3 Helpful Tips to Not to Get Swindled in the FGC

With recent revelations that several mediocre Fighting Game Community players were allegedly involved in significant financial missteps, some observers and community members are beginning to ask if the Fighting Game Community is in the midst of a global financial crisis. FGCNN's Financial Strategists have compiled a helpful list of tips to avoid parting ways with your hard-earned cash.

1. Resist the urge to lend money to a fighting game player. 
In one such incident, Richel Hernandez, a self-described "close friend" of Peter "Flash Metroid" Susini, allegedly loaned approximately $7,000 to Mr. Susini in March of 2013 because of a "family emergency", with an alleged verbal agreement to repay the funds within 1-2 weeks as detailed in a now-deleted Facebook post. Mr. Hernandez further alleges that he has not been repaid as of the time of the Facebook post, with Mr. Susini claiming he is unable to pay due to several reasons, including having misplaced all forms of identification, not having a Social Security Number, and being a fraudulent "Street Fighter IV" player that "left" the community when his lack of skill was exposed by competent players. FGCNN legal experts have deduced from the Facebook posting that Mr. Hernandez likely did not have a contractural agreement of terms with Mr. Susini, and may experience some difficulty retrieving his funds in civil court, though this is probably a total waste of time as Mr. Susini's bank account is likely as empty as promises to deliver the cash payouts owed to VxG competitors.
2. Avoid lending money to a fighting game player. Mr. Susini is not the only Fighting Game Community personality involved in a recent money lending scandal, as Brandon "HAV" Tizol is alleged to have failed to repay a $2000 loan to Chris "DJHuoshen" Miller. Mr. Miller, who describes Mr. Tizol as "someone I had known for more than a year" made a personal loan to Mr. Tizol in July of 2012, with a verbal agreement that the funds would be repaid in October of that same year. The two men later agreed to extend the deadline to November, following a scheduling conflict, at which point Mr. Tizol is alleged to have disappeared into thin air; Mr. Miller attempted to serve Mr. Tizol with legal summons, but Mr. Tizol could not be found at home, where he is generally known to be. FGCNN experts aren't sure who either of these men are, but it is assumed they are slightly more relevant than Mr. Susini.

3. Avoid giving money to a fighting game player. Members of the Top Players Party are also alleged to have engaged in predatory financial practices through scams referred to as "donation drives". In a "donation drive", a Top Player will make promises of providing a service or some form of entertainment to members of a live streaming audience in exchange for "donations" of cash. One alleged donation drive occurred in 2013, when Michael "Yipes" Mendoza solicited the community for donations in order to upgrade his live streaming equipment with the promise that he would provide hours of entertainment for viewers to enjoy. Mr. Mendoza's donation goal was allegedly met and the equipment was purchased, yet Mr. Mendoza has not consistently performed a live stream in nearly six months. Mr. Mendoza was not asked to comment on why he has failed to deliver on his promises to provide a live stream, but audiences continue to express their undying adoration for the popular media icon and would likely throw more money at him if he asked them for it. It is unknown if his Chief Legal and Exploitation Expert, Triforce Johnson, is aware of this fact.

Even more revealing is a recent study which concludes that a person's fiscal trustworthiness is inversely proportionate to the amount of time spent as an avid FGC member. FGCNN recommends not to lend large amounts of money to close friends, not to lend large amounts of money to people you've known for little more than a year, and also not falling prey to "donation drive" scams, as the recipients generally will not follow through on their promises. However, by following our 3 helpful tips, you can avoid most of these situations entirely.

Have you ever encountered an issue with recovering lent funds? Are all FGC players unable to honor their financial obligations? Let us know in the comments below!

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