There is a reason why I said Ex friend. Turns out, people who pull crap like this are not the best to close to. I just didn’t realize the extent of what he did until just before (and being the primary cause for) me cutting off contact with him.
My reply had no judgement against you or your choice of friends. Only that the friend was committing literal fraud to make their money.
It’s a pleasure to see that your choice seems to have benefited you and your conscience in the end.