Scammed -.-

I just hope writing this may help others from dropping into such schemes again. Though it may revealed my stupidity and oblivions (which I am usually not(but still =.=) )

Was on my way to Pasar Seni wanting to search the whole place upside down for wristbands which will be for the ONE LOVE event. The last supplier I dealt with which would produce customized wristbands did not place my order a week ago and just said "so now how?" to me when i found out a few days back. I couldn't do anything but just get on my feet and find lower quality substitutes

Once I reached Pasar Seni LRT Station, a few young man in their early twenties were giving out HAND OUTS and getting cold response from the people passing by. I was planning to do so too until one came to me and say "just open this and pass the 'thank you card' back to me so that I'll get RM1 commission". Well I thought why not help this poor guy here with his income so I took the hand-out, open it and gave the 'thank you card' back to him.

Just when the "dealing" was almost done and he was leaving, he had a glance at the hand out on my hand and out of a sudden was in a great shock. He said my hand out had a "special gift" word on it with a grey dote that is going to entitled me to a grand prize with minimum a free trip to Turkey. He's been here all day long and no one got it. I was really sick of their acting but a little moved by the vacation part. I insisted on leaving for my wristbands but the guy went on about this promotion is all over the papers (showing me a piece of it nicely folded from his pocket), and start asking me "didn't you see the booths in MidValley and Time Square? it's all over the place!"

Well now to think of it, he was intimidating me and at the same time increasing his creditability. But I really haven't been to MidValley for a long time so I wouldn't know. He said the only condition for you to win is I would need to take a photo with my prize be it a car or whatever which the newspaper cuttings are showing. At the same time I was distracted from his friends that kept saying I owe them a meal.

I was hesitating but he gave me no room to think as he picked up the phone, call the other end and say "hey we got a winner here!". I was continually pampered with congrats and then he said, 'let's go scanned your hand out and see which prize you've won. It's near midvalley."

I said I was in a hurry which I really was but he said it'll just take 7 mins. So from then on, I was on the taxi with him chatting nicely through the way. Remembering the face and how he actually tried striking fake sincerity in conversations, I would really like to sink my fist into his face. But hey, that's not the right to do ae?

So we reached the office, I paid the taxi =.= He said he would pay me back if I won and kept telling me I owe him a meal. Anyway I went up to the office and holy moly, I knew I've just wasted my taxi ride that instant. I was now more curious on how they planned to fake things out. The office had nothing, was more like a renovated tuition center with extended rooms but besides that, they weren't even photos on the wall.

I was ushered in one of the rooms which had only a table, two blue executive chairs and a stack of file with more newsletters on it. He went on and on about what the prize was and the companies that were sponsoring and he laid down a piece of paper stating what prize there were which consisted of Toyota Camry, vacation to Australia, Japan.. The only problem was, it was hand written =.= (*faints) I went along with his game now knowing I've been scammed.

After he repeated the same thing over and over again, I asked him " so now what?". And guess what, he said "wait ha" and continue explaining things that are totally irrelevant seemingly to buy time. "You know Pioneer? You got use this brand a? Your mum got use this brand a?"

I asked again, "so what now??" Surprised with how awful his scamming skills was (which I fell for *hits myself) he said "wait ha" again and went on with his explanations on the prizes while showing his nervousness by scribbling on that precious hand out that was seemingly one in a million.

After the dreaded time, another guy with a heavy "bad boy" accent came in the room. Thank God someone with better scamming skills and common sense was taking over now, at least I don't have to suffer more awkward treatment. So he explained, i'm going to win a big fat prize but the government tax of the prize is not exempted. So I have to pay for the 6% government tax myself."

I was like, "cool, so where's my prize?"

"Oh you have to get ready the RM7000 government tax so that when we pass you you're prize you can pay us. The company don't wanna be in a losing side right? If you got the prize and went off without paying then we're gonna pay for you"

=.=

i skipped the part where I argued my business sense with this A -Long but he was making stupid cases up.

"I understand, but we had a case (ya ya ya) where a guy went off with the prize and left us with the government tax which we bared the lost. He was also a Chinese (what???) So we don't want that to repeat"

====.=====

"ok, i don't have RM7000." (thinking hard how to leave this joke and get back to my wristbands ):

"How bout like this la, we let you prepare the money in a span of a month (oh yes! I can leave!), but this one in a million hand out (which was awfully scribbled by both of them already) we reserve for you under your name, and you put a deposit on it"

-______________- Oh come on!!!

"I'm sorry but, I think I'll just pass la"

I skipped the whole part of him persuading and making me look stupid for rejecting such a great chance.

He gave up eventually

"ok fine, you just write your name on it and state the reason la, tomorrow remember to check the newspapers and see what prize you missed" And he walked off.

The first guy took over and said "so your reason is, you don't have enough cash la? okok" so he wrote --my name and 没钱(no money) on that terribly scribbled hand out.

As i was about to leave he even reminded me of tomorrow's newspaper =.= (get a job la!)

So I left and caught a taxi back which cost RM10 per way back to Pasar Seni. Feeling utterly annoyed at their stupidity. But more than that, I was even more annoyed at my own stupidity for falling for their's!!!!! *faints.... I really thought these sort of scams would only happen on the internet cause it's just too obvious and dumb to be on the streets. And I fell for it! *AAAA!!!

On the way back to Pasar Seni, I released my distress to the taxi driver, and he said: I wasn't his first customer that experienced this, some even left hundreds with them.

A lesson worth RM20 of taxi ride and some stupid yet funny experience.Boys and girls, do me a favor after reading this, besides laughing your lungs out at me, just don't repeat what I did ok.

So, the moral of the story is:

Next time, just go get your wristbands =.=

24th March 2011

TARC DKA 6PM

"ONE LOVE"

come and get a cool wristband *rawr!

peace!