As I reflect on the case of Lightning Shared Scooter Co., I cannot help but to connect it to a larger history of financial exploitation that minority and low-income populations have faced in the United States. LSSC operated fraudulently, preying on immigrant and disadvantaged investors, many of whom lacked access to reliable financial safeguards. This is often a recurring pattern where those already vulnerable are manipulated into carrying risks that wealthier groups often avoid (although they seem to have been scammed as well). Predatory lending practices have historically targeted elderly and low-income (often minority) populations, steering them into high interest rates or failing to disclose information. For example, payday loan companies often establish themselves in low-income neighborhoods and market short-term relief; the goal of these loans is not to be repaid, but for the debtor to default, trapping these families in cycles of debt. The LSSC scam, although a pyramid scheme, has similar dynamics. Those behind the scam have not taken responsibility for these unethical practices and have left investors, including those that may have referred friends and family, to absorb the fallout. This demonstrates not only a breach of accountability but also a betrayal of trust. When trust is broken, particularly in marginalized communities, recovery is not only financial but also deeply personal and social.

What I am disturbed by the most with this scam and society is how exploitation is often masked as an opportunity. Whether through a fraudulent company or a predatory loan, disadvantaged communities are promised advancement and yet left with loss. The LSSC situation is one more reminder that ethical leadership and oversight are not optional; they are essential protections against cycles of exploitation that have plagued vulnerable groups for generations. Looking forward, I feel a sense of responsibility in my own planned work in public policy. I hope to contribute to building stronger safeguards that prevent these cycles and instead empower vulnerable communities. By prioritizing protections for those most at risk, policy can restore trust, foster equity, and ensure that opportunities marketed as advancement are truly pathways toward stability and progress.

Cornell Law School. (2020, July). Predatory lending. Legal Information Institute. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/predatory_lending

Ortiz, E., Harris, B., & Collier, K. (2025, August 25). The electric scooter sharing scam that fleeced millions of dollars from Americans. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/electric-scooter-scam-lightning-shared-scooter-co-investors-rcna226832