TheHoustonFoodie,<\/a> says a man he considered a friend convinced him to help with what he described as a \u201clocked\u201d bank account.<\/p>\n\u201cIt felt like betrayal, because coming from a trusted friend, you would think, Hey, he\u2019s not going to screw me over,\u201d Verde said.<\/p>\n
Verde says he met the man and the two quickly became close.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe met at a bar just going out. We would always go out every weekend. We would go on trips together. So, over those six months, we became really good friends,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
But in August 2024, Verde says the man contacted him claiming his bank account was frozen and he needed help moving funds.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe told me his bank account was locked\u2026 and he needed help transferring the funds out. And the only way to transfer those funds out, according to him, was to pay off a credit card,\u201d Verde said.<\/p>\n
Verde says he used Zelle, PayPal, Venmo, and other third-party payment apps to make payments, with the understanding he would be reimbursed.<\/p>\n
\u201cZelle, PayPal, all those third-party cash apps, Venmo. So, he was giving me the funds to pay down my credit cards from his supposed locked account,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
In the lawsuit, Verde alleges the friend orchestrated \u201ca calculated scheme\u201d involving promises of repayment, temporary credits, and ongoing assurances that turned out to be false.<\/p>\n
According to both Verde and Harris County court documents, credits that initially appeared valid were later reversed, leaving him responsible for the charges.<\/p>\n
\u201cI woke up one morning, woke up to $45,000 in chargebacks,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Verde says excuses piled up, including a fraudulent check \u2014 shown to KPRC 2 \u2014 that was drawn on a closed account. Verde sued in Harris County civil court, and the defendant never responded, leading to a default judgment.<\/p>\n
A judge awarded Verde:<\/p>\n
$45,195.96 in economic damages<\/p>\n
$90,391.92 in exemplary (punitive) damages<\/p>\n
Additional attorney\u2019s fees and pre-\/post-judgment interest<\/p>\n
Despite the judgment, Verde says he hasn\u2019t received a single payment.<\/p>\n
Verde also filed a report with Sugar Land Police. KPRC 2 went to two addresses listed in court documents \u2014 one was a restaurant, the other an empty, gated business.<\/p>\n
His lawsuit states the defendant evaded service, with process servers unable to reach him at multiple known locations.<\/p>\n
After Verde posted his story on Instagram, he says the response was overwhelming.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is actually mind-blowing how many people have come forward to me with their stories about this guy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He says some claim they faced similar financial situations.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople have come forward to me saying he defrauded them in real estate, like falsifying real estate documents to get approved for mortgage loans,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Verde says the experience has been tough, and he hopes speaking publicly encourages others to stay vigilant when it comes to money \u2014 even with people they believe they can trust.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m just shocked with how long this has been going on for and how nothing has been done about it by the police,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
KPRC 2\u2019s Re\u2019Chelle Turner<\/a> has contacted the defendant for comment. This story will be updated if we receive a response.<\/p>\nCopyright 2025 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n