You always hear stories about people getting scammed online and you tend to take that as a lesson but at the same time, thought that that would never happen to you. Ever. Well, let’s just say that was my thought at first too, but boy was I wrong.
It all started with my mom meeting this nice Englishman online. He was from the UK, lost his wife to Cancer and a daughter who died at birth. The only person he has was his son, James. He is currently living alone in his home (he sent us a picture too) as his son went to the US for his degree. James has curly dirty blonde hair with a dashing smile. I just thought that he looked nerdy. Mom thought otherwise.
Anyway, mom’s friend, let’s call him Matt (short for Matthew), shared some similarities with my mom. He’s a single dad, living alone and worried sick about James who was abroad. Where as my mom was a single mom and worried sick about my sister and I even though we were just inches away from her. Paranoid much?
Then after a few weeks of getting to know each other, Matt asked my mom if I have a laptop. I don’t. “She doesn’t own one,” mom said. “Well great! I’m planning to buy one for my son. Why not I buy one for your daughter as well!” He said, excited. Of course, mom didn’t pay attention to it one bit. She just thought that he was joking. Why not? A random guy from across the world is willing to buy her daughter a laptop is anything but normal.
A few days later, he called her. “I got her the laptop! It’s a brand new HP,” he said. He asked for our mailing address and mom gave him, still in disbelieve. He was so enthusiast at the thought of giving me a laptop. “I never had the chance to raise a daughter before, so this is a way for me to contribute to a daughter that I never had. I hope you don’t mind“. “Of course not,” my mom replied.
And then she carried on how excited I was to be getting a laptop, which wasn’t true. I was excited, maybe. But not that excited up to a point of actually telling him that. Not yet at least.
Then the next day he sent my mom an email with the picture of the HP box. Just the box. Then the tracking code of the item and the website of the currier service that he used. We checked and sure enough it was there.
Mom was excited. I was too actually.
Then the next day he IMed mom up and told her that his workers sent the wrong box. Instead of sending the box that was meant for me, they mistakenly sent the box that was meant for the son in the US and vice versa. Reason being because he had attached a some of money for his son as his tuition fees. How much money are we talking here? Try £40k.
Mom was freaked out, but he just laughed it off. He said not to worry as he had hidden the money somewhere with the laptop. So we ourselves wouldn’t even know where he hid it unless he told us where. Seriously, who would not notice a £40k worth of money hidden in a box? Seriously. Mom asked why he didn’t just bank in the money to his son. He said he didn’t trust the bank. Oh really?
I find it weird and oddly interesting how someone can be that stupid to do such thing. But then again, the parcel is under my mom’s name, so if they did find money in it, wouldn’t it mean that we somewhat ‘smuggled‘ the money in even if we didn’t do anything? £40k is a lot of money. Convert it to Malaysian Ringgit and you’ll get RM200k or so. Insane much?
Then yesterday, mom received a phone call from the Malaysian Customs department of KLIA. She said they had received a package/parcel under my mom’s name and found out there was money in it. “How did you find out?” Mom asked, curious. “Scan lah. We scan and we can see everything,” the lady said, rudely. “Did you open the parcel at all?” “No. We just scan.” She said.
And then she continued saying how money cannot be sent through parcels as it should be in money order form or some shit like that. And because they found out that there was money inside, she was being a nice lady and decided to handle the matter herself by fining my mom RM4500 only instead of the RM15000 if she sends this matter up to her supreme. My mom said no and find that suspicious. “I think this lady is blackmailing me,” she told me. I think so too.
Seriously. Here are my suspicions.
- Scanners in customs are the same with scanners that you see at the airport. If there is money inside your bag and they scanned it, all they can see is a bunch of papers. Then only would you open the package up and determine if it is money or not. But funny thing is, they didn’t open the package even after they scan it. So it’s either the Malaysian Customs are sooo lazy to do their job or someone is playing bad person here.
- Second, how can you determine a fine of RM4500 if you don’t even know the actual amount of money involved in the package? I thought fines are only there when they know the actual amount of the money. The more money in the package, the higher the fine.
And get this, she even sent my mom a text with her personal account number and full name. And oh, did I tell you that she called my mom using a mobile phone instead of an office phone? How weird.
Mom was alarmed. She told Matt at once. Him and mom chatted for awhile on YM about the matter and finally, he told mom to just pay the fine and reimburse once the £40k reaches us.
Him: You can take double the amount from the £40k. Just pay the lady and get this over with.
Mom: Why can’t you pay the lady? The fault was on your end after all.
Him: I can’t. I’m from overseas remember? I can’t pay the Malaysian Customs. You have to.
Mom: Well, why not just send me the money via my bank account then? I’ll help you pay.
Him: Too much hassle, besides, I’m very busy nowadays. You just help me to pay it first.
Mom: But I have no RM4500 at the moment. Where can I find that amount of money in a short period of time?
Him: Borrow it from somebody then. Don’t you want the laptop? Such a waste.
Mom: I can’t borrow it from somebody just like that. I tell you what, I just got off the phone with the police. They’re handling the case now.
Him: What?! Why did you do that???!
Mom: Because this is something that the police should handle. Why?
Him: Oh shit. This is a different matter now!
Matt is offline.
So, what does that tell you? I have a feeling that he has been in this with that lady all this time. Judging by how he is, I believe that he has.
Later that night, we called up my aunt who was in the police force. We told her our story and she later called her friend who works in the Customs department to talk about the matter. Turns out, there was a lady by that name and she did work in the Malaysian Customs KLIA before, but she moved to another branch years ago. So it’s either she was in it together with the guy OR someone was using her name.
So he (my aunt’s friend from the Customs) will be going to the KLIA branch himself to check the parcel if it is there or not and find out if the lady is responsible or not. Will update you guys on that later (:
Thanks for reading. Reason for me to write about this is to prove that we were not a part of some scam if ever they find like I don’t know, drugs or shit in that parcel (or even if there ever was a parcel in the first place). Mom is worried about that now. Heh. And also, to warn you people to not just give people money just because their son is dying of hunger in the US. I mean, seriously. Who in the bright mind would send a money that much via parcels? How stupid can we be exactly?
