Ram Gabriel Con man - Theft of Services Wilmington North Carolina

My husband and I started a business- a days spa just before the 9/11 attack and it proved to be one of the largest challenges of our lives. There were so many costs involved, we had no financial backing and were still raising small children but we were willing to make the sacrafices it took to open with limited resources.

As fate would have it, we had many unforseen costs and sadly we learned that while we would develop many great client relationships some of our more thoughtless clients and potential clients would end up adding a great deal to our losses overall until we learned as most business owners do, to better control the situations.

My worst memory of the initial struggle which most shook my faith in people was an encounter with Ram Gabrial. This man came into our new small spa when he was either working for or visiting the radio station in our compex (Emerald Square on Wrightsville) He talked a great deal about his father a well known football player and himself and himself and his acomplishments. A nice enough but very bragadocious guy.

I was pleased when he told me that he wanted to buy a gift certificate for his girlfriend and I quickly prepared it as he went on about himself and famous football family. I set the gift certificate for $75 on the counter and he picked it up while still talking. He then to my surprise, said that he had left his wallet just out in front of the radio station in his car. He said he would be back and that was the last time I ever saw him.

Unfortunately about a month later a girl came in and recieved services without telling us that she was paying with a gift certificate... yes the same one that Ram had stolen. She said that she had dated him and then broken up with him. I can't tell you how much it bothered us to have to pay our therapists to pamper the exgirlfriend of a bigshot bul****er when we were having such a hard time scraping by with our new small business. I actually got in touch with his parents and told them that it was imparitive that he contact us and gave them the name of our business and contact information. Of course he never called. The guy really stuck us good. I would just caution others to be careful in any business transactions with him.

Karen
Wilmington, North Carolina
U.S.A.