The iPhone Investor & Masseuse Manipulator

There are those among us who have a strong and influential personality. Whatever they say, you will believe. They are very likeable, and you want them to like you, too. They are confident, charming and convincing, capable of getting you to do whatever they want, like a moth drawn to the light, despite any doubts you may have. Handing over thousands of dollars to invest in a ‘business’ is one of them, as GEORGIA TODAY found out when Eugenyi Yakovenko told us the story of a masseuse who had a way with words, as well as with his hands.

Eugenyi, from Ukraine, came to Tbilisi in September 2017 to seek out a professional for his chronic back pain. He contacted dozens of masseuses, but they were either charging too much or didn’t provide the exact service he needed. He was beginning to get worried when, out of nowhere, he saw a company called ‘Manual Therapy’ being advertised, which offered a good price and what he needed.

The company was operated by one man alone and, according to Eugenyi, he offered him extra sessions for free because he “very much respected my homeland and had lived and worked there.” Eugenyi had had many masseuses in his life, and so had high expectations. He was satisfied with the man’s work and started to visit him every day. He began to form a friendly relationship with the masseuse, staying behind for tea after appointments. “He talked a lot about himself, creating a convincing story, told confidently,” Eugenyi told us, leaving little doubt in his mind.

The man told him that he was a businessman, but that massage was his hobby because he “likes to do good and promised his dying father to help people.” The man added that his main income came from “the sale of new models of iPhone,” and that in March, he would open a store in Tbilisi.

With trust now established, the man invited Eugenyi to get involved with his business, starting with small amounts of cash so he could “order more phones.”

Eugenyi had doubts, of course, handing over money to someone who was still very much a stranger. He asked a friend to find some background information about him, but nothing could be found. However, every question Eugenyi presented him with was met with a convincing answer. With every doubt now extinguished, he was back on side. “He really put me back in order,” Eugenyi said. “He is a powerful manipulator. He led me to believe that he is a man of his word. I also believed him, because he really cured my back and injured shoulder.”

He gave the man $1200 and was told “the phones will arrive on 4/02/18.” Shortly after, the man and the money “disappeared.” A few days before leaving, one of Eugenyi’s friends had found some troubling information on social media - the man never deleted his company’s Facebook page and it became evident that he had done this before. Unfortunately, this information was discovered too late.

Eugenyi told us that, “as far as I know, in Tbilisi, he has made $30,000 - 50,000.” He has also operated in Ukraine and Russia, and may have now even moved on to Kazakhstan.

This can and does happen to the best of us. Eugenyi warns others to “be careful and to not trust unfamiliar personalities, even if they massage well and give you nice tea!”

Tom Day