Yesterday, I have opened my email from my SIL telling a story of such scam forwarded by a friends of hers. Just reading through the first part, I remembered that I once got a call from an unregistered number and the person on the other line have told me the exact same thing that the email sender tells. But I was adamant in telling/ giving her what she is asking for and I just hang up the call. Lucky for me but what about the other people who have been scammed. To be more precise in telling, I am attaching the email to warn my readers of the said scam...
"Never Thought I Would Encounter A Scam"
Last week, someone called me on my cellphone and the number was not registered. My phone displayed "withheld". She spoke in mandarin and was calling from Hongkong. She's conducting a survey and asked what cellphone brand I'm using. There's no harm in that info so I told her. I asked where she got my number. Unfortunately, my mandarin is as good as kindergarten and I didn't understand. Anyway, she told me that her company is investing in manila and is going to have a launching. She gave me a number. I half understood what she said, and didn't even understand what the number was for. I just kept on saying..... ok....hao, hao.... ok... Sunday, my phone rang again, but I was driving and told her so. We ended the conversation. This morning, she called again and asked if I went to the launching. Sorry, I didn't. In fact, I didn't even take note of when and where it was. She said it was a good celebration and it's a waste I didn't go. She even gave me her number, a Hongkong number, and said she'll be my guide if ever I visit hongkong. I just took everything in stride since I half understood what she's saying. After a long talk, she asked for my number, the one she gave me. I told her I don't know. She "looked into" the computer and said my number was drawn during the launching... . And I won USD 15,000. she said if it's a door prize, I would have forfeited it coz I was not there but I won a major prize and whether I was in the event or not, I won. Well, USD 15,000 is a lot of money and what a luck! But....... i was doubting her. I didn't even get excited when she congratulated me. I just thanked her. then, she said if I was there, I would have gotten the prize. Since I was not in the venue, she would help me fill out a form. She proceeded and asked for my birthday, passport number..... ooops, I don't have it.... what about license number? then....... My bank account number? Hmmmm....... I'm becoming more suspicious. I told her, I don't have dollar account. It doesn't matter, she said. Well, I don't have it with me. She told me to call her and not to pass 12 noon, otherwise, I'll lose my chance. Gosh! That's a scam. My pa told me such stories last year which happened in Taiwan. Well, he watches the cable and only watches Chinese tv stations daily. It was in the news. For a week or 2, such scams proliferated in Taiwan. Of course, I never thought it would happen to me. The girl seemed just doing her job, taking a survey...... ... or maybe, I didn't understand much. My mandarin is so poor that I got only half of what she's saying. The truth is, God protected me and I am writing this to let all of you know and be alert and beware of such scam. It's now here in the Philippines, so do tell your parents, uncles, aunties, brothers, sisters and anyone who can converse in Mandarin.... ....... oops, I'm an exception. Haha. By the way, just for a thought..... . they may be speaking in other languages, although I suspect that these are china men. Be careful. Name withheld.
Another email, this time happened from my other SIL and here goes...
Same thing happen to my husband, B, but with different approach. A Macau Travelling agency also called him in Mandarin language and asked if he's watching Macau channel because his celphone number was drawn as third prize. The third prize was Macau$250,000. Wow, we never won anything that big. And we don't have to buy anything or even go to Macau to claim the prize. All we have to do is give him the bank account number in the Philippines and they will wire it directly within 2-3 banking days. What's the harm right? Since they cannot withdraw your money anyway and the bank manager always call us for verification on every banking transaction whether small or large amount. But on the 3rd day, they called again and asking for some insurance. INSURANCE? They want us to deposit a 6% of the prize money to them for insurance that the bank account number is correct. WHAT A CRAP!! Told them to go to hell! But wait, they're not done yet. On the 5th day, they called again (persistent aren't they?) asking if we want the the prize or not. NOT!!! If we don't want it they will donate it but the Macau government will still charge us the TAX of $$$$$$*%@. Well, I can't say our reply to them. Just use your imagination. He he. So be very very careful.
So always remember... IF IT"S TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, it is too good to be TRUE!
To those scammers... SUCKERs!
