In addition, I will be sharing with you the contact details of both my legal team and the bank representatives involved in this transaction, should you wish to verify or discuss any aspect directly with them.
You are dealing directly with me, Guillaume Pousaz, and I want to ensure that this process is as smooth and transparent as possible for you.
Looking forward to your response and the requested document at your earliest convenience.
Warm regards,
Guillaume Pousaz
9 a)
from me to sina.belschner@ph-gmuend.de
Hello Ms. Belschner,
I am either the victim of a scam attempt (or not). Can you verify that you work with Guillaume Pousaz's foundation and that he intends to give me a large donation in Euros? I received an email ostensibly from you stating such, from your email address (sina.belschner@ph-gmuend.de) to my email address (one I seldom use and forgot that I even had) clayshannon@icloud.com.
I hope it's not a scam, of course, but I am cautious because of the danger of providing the personal information requested by the bank (and I also wonder why I would be singled out to receive this donation).
Hallo Frau Belschner,
Ich bin entweder Opfer eines Betrugsversuchs geworden (oder auch nicht). Können Sie bestätigen, dass Sie mit der Stiftung von Guillaume Pousaz zusammenarbeiten und dass er mir eine große Spende in Euro zukommen lassen möchte? Ich habe eine E-Mail erhalten, die angeblich von Ihnen stammt und dies bestätigt. Sie stammt von Ihrer E-Mail-Adresse (sina.belschner@ph-gmuend.de) und ging an meine E-Mail-Adresse (die ich selten benutze und deren Existenz ich überhaupt vergessen habe): clayshannon@icloud.com.
Ich hoffe natürlich, dass es sich nicht um Betrug handelt, bin aber vorsichtig, da die von der Bank angeforderten persönlichen Daten gefährlich sein können (und ich frage mich auch, warum gerade ich diese Spende erhalten soll).
9 b)
- the email above "bounced" so I forwarded it to info@ph-gmuend.de:
Hello,
Can you tell me why this email "bounced"? Is Sina Belschner an actual member of your institution? If not, somebody has been trying to scam me using "her" email address (sina.belschner@ph-gmuend.de).
[Note: I haven’t heard back from them (yet, anyway; I’ll update this if they do)] — still no response from them as of 6/11/2025, so I wonder if that entire site is bogus, set up to facilitate the phishing operation
10 a)
from me to guillaume.pousaz@checkout.com (the real Guillaume Pousaz)
Hello Mr. Pousaz,
I am either the victim of a scam attempt (or not). Can you verify that you (the real Guillaume Pousaz) have contacted me at clayshannon@icloud.com from the email address "info.guillamepousaz@gmail.com"? If it wasn't you, then somebody is trying to scam people using your name.
10b)
The real Guillaume Pousaz’s response:
Clay
I am sorry for this inconvenience. Please do not respond to the people who emailed you. I never email anyone outside of work so the people who reached out to you are definitely scammers of some sort. Downside of success, sorry again!
Guillaume
11)
My final [ or so I thought at the time ] reply to the scammer:
I have been in contact with the real Guillaume Pousaz. Shame on you!
12 a)
from me to Pacific Premier Bank: clientservices@ppbi.com
Hello,
Someone may be using you to try to scam/phish me. A person claiming to be Guillaume Pousaz (a billionaire and philanthropist) wants to send me 1.5 million Euros, but he claims that in order to send the money to your bank, I need to provide him (to pass on to you) a copy of my government ID as well as a current utility bill.
This seems dangerous to me. It could be real (there IS a reason why he might have chosen me to receive money from his foundation, to help children), but I want to know and not be "gullible." Can you tell me if Mr. Pousaz really does intend to deposit 1.5 million Euros / 1.7 million dollars for me, and if so, how would that work? I don't have an account with your bank.
12 b)
-- their response:
Hello Clay,
Thank you for contacting Pacific Premier Bank. We attempted to call you and left a voicemail regarding your Scam inquiry.
If you are still in need of assistance, please call us at 855-343-4070 and reference ticket number 3473661.
We are open M-F 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM and Sat 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
We look forward to helping you. Have a great day.
