Got Ripped Off by Dr. Lim!

Writing about my experience of “almost got scammed” reminded me of another time in my life where I really got scammed! This happened earlier than my Spanish Lottery Experience, when I was still a novice with online jobs.

While searching thru for online jobs, I came across an ad looking for as usual “data entry operators”. I replied to the ad and I was directed to the head of the company Dr. Lim. He is based in Malaysia and is a “doctor”.  To my credit I did call him and was able to talk to him several times. He even gave me his full name and the name of the bank where he is a “big” client. I looked for the bank’s website and called up their number. True enough the person answering it told me that yes, Dr. Lim is a client of theirs.

So to show that I am serious and earnest in my quest to work online, I was asked to pay $100.00 which Dr. Lim assured me I will earn back quickly.  After paying the money, I received an email saying my work is to post ads online promoting the company, promoting Dr. Lim’s business and promoting the same ad that enticed me to join the company. What a crap! That will mean that I will be deceiving people into joining the network with no actual job but just to post the same ads! I was even given the email address of my supposedly “head”. I emailed the head but got no reply. After that, there wasn’t even a weekly, monthly or even yearly newsletter, or a courtesy email asking how I am doing with the “job” or even an e-christmas card!

And up to this date, I have yet to hear from them .

Almost Got Scammed!

I was browsing thru technorati doing my research when I came across a blog posting about money scam. This reminded me of the one I almost got done in .

Three years ago, I received an email from a “Spanish Lottery Company”. It says that I won in their lottery. I emailed back saying that I didn’t buy any lottery ticket. But they replied that this lottery is a special promo and no tickets are purchased. The winners are picked randomly via email addresses. Well I have to admin the I do surf a lot and I do sign up in a lot of websites due to the nature of my work and it is possible that they got my email address from some of these website. Well whatever, the $$$$ was huge.

I asked for their phone number, and they gave me the phone number of the contact person of the “lottery company”, they also gave me the phone number of the “bank personnel” to submit my bank info, plus they gave me the phone number of the head of the “lottery ticket company” to see if he can help because I told them I do not have the money for the processing fee. I called all of the number and was able to speak to several people. The funniest conversation I had was with the “head of the releasing”, he told me that he is going to help me get my winnings if I would send the money for the processing. I told him I do not have that kind of money, and he says ok, he will lower down the payment for the processing fee but I have to promise once I get the money, I will send him back the remaining balance. This is really a “too good to be true deal”.

So I did a little online investigation, as I said in my previous post, “If something is too good to be true, then it is not true”. I checked all the phone numbers in one of those sites wherein you can check via area code. It turned out that all phone numbers are mobile numbers. Hey, if it’s a bank or a lottery ticket company, I am sure they have landlines so how come I was given only mobile phone numbers? I then checked the so called name of the lottery company and sure it is one of the biggest lottery company in Spain. BUT wait, it says in their website that you have to purchase a lottery ticket in order to win, and I do not have any lottery ticket at all.

In short, I figured out this is another one of those scams. Sure I was able to spend for long distance call to Spain, but hey it’s nothing compared to the money I would have lost if I believed their scam.