That's a dangerous game. I guess some get away with it but those that do not tend to suffer for their actions; I'm glad you did not go through with it.
As for that asshole who ran off with your money, hopefully he got what he deserved. (I don't mean something good.)
I’m also glad I didn’t do it, even though part of me really considered it—it seemed tempting at the time—but in the end, it was better to stay out of harm’s way. I’ve never even been curious to wonder what would have happened if I had.
As for that guy, I ran into him by chance years later, and he told me it was a business deal that went wrong. I just listened and walked away from him.