The Deep Hurt Behind Those “Shortcut” Words – And the Truth About Who I Really Am

Assalam-o-Alaikum everyone,

Murtaza Moiz here from Karachi.

I’ve shared before how a WhatsApp scam in December 2025 cost me 579,000 rupees, my job, my reputation, and the trust of people close to me. But the wound that still hasn’t healed is not the money or the job loss — it’s the way certain seniors spoke to me afterwards, especially this one line that keeps replaying in my head:

> “Ok lekin yaar tum ek advice toh le lo… kaam karne se pehle main konsa tumse door tha ya contact mein nahi tha bhai… Allah rahem kare tum pe dua karo lekin agar kisi pe koi bharosa nahi karna – short cuts hum middle class logon ke liye nahi hotay hain”

That last part — short cuts hum middle class logon ke liye nahi hotay hain — was said like casual advice, but it felt like a direct accusation. It painted me as someone who is always looking for the easy way out, someone impatient, someone without morals, someone who deserves to be taught a lesson.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Let me tell you clearly who I actually am — because this label hurts more than the financial loss.

I live by a simple rule in every part of life: no shortcuts, no wrong ways, even when it’s inconvenient.

- When I ride my bike or drive my car in Karachi traffic, I never take the wrong side of the road. Never. My friends who sit behind me or ride with me know this — they sometimes laugh and call me “too strict” or “too slow,” but I always reply the same: I’d rather arrive late with a clear conscience than reach early by breaking rules. I wait at signals. I give way to pedestrians. I stay in my lane even when chaos is all around.

That same principle I carry into work, relationships, and money.

I never chased easy money. I was already working hard — long hours, paying every bill on time, supporting my family without complaints. When that WhatsApp message came from someone offering YouTube work, it didn’t look like a shortcut to me at first. It looked like a legitimate small side task from a company — something that could put just 1,500 rupees extra in my pocket every day. That amount wasn’t going to change my life dramatically, but it was enough to ease some small pressures without touching or burdening my main salary. That was my only motivation: a little breathing room while still doing honest work.

My only real mistake was trusting too quickly that it was genuine. I didn’t go looking for get-rich-quick schemes. I didn’t gamble savings. I didn’t borrow to invest in crypto or anything risky. I simply said yes to what appeared to be a small, side gig — and it turned out to be an organized trap.

And yet, after submitting a full 32-page report with every screenshot, every chat, every detail proving I was preyed upon, I was indirectly called a shortcut guy. A millennial who needs to be taught obedience. Someone who can’t be trusted.

That is not just disappointing — it is humiliating.

It is a hard slap to someone who has always tried to live with integrity.

This incident also exposes something bigger — a crack in how some seniors treat their millennial counterparts in our workplaces.

Instead of seeing a genuine mistake made by someone under pressure, some seniors use it as an opportunity to lecture, to belittle, to reinforce “obedience” (whatever version of obedience suits them). They forget that millennials like me are not looking for handouts — we’re looking for fair chances, respect, and understanding when we fall.

I owned my part. I asked for mercy. I showed proof it was a scam. In return, I got moral taunts that questioned my entire character.

Words like that don’t correct anyone — they break them further.

To anyone reading this who has ever been reduced to a stereotype after one genuine error:

- Your character is not defined by your worst moment.  

- If you live with small morals — refusing wrong-side driving, paying debts on time, supporting family honestly — those things still count.  

- Seniors and leaders should build people up after they stumble, not use the stumble to tear them down.

I’m sharing this raw truth because silence lets these cracks in our society grow wider.

If you’ve been through something similar — taunted as “shortcut seeker,” “irresponsible,” or “needing to learn obedience” after a real mistake — you’re not alone. Share if you want (anonymously is fine). The more we speak, the less power those hurtful labels have.

Allah sees what’s truly in the heart. May He protect our dignity, give us patience, and guide those in authority to treat people with the mercy they themselves ask from Him.

Murtaza Moiz  

Karachi  

February 13, 2026

Note: This is based on my personal experience starting from December 2025. Always verify online earning offers carefully and report suspicious activity to the FIA.