The Modus Operandi of an On-going Scam... BEWARE !!!

The Encounter
A group of people will approach you, asking you to open up a perforated paper and see what you get. If you try to push them away, they will beg you to do them this favour as you wouldn't lose a thing. They will explain that the paper either contains shopping mall discounts in which you can keep or a printed 'Thank You' in which they will keep.

Winning your Heart
While you are opening up your paper, they will give out similar ones to your friend (other passer-by if you are alone). Other people will get the 'Thank You' but you will get a 'Super Bonus'. They will start acting awfully surprised and start congratulating you incessantly. You are their 'Savior' and it had been months since the last person got a 'Super Bonus'. A 'Super Bonus' ensures you a prize and potentially gives them a big commission. They will explain that their monthly income is very low and that they depend on the number of 'Thank You's (RM1 commission) and 'Super Bonus' (up to RM3000 commission).

Fuelling your Greed
They will mention that most of the non-valuable products are already given out and you stand a very big chance in winning a car or vacation trips (redeemable for at least RM12,000). They will make you imagine that you are already a big 'winner' and make you promise to share your fortune by buying them dinner. To make you buy that idea, they inform their other colleagues and book a place at a restaurant.

Not a Scam?
If you are still in disbelief, you might ask why don't they just open up those stack of paper and get the benefits for themselves. Their response will be that they need a signature for the 'Thank You' and the 'Supper Bonus' winner will need to prove to the agent, who will come later, that you are not anyhow related to them. The agent will explain that the sponsors (Genki, Ogiwa, Kenko, Ishikawa, etc) is trying to evade corporate tax, hence giving out gifts to the public in exchange for helping promote their brands and you must be willing to appear in newspapers. He will then show you newspaper cuttings of the 'winners'. Better, they will prove their authenticity with their license approved by the Securities of Commission.

Oops, forgot the Scanner!
A special scanner is needed to view the number on the paper. The agent, obviously, don't have the scanner with him at that moment. He explained that some of the prizes including the car would require GST which is calculated to be 0.24% x RM2,900,000 = RM6900. He will ensure you that the prizes which require the GST is worth much more than RM6900 so there is nothing to worry about.

Car Insurance Covered as Well!
Since you stand a chance to win a car, the agent will talk about insurance and the sponsors are covering part of it depending on the balance in your bank. This way, they get to find out your account balance since you will no longer have the incentive to hide that information. To avoid you from contacting your parents, they will mention that it is only fair to the sponsors if only the current balance in your bank is taken into account. To further stop you from asking your family for a 2nd opinion, they will entice you that driving home a new car would be a lovely surprise.

Don't have Sufficient Money? Don't Sweat
They'll promise to find a way. Either making the company to lower the GST or find other sources to top up. With whatever you have, you will be asked to sign a contract stating that you will pay RM6900 in exchange for certain prizes. They have a catchy clause to make you pay less attention to what you are signing: All prizes will be given on-the-spot, else the company will be obligated to compensate you with RM24,000 which the agent carries with him! At this point, you are relying more on your ears than your eyes because it is already night time and you are in a taxi.

The Actual Prize
You won one of the 'rarest in probability' prize! (it was claimed that there are more cars and vacation trips). One that you don't even need like a Jade Mattress. You need to pay that GST. Worse thing, you don't get to bring it home. So much for 'on-the-spot prize'. The agent will eventually convince you that you don't need that product and he will help you sell it. He will then show you a picture of a similar 'winner' whom he helped to sell for a catchy price. He then promises to source for a buyer who would top up that additional GST you owe and you will get a nice profit. To further convince you, he asks for a share in profit if he is able to find a buyer.

Consolation
Depending on how much 'GST' you paid, you get some 'free products' like microwave, water filter, convection stove, foot massager etc.

Sue them? Guess not
4-5 hours has passed and it is now dark. You are in the taxi, confused and not thinking right. You will not realize that you did not get any copies of what you signed, only a plain receipt (with no company name) stating that you had paid up. So, are you really paying for GST or for the 'free' products? Worse, he made you sign the shipment so that the products are shipped by yourself to yourself. No means of tracking them down and the Tribunal can't help you!

US Family Trip Tentative Plan

Thurs, April 28
Parents arrive.
Visiting: Downtown Ann Arbor.

Fri, April 29
Take Graduation pictures around campus to avoid heavy traffic after graduation.
Visiting: Birchrun Prime Outlets

Sat, April 30
GRADUATION!!!

Sun, May 1
Flight Detroit --> New York. Arrive NY in the morning.
Visiting: Planet Hollywood(collect NYPass), Circle Line Cruise, Intrepid Sea and Air Museum, Ground Zero, watch Broadway.

Mon, May 2
Visiting: Central Park, Central Park Zoo, Museum of Natural History, Metropolitan Museum of Modern Arts, Empire State Building.

Tues, May 3
Visiting: Statue of Liberty, Rockefeller Center (Top of the Rock), NBC Studio Tour, Radio City Music Hall Tour, Madame Tusssauds Wax Museum

Wed, May 4
Visiting: Chinatown, Wall Street + Bronze Charging Bull, United Nations.
Bus NY --> Washington DC. Arrive at DC at night

Thurs, May 5
Visiting: Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, National Museum of Natural History (Smithsonian), White House, Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Bus Washington DC --> Buffalo. Arrive in Buffalo the next morning

Fri, May 6
Visiting: Niagara Falls

Sat, May 7
Flight Buffalo --> San Francisco. Arrive at SF in the evening
Visiting: Fishermen's Wharf, Union Square, Chinatown

Sun, May 8
Visiting: Muirwood, Napa Valley, Lombard Street, Golden Gate Bridge

Mon, May 9
Visiting: Yosemite National Park

Tues, May 10
Visiting: Yosemite National Park

Wed, May 11
Visiting: Yosemite National Park
Flight SF --> Las Vegas. Arrive in Vegas at night

Thurs, May 12
Grand Canyon
Aunt Wendy will be meeting us at night

Fri, May 13
Las Vegas

Sat, May 14
Drive back to Aunt Wendy's home.
A day off  =)


Sat, May 15
Visiting: Hollywood or San Diego

Mon, May 16 - Sat, May 21
Yellowstone National Park (Planning in progress)

Monday, May 23
Parents departure

Sirius - The Brightest One

It has been a long time since I gazed at the night sky. Now that I do, I find myself fixated to one bright little star. And every time I do look into the sky, I will search for it, admire it and other stars will start dwindling in sight. There are cloudy nights where it could not be seen. But I would patiently wait for the night it will appear again. As long as it remains in the night sky, it will give me a purpose in life and it will guide me to the right direction. But a star is still a star, it remains millions of light years away. I could only admire it from afar as I am no scientist to create such technology that could take me there.