Heather Hoyle | Client Services Team Lead
17901 Von Karman Ave Suite 1200, Irvine, CA 92614
Direct: (855) 343-4070
www.ppbi.com
[ they also left me a voicemail, offering that I call if my problem was as yet unsolved]
UPDATE
I also sent email to a couple of places that look into phishing shenanigans, namely reportphishing@apwg.org and ReportFraud@ftc.gov, the latter of which may have been shut down, as the email to the second email address bounced. This is what I sent:
Hello,
I was the victim of a rather elaborate phishing attempt and wrote about it here:
I hope the perpetrators are apprehended and forced to listen to Barry Manilow “music” for the rest of their lives.
UPDATE 6/11/2025
Even though I told the phishers that I was on to them, I got another email from them this evening:
From: Pousaz Foundation <aeepckrt@tnebnet.org>
Date: June 11, 2025 at 5:58:32 PM PDT
Subject: Donation
Reply-To: Pousaz Foundation <contactus@guillaume-pousazfoundation.com>
Dear Beneficiary,
Trust this email finds you well? We have sent you an email regarding the donation from us to you but no reply from you.
Kindly let me know if you are ready to proceed so that my bank can get things completed.
Awaiting your reply.
Pousaz Foundation
I responded that I had already told them I had been in contact with the real Guillaume Pousaz and that I had reported them, too. I hope they get nabbed, but whether they do or not, I’ll probably never know about it, but will update here if I do.
I also got another email from the real Guillaume Pousaz today:
Hi Clay,
Sorry again for the inconvenience this has caused. Hopefully your blog post will help others.
Thanks
Guillaume
-- and I responded:
Hey, Guillaume, it's not your fault at all.
I was thinking about some way I could help the local kids (and myself, too, yeah), but it's fine. I'm retired and only need to work part-time, and love spending time with kids, so I'm planning on teaching English online as soon as I get my TESOL certification (soon). We'll make do, like always.
Thanks for reaching out!
I never imagined I would be exchanging email with a billionaire, but he must be a good guy since he made the effort and took the time out of his doubtless very busy schedule to express fellow feeling towards me even when none of it was due to any fault on his part.
UPDATE 6/12/2025
This is not about the above, but related. It seems I’m becoming a scam magnet. I got this email today. I don’t know why I would be receiving a payment, and the email address looks suspect, too. Here’s the email and my reply:
WTH?
These attempts to trick people usually seem to, like gambling, prey on people’s desire for more money (greed, or something related to it).
Very few people would choose “less” if asked, “Would you rather have 10% more money, or 10% less money?” And “everyone,” it seems, dreams of being rich at some point in their lives (if not for their whole lives). But I, who have never been rich (in the normal/accepted sense of the word) — nor have I ever missed a meal or been homeless — have come to the conclusion that truly being rich is primarily about Love.
That may sound hippie-ish or newage-ish, but if “being rich” is when you are the happiest and most content, I can point to two periods in my life when I was the richest, and they have nothing to do with how much money I had or didn’t have. They are:
1) The time when our sons were living with us, from the birth of our firstborn in 1983 to our second son moving out a few years back after he got married. There were seven years between our two sons, so that period of family bliss lasted for more than thirty years, almost half of my life.
2) The three-and-a-half months I spent working in the after-school program at Monte Vista TK-8 school here in Monterey, California during the last few months of 2024 and the first part of this year, when I became very close to many of the 1st and 2nd graders (and a few of the Kindergartners and 3rd graders), several of whom ended up calling me Grandpa and swarming me with hugs when I arrived on the playground. That brief period was by far the brightest, richest time of my life since losing my firstborn son to death thirteen years ago. I miss those kids every day.
It’s the giving and receiving of love that make us rich. As corny or impractical as it may sound, Love is the most important thing; compared to it, money is nothing.
I love my wife, and I love my life, but I would feel so much richer if I had at least one or two young kids in my daily life again. A hug from a kid, or even a warm smile and sincere greeting from them, are worth far more than their weight in sapphires, diamonds, and emeralds.
Olde-fashioned as I am, I will conclude with a quote from Emerson:
“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children…to leave the world a better place…to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”—Ralph Waldo Emerson
A fuller example of this last section can be found in a separate post here.
