I was exploited for 7 months — now I’m broke, in debt, and

Hi, my name is Daniele.

I'm 31, and for the past year I’ve been trying to build a better future for myself and my family. But instead, I ended up exploited, broke, and nearly homeless, after 7 months of work without ever getting paid.

What happened

I signed a formal commercial agent contract with a company called Air2Bite, through Abacus Group.

They operate in the IT and Telco B2B sector, presenting themselves as a fast-growing scale-up.

My role was to bring in new business: I delivered over 20 potential partners, initiated 10 active sales opportunities, and even closed a few deals.

All while being told:

"Contracts are ready."

"We’re just waiting on signatures."

"Payments are coming next week."

They never said "no" — they just kept stalling while using my name and face in email campaigns, LinkedIn outreach, and even events, to look legitimate.

By the time I understood the manipulation, I had lost:

7 months of unpaid work

My financial stability

My credibility with clients I brought into the company

My savings

Why I didn’t walk away earlier

Because it didn’t start as a scam.

I had a written contract. I was promised €10,000 per signed deal and 33% of profits on partnerships.

And like many freelancers and commission-based workers, I trusted that the next week would finally be "the week."

That’s how exploitation works:

Not through threats — but through false hope.

Where I am now

I’m €18,000 in debt

I’ve already started legal action — but civil trials in Italy take 2 to 8 years

I found a new job — but I can’t even afford bus tickets or food to reach it

I’m at risk of being evicted within weeks

Why I’m asking for help

I’m not here to ask for charity to sit still. I’m here to survive long enough to rebuild.

I’ve done everything I can:

Worked nonstop

Filed a legal claim

Found a new job

But I’ve hit a wall where basic survival is out of reach. If I fall now, everything I’ve fought to fix will collapse.

What you can do

If you’ve ever been in a situation where you gave your all and were left empty — you understand.

If you can donate:

You’ll help me pay for rent, food, transportation — and regain the stability to fight this battle properly.

If you can’t:

Please consider sharing this campaign.

Thank you for reading.

Thank you for seeing me.

And thank you — even just for believing me.

— Daniele