AsiaOne News:

WHILE holidaying in Thailand in March, Mr Wong lent $180 to a man who seemed like a fellow Singaporean.

The borrower promised Mr Wong to meet him at Changi Airport when Mr Wong returned three days later, but never did.

Frustrated, Mr Wong, a supplies planner, 30, told my paper about his experience, hoping that the same fate would not befall others.

He did not want to give his full name as he said that his only intention was to warn fellow Singaporean tourists.

It all started when Mr Wong was at a night market in Chiang Mai with his mother and aunt on Mar 29.

A man, who looked like he was in his 60s or 70s, approached them, saying that his wife’s bag had gone missing while shopping and asked to borrow $80 for a train ticket back to Bangkok.

The man, switching between Cantonese and Mandarin, introduced himself as ‘Tang’, and assured them that he was not a conman but a retiree, said Mr Wong.

He also showed Mr Wong his Singaporean passport and identity card.

After Mr Wong agreed to lend him $80, the man then said he needed to buy the train tickets for his wife as well.

He eventually took $180 from Mr Wong, of which $160 was allegedly for the train tickets and $20 for meals.

The man took down Mr Wong’s mobile phone number and gave Mr Wong his address and phone number in return.

He promised to meet Mr Wong at the airport when Mr Wong returned the following Tuesday.

However, Tang did not show up.

Mr Wong made repeated calls to his mobile phone number, and each time, he encountered a message saying that the M1 customer was unavailable.

The address Tang had given was also invalid because the street name – Stiring Street – did not exist.

When my paper went looking for the block on Stirling Road, which bears a resemblance to Stiring Street, we discovered that it did not exist.

What bothered Mr Wong was not the money, which he said he ‘still can afford’, but that Tang had been ‘insincere’.

However, he did not make a police report as he ‘willingly lent it’.

The police said it did not have records of similar cases.

Said Mr Wong: “It is now very obvious that Mr Tang’s story was not genuine. I would like to share this encounter with others so that they would not fall into the same trap as I did.”

This victim’s plight reminds me of my own experience!! I was walking in Singapore and was approached by an elderly couple who dressed formally. They explain that they are on business trip and lost their luggage in Singapore and beg me for some money to travel back to their hotel. I at first hesitated but the good talker women flashed a name card and assure me that she will post me back my money and gave me the number to call. The name card also have a company website and email address.

After like 15 minutes I gave up and pass them $50 to return back to their hotel and have a nice cheap dinner…but they look at me like it’s not enough which I told them that’s all I have at that time.

When I went back home, I found out that I had been conned as the website is fake…the email got error response returned email.

They are Chinese speaking Chinese and don’t look like Singaporean.

In my latest trip to Genting Highlands I did experience another well dressed women who approached me in the Casino begging me for some money to eat. At first I pass her 10 Ringgits which is enough for a meal she is asking for…then again…looked at me says that it’s not enough.

I immediately pull back my 10 Ringgits from her and beg her to go away which she cursed before going away. Well the curse did it’s work and I did lost all my Ringgits later haha.

Anyway…do be very very careful with people approaching you for a loan or cash to help them tide over whatever problems they have. I think it’s best to bring them to police station and let them help instead.

Maybe the easiest way is to verify their email or website with a friend who is always online…if that is possible. Some mobile phone can surf internet via 3G network so use that to test their credibility.

If in doubt, walk away quick.

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