SCAM STORIES

1. Marketing Scam

I was about to have lunch at a mall when a professional-looking lady approached me. She asked me to scratch a coupon to see if I won a prize that day. She said I won a rice dispenser. The lady invited me to their store to pick a coupon from a glass jar. The stub i picked said I won the "Grand Prize" worth P180,000. The store manager, who introduced himself as Carlos, told me that in order to claim my prize, I have to buy a water purifier worth P60,000. I said I did not have that much money with me. Someone then asked if I have a credit card. When I told them I had none, they kept convincing me to buy the water purifier so I can claim the prize. Carlos then told his staff to give me the "Priority Status" (which means 3-month term, fixed rate after discount). They gave me a receipt where it was stated that I only have to pay P4,500 and the remaining balance of P55,500 on August 1, 2007. When I gave them my money, they forced me to sign the receipt which I later recognized as a deposit slip. After I signed, they highlighted one of the conditions which read, "Deposit paid is not refundable."

When I got home, I went over the events that happened that afternoon. I realized I was scammed and decided to go back to the store. I called Carlos and told him I want to have my money refunded. Unfortunately, Carlos refused and told me to pay the balance first so I can get the water purifier and the rice dispenser.

*Scam Signs*

1. There is a claim that you won a prize - but you must pay a certain amount to receive it.
2. You were not given enough time to think about the offer.
3. You were repeatedly convinced to make a purchase.
4. You were not given the opportunity to read the conditions on the contract presented to you.

2. Text Scam

I had just received my 13th month pay when I received a text message from an unrecognized cell phone number. The message reads:

Congratulations! Your cellphone number won P680,000 at the Philippine Charity Foundation's third anniversary raffle draw last November 5, 2007. For more info, send your name and address. Call right now. Sec. John Fuentes. Per DTI Permit No. 1234. Thanks.

To be safe, I replied with a fake name and address. The texter then asked for a bank account number where he can deposit my cash rpize. The texter introduced himself as a lawyer based in Maya Province. Assured that without my signature or ATM’s PIN number, my bank account is safe, I replied with my bank account number.

When I got back from the province after the New Year break, I decided to withdraw from my savings account. I knew that there was still some P10,000 in that account. I was surprised when the ATM machine said my account was closed. When the screen displayed that I only have P0.80 in my bank account, I froze and almost cried! I immediately went to the bank to verify and they confirmed that I made a withdrawal on Christmas Day.

*Scam Signs*

1. You don’t know the person who sent you the message.
2. You are asked to provide your bank account number and the sender offers to deposit money into it.
3. The request contains a sense of urgency.
4. The text message appeared credible because it supposedly came from a trusted government institution and/or a well-known government official.
5. The person texting you appeared to be credible (like a lawyer).

3. Investment Scam

I am a full-time housewife and my husband, Mario, is an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) based in Dubai. I met Ms. Linda through our neighbor Nena. One Sunday afternoon, she asked me to join her new “raket”, as she called it. According to her, the scheme required me to invest P 100,000. She said that I will get a 10% monthly return on my investment. She also asked me to recruit another investor to ensure the growth and stability of our “investment pool.” I invested P100,000 after 2 weeks. The next month I received check for P10,000 as my initial return of investment. I then asked my cousin Josie to join. The chain of recruitment went on. For five months, I was very happy with the way things are going because I regularly receive my check. On the sixth month however, the check was delayed for a week and eventually stopped on the seventh month. I tried calling Linda but i could no longer reach her through her mobile and landline phones. I also found out that other recruits also stopped receiving the promised monthly return of investment.

*Scam Signs*

1. A large amount of money is promised for little or no effort on your part.
2. There is assurance or guarantee of sizable returns with minimal risk.

4. Fraudulent Bank E-mails

One afternoon, I received an email from ABC Bank with the subject "SECURITY ACCESS LETTER."

The email read:

Strictly Confidential.

'Dear Mr. Francisco:

The ABC Bank is introducing a new security system which will help you avoid fraudulent transactions and keep your investment safe. Please provide your account details to re-activate your account.’

I typed in my full name, date of birth, bank account number, and ATM PIN number. I did not have second thoughts about that email being a scam because the letter was personally addressed to me. The logo of ABC Bank and the name of the Accounts Manager were indicated. There was also a hyperlink pointing to ABC Bank’s official website.

After a week, I received a registered mail from ABC Bank, informing me of the closure of my bank account. I called up ABC Bank-Branch 2, and they confirmed that I have withdrawn all my savings.

*Scam Signs*

1. The e-mail looks authentic, because it uses the names of real people, the right logos, and links to pages from the real website.
2. The sender conveys confidentiality / secrecy of the request.
3. The e-mail requires you to give information needed to access your account.

5. Lottery and Sweepstake Scam (Fake Prizes)

Scam Victim: Berta Manansala, a 53-year old widow, with meat business in a public market

I manage a meat shop in the GGG Public Market. I have been joining betting games and other promos, hoping to win big cash prizes. Last April 8, 2007, I received a registered mail from the ‘WXYZ Charity Sweepstakes Incorporated.’ It said my address was randomly chosen from a set of qualified candidates from the Philippines and that I won the P1 Million Grand Prize. The letter also instructed me to send P2,500 as courier fee for my cash prize. The next day, I went to HIJKL Money Transfer Company nearby and transmitted P 2,500 to the bank account stated in the letter. Weeks passed without another word from the organization about my prize money. When we verified with the organization, they said they do not have a promo offering P1 Million as a prize. According to them, they do not ask for ‘courier fee’ from their winners.

*Scam Signs*

1. You are asked to send money up front for a processing fee to expedite the claiming of your prize.
2. You don’t know the person who sent you the message.
3. No contact information or limited contact information was provided to you.
4. No verifiable references or testimonials.
5. The person claims to be connected to a real corporation or government agency.