Old Style Dumplings for an Old Soul

Last night, I threw my diet out the window (again) and ordered RM10 worth of pan fried dumplings at a coffeeshop near my office. It was 9.45pm and I had with me a good friend who was still in shock after realising that she was conned out of RM3,560 through someone she briefly met through WAYN. For me, food is always a good companion for the ear and the heart in times like this. Besides, it helps me to stop talking and instead listen to others plus think while busy chewing on food.

The story goes like this. My friend (hmmm, shouldn't reveal her name here for privacy sake) went to the WAYN site and somehow a guy called "Will Smith" from England who works with Shell, pops up on screen wanting to chat with her. At this point I was thinking Will Smith? That should ring a warning bell. Anyway, after some chatting sessions, Will asked her for address, phone no and what flower she liked. Though hesitant, she gave these details to him. Soon he called her on her handphone and the number was an international number starting with +44 which is UK's country code. He told her that he'll be sending something over to her. She thought it'll be flowers. The next time he called, he gave her a tracking number for the parcel which was being sent through Multi Link Courier UK. He said the courier company will contact her in the next few days regarding the package. She checked the web, and found that there is a website for the courier company. She also found that they had a branch in Sarawak. Hello, if its an international company, I think they'd have better looking websites and the Malaysian office/HQ would not have been set up in Mukah, Sarawak. No offence meant here, but shouldn't the Malaysia HQ for such a company be in KL?

Sure enough, in 3 days, a local lady called her regarding her package and told her that the package is held up by Customs as they've found currency in the package together with a laptop. The lady explained that in order for the package to be released , my friend had to pay for some clearance charges imposed by Customs ie RM3560. Shocked, my friend contacted so called Will and asked him about this. He informed her that he wanted to give a gift to her and yes, he did put in the money there because he didn't have her account number. My friend didn't want to reveal to me how much he said was in their but I'm guessing he said three thousand pounds. So this friend of mine, thinking that the package being so valuable, and had better be claimed. She paid the RM3560 into the account that she was instructed to pay without checking with anyone first.

After making the payment into a CIMB account, she scanned and emailed the bank in slip to MultiLink Courier and asked when could she be receiving the item. Their Operations Manager said that they will get it to her soon. Then she gets a call from them again asking her to pay another RM5000 plus as it was found that there was a lot of money inside there. This is when it hit her that she's being conned by the courier company, never suspecting that "Will" was also part of the team. She kept blaming the courier company and even called up Will to ask him to contact the courier company to release the package.

Cut the story short, there never was a package sent. Will is not who he said he is. My friend's hard earned RM3560, she's considered it burnt. "No point crying over spilt milk," she said.

She admitted that she was in the wrong to be so trusting of people she met on the Internet. I mentioned to her, not only on the Internet but everywhere. We have to be wary of others, even so called 'friends' whom we may have known for some time. That is why trust is tested and built over a long time.

After listening to my friend pour her heart out over the incident, I advised her to make a police report. Let the police know that there is such a scam out there, investigate the case and warn others. As for her money, it's lucky that it was only money.There are more precious things out there than money eg health, sanity, life. Money you can find again. She's lucky that the 'package' did not arrive. What if it was drugs in there and she was the registered receiver?!

Now that you know of this case, spread the word around to your friends and family of this scam. Be very careful of promises made to you which are too good to be true. Sometimes, they're not true. I'm no pessimist. I'm a realist.

It was a long consoling session last night. By the end of our chat, I realised that I have successfully gobbled up RM8.00 worth of the pan fried dumplings and then felt really, really bad. My friend was understandably not in the mood to eat much. Oh well, no point crying over spilt milk. Will need to exercise more.

[FYI: The police report has been made today. The latest update is that there is also another similar case reported to the KK Police Station earlier today. The other young lady has been conned of over RM7,000 to a dubious courier service by a guy she met on the Internet who also promised her marriage.]