Professional international scam

*Sasha gives Terry a birthday scrapbook, pls scroll down*

2 days ago, a survey company from Hong Kong called my mobile asking 2 survey questions. I just give them my answer. After the survey, she taken down my chinene name, give me a lucky draw number (K23589) and invited me to attend a telecommunication event at Titiwangsa the next day at noon. So, I just listen and end the call without doing anything.

Yesterday while I'm cooking, the same girl called me from Hong Kong asked whether I'm at the event place, cause my lucky number being draw and get to win RM120K cash prize. I just said no I'm not at the event and couldn't make myself go there that time too. She said, nvm, tomorrow there will be a representative from Hong Kong will call me to verified things and claim the prize. So, just end the call.

I was suspecting it is a scam did already, I even inform hubby about this call, where got so lucky one to get a big cash prize like that. So, since I'm EFNTD, I just see what they going to play in cross country scam. I don't mind wasting my time and calls. This morning, a girl from Hong Kong office called me, SH.

SH: Good morning, Miss Chow.

Me: Yes, I am. Who is this?

SH: I'm SH, calling from 香港得利科技有限公司 (Hong Kong De Li Techonology Ltd.) You 've been inform that you won our 3rd prize which is RM120K, did you know that.

Me: Yes, I know.

SH: So, our company now, need to transfer the money to you and need some of your banking details. Since you are not there to received the cash check, the money are now deposit into a temporary account at Hong Kong Hang Seng Bank under your name.

Me: Before I let you go further, I would like to check whether your company is doing such work it is really giving out cash prize or you guys are doing some scam job there. How you get my number and why not a Malaysia company is participating the event, since you guys hold the event in our place?

SH: You see, you are not at our event place, it is hard for you to believe that we are not doing our real job here to give out good prizes. I understand you very much, HK also having a lot of scam did. The whole event is hold by our HK team, some HK sponsors and government ppl were there yesterday to witness the 20th celebration of their company for join venture in future that comes to M'sia. Over 2000 people are there. We are doing event there to make awareness. For you to claim the cash prize, you need not to pay for anything. The Global survey company get your number from your local telecommunication company, only a few number are called from the computer draw slot.

(Actually they are more question asked and things they prove to me, I just summaried it.)

After her long explaination on her company profile and being convinced that they are not doing any scam there. They hired Loh Han Jian Accounting firm as their authorized agent to deal with the Hang Seng Bank for winner to claim the prize. OK, since she said like almost real, I half believe it already. After she taken down my banking details (Name, IC and Maybank a/c no.), she gave me another number to call the Accounting firm speak to Mr. Loh to verified I'm the person with the cash prize HKD 273,900.00 (RM120K) and then they will contact the Bank officer to release the payment and transfer to my local bank.

So, I did call to Loh and follow on. Loh gave me the bank draft number and pin no. and ask me to call to Hang Seng bank to give them this temporary bank draft number and pin no. also for verification purpose. So I called bank, it is an answering machine, press 2, press 9, got the customer service people, read them all the bank draft number and he immediatedly tell my name is the account holder. He proceed to ask for the verification code (I don't have), ask me to get from Loh. I call again to Loh. A/c firm keep on having different ppl to speak to me, because everytime I called, they said the Loh is busy, then when the person called back is not the same one.

Loh called, explain the details how I need to claim the cash prize from Hang Seng Bank. He said, since the money is in HKD, they need to convert it to USD and convert it back to RM. The bank charge a fees of 0.3% (or 3%, I heard not so clear) on the transaction within International bank fund transfer. The 3% is equavalent to RM3680.00. I told the Loh, I don't have that much of money in my bank to do the transaction, how? Is it a possible not to convert to USD, Loh said, No. He suggested me to call back to SH and ask what the company can do to sort out the payment for processing fee. I yaada yaada the whole story to SH and she said no way they can separate out the money, coz the cash prize is accumulated from over 43 sponsors of the event. They have no right to break up the money for paying the fee and bank in the balance to you.

Then, I end the call first. I think again, it should be almost a scam did. Later I called to HK to get advise from my cousin bro's wife. Tell her the whole story and she said better find out Hang Seng bank number from Internet and call to verified such transaction, there is a lots of this scam running. Found the Hang Seng number from Internet, called again the "fake" Hang Seng bank first to find out their branch name before I called to the actual Hang Seng Bank main office. Called to the actual customer service, ask whether there is such Loh a/c firm appointed by De Li for holding the bank draft on behalf of the winner in your bank? The girl said not getting such information. I gave her the bank draft no. too to check and it is not exist. I gave them the Hang Seng bank WanChai branch number, she proved to me that is not belong to any of their WanChai branch.

Here are the set of phone number I get over the calls here and there,
00852 6635 5074 (Loh Accounting firm)
00852 6527 7946 (Tan SH, De Li Technology Ltd.)
00852 6635 3157 (fake Hang Seng Bank, WanChai branch)

She said all their branch having an exclusive prefix number and not start from 6xx, which is a cellular phone number. There you see, all the above number are handphone number, which is so obvious now, the Loh and the fake bank are having the same set of number "6635". This shows for sure is tipu one, a real big scam. Luckily I'm not too soft to accept such good money, although I'm thirst for big money now.

Just find out from Hui Sia, for HKD in bank transfer and convert RM bank in to M'sia, we do not need to convert to USD then to RM, can direct do from HKD to RM with some exchange rate loss and no such percentage charges. See, really tipu, luckily I alert enough to find out and get advise before kena tipu. In the find out call to Hang Seng bank I even report to the customer service to get the bank highlight on this issue.

Pls becareful, Malaysia also having lots of this scam did. But, lately seems like quiet down. Normally they ask you there and convince you to buy their holiday package/ product or like pay a certain amount to get the lucky cash prize. But see it comes to international stage now. Every month in average I'm getting once those local calls on free things, hotel stay, free medical check up, holidays..etc..but never entertain once. You see, next time when ppl said free or lucky draw, free means free no extra charge or bring you to other things. If door to door stuff, don't ever open your door, if free just put down and go. Nothing in this world can come so easy and free, after all, there is no free lunch, only air is free.

Nah, this one is really free. Make yourself there.