From investment victim to community leader

Daniel Johansson from Sweden invested a large amount of money himself, in the German company Juicy Fields, which later turned out to be a scam. He now spends most of his time as a community manager for the social media platforms where other victims of investment fraud communicate.

When asked why Daniel invested money in the startup Juicy Fields, he answers that it was for several reasons. Firstly, he and the other investors were promised high returns, and secondly, the investment would go to the field of medical cannabis, a plant that Daniel has read a lot about that can cure many diseases.

How did you feel when you realized you had been cheated out of your money?

- It was sad, of course. I should have listened to the inner voice I was dismissing, thinking it was just my fear.

Why did you start helping lawyer Lars Olofsson and his legal actions to help those who invested money and lost it?

- Because he took on our case and started digging into what had happened. He needed help in gathering as many victims as possible for a class action lawsuit and I had a lot of contacts who also wanted to be involved.

It was also important to gather as much information as possible as quickly as possible and they started traveling to all these events where Juicy Fields had been to get the facts and let people tell their own experiences," he adds.

What is the thing you help with the most?

- I like most the part of digging and gathering information that we need to file lawsuits and to give to the many journalists who follow our work. But mostly it's probably the conversations and personal contact with all the other members.

Moderating on social media can be a bit of a hassle and a mess sometimes, Daniel continues. "For example, at weekends, anything can happen, as many people have time on their hands and some get drunk," he has experienced many times.

- What bothers me the most is the constant tsunami of scammers on the platforms and the fact that we have to spend a lot of time kicking them out of our public groups,” says Daniel with irritation in his voice.

What is your strategy when moderating?

- I need to be more neutral while keeping the focus on our mission and the reason why we do what we do. At the same time, it is important to let members express themselves.

While it is important to listen to the feelings and opinions of others, discussions must not get out of hand, because then there is a risk of conflicts that are time-consuming and mostly lead to many people getting upset, he says.

- I give space and am basically kind, but I've also learned to set limits and be tough when necessary.

Daniel gets a lot of appreciation for the many hours a week he puts in, which is fun, he says. For him, it feels good to do something that is meaningful to many people, including himself.

- I have gained a lot personally from this journey. If I hadn't dared to do this, I would have missed out on the most fun thing I've done in my life, and it's not over yet. It has only just begun.