Picture this: Cambridge Ohio, a few months ago. After years of working for someone else, I finally took the leap—I opened my own appliance repair business. The tools were shiny, the phone was ringing (slowly, but ringing), and I was finally my own boss. Business wasn’t booming, but it was steady. I had a handful of loyal customers, a website I put together myself, and a dream of making it big.

I knew I needed more leads, but between juggling repairs, answering calls, and figuring out how to market myself, I barely had time to think. That’s when they called.

Zing.

They knew my name. My business. My website. Even my Google reviews. It was like they had been watching me, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. And just like that, my slow-and-steady business turned into a six-month nightmare I paid to be trapped in.

Welcome to The Zing Scam—aka, the most expensive lesson I’ve ever learned. XOXO.