On being cheated financially and lied to by a friend ...

It happened to me recently and it's a heartbreaker. I thought he was the technical wizard he represented himself as in his new business when I gave him the opportunity to do some work for cash and trade on one of our computers.

Then Microsoft gave me online notice that his work was done with bogus software and to fix it would cost me even more.  I had no choice:  I needed the system online legally.

He can avoid a legal charge of felony fraud and felony use of counterfeit software by returning my money and the trade, but so far he's only half-way there.

I guess I can also report him to his local Better Business Bureau.