How To Avoid Offline Scam?
Scam is happen every where and anytime, either offline or online. Recently I received a call saying that I was missed on a court hearing on a criminal case. I was shocked to hear that and I further investigate with the caller. The conclusion I got from the conversation is this is a scam.
To find out the similar news happen to others, you can read from Jee’s blog, USJ Forum and Tenth Of March. If you receiving some voice mail call and saying you miss the first hearing on court case, you should hang up the call immediately.
I have some tips for you to pick up in order to avoid becoming the next victim.
Tips #1: Stay clam and cool
Most of the time, we are falling into our self-made trap. If we stay clam and panic, we can avoid this happen to us most of the time.
Tip #2: Read Your Local Newspaper
This case was reported in the Star paper and the reason I didn’t know this after I have stop reading newspapers regularly. I learnt one thing from here, you got to constantly read local newspapers from time to time, help you aware of what’s happening in your area.
Tips #3: Do not disclose your personal info.
Most of the time, they don’t know who you are except the contact number or your name. Try to ask for their identification before you disclose your personal data.Take for example, if they claim they are police, ask for his/her police ID no.
Tips #4: Do not try to settle the problem by offering cash payment.
Just remember, the scammers are looking for victim for ONE purpose. That is to get your money. If you are trying to offer them cash payment. You are in fact, fall into their trap.
Tips #5: Use Common Sense
This is quite important as it helps you to find out whether it is a true or scam case. In the scam I got, which is a man claimed he called from Police Head Office but he sound like a Chinese and speak mandarin. Most of us knew, anyone who works in police department must be able to converse in Malay language (Bahasa Malaysia) in Malaysia. Immediate I suspect him, I tested him by speak Malay language and he failed to replying me in Malay language.
Tips #6: Make a police report
If you feel there is a need to make a police report, go ahead to visit police station nearby. This is not just a to protect yourself but also inform the respective department and let them aware of the latest scam happen in town.
Share this to your friends, relatives or neighbours before they received the similar call. I told my buddy, MelvinNg on the same day I received the call. He called me back in the afternoon saying that he also received the same call. You could have save someone by sharing this.
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Hi Steven. Those are some good tips. However, there’s one thing about tips #3 that I can’t say I agree.
Firstly, if they gave you some “ID” that they claim is their police ID, you will have no way to check whether it is or not. Apart from that, the others are good.
By the way, it’s TenthOfMarch, not Tenth Of The Month
Have a nice day.
Yes, note that, have change the name for you.
Okay, maybe this tip #3 I didn’t elaborate further. My point is ask for their ID number, go to the nearest police station and check with the police. I am sure they are helpful and will let you know whether it is a real person behind this ID. If not, refer to tips #6.
Ahhh…I see. Good thing you are helping to spread the message on scams as well. Scams are happening around us all the time. Not sure if you missed it, Jeff Ooi is exposing some serious SMS scams over at his blog (jeffooi.com).
I even received sms like saying you have won 15 thousand dollars. Please contact us at xxxxx. Ha ha that was funny.
Hi Kay Kastum,
Yes, all kinds of scam format will appear over the time and we got to aware of all the time.
As long as we don’t get greedy or scared. We still can overcome all these scams.
Take care.
Steven,
I came to your site via gobala link and it kinda wake me on the kind of thing that you guys do. I blog for fun…but u guys..really want to make money…so..this kinda make me looking at my blog in a different way.
You hv a lot internet info…I read some..enjoyed it…
Sam
Hi Sam,
Well, thanks for your compliment. That’s the way to go, monetizing your blog. Your blog can be potentially your virtual real estate in long term if you have a clear direction to go.
All the best.
Steven,
Thks and send email on some of your gathering. I would like to learn from you guys. That is if u don’t mind sharing…
sam
Hey Steven, great to know that you’re helping in exposing scams such as these. In fact, when I got the call the other day, I just hang up on them. No point to even bother. By the way, check out some cool pics we took at the WIS in S’pore. http://www.askmelvinng.com Talk to you later and perhaps teh tarik again. - melvin
Hi Melvin,
Thank you for your greeting. In fact, I just save your from being cheated … so the next tea tarik bill on you.
I miss out the WIS trip in Singapore, was tight up with the new project started a week ago. That was a really cool meeting, wasn’t it? Meet up with many marketers.
Steven, yeah it was awesome meeting up with all those marketers.
In fact, it was an eye opening experience spending the entire journey with Edmund, Gobala, Khai, and Vince as I got to know them better.
Teh tarik no probs, anytime! You should have joined me and Vince at McD when you called us that time.
Aim for the next seminar in US - Mike Filsaime’s marketing main event 3.
Ciao for now.
- Melvin Ng
Jeff Ooi was named best blogger for giving personal though is now named the worst blogger for promoting lie, defamation and mislead public.
The way he generalize sms = spam = scam, is like telling you email = spam = scam. The way he sabotage innocent sms providers by hiding the facts and write his own assumption is like saying Yahoo mail = spammer = scammer. Before one judge what is scam, study first.
90% of the unwanted sms are sms promotions from your service providers like Credit Card, Bank, Genting, Tesco etc.
10% of the unwated sms are SCAM from Win Akademi Fantasia prizes, Maybank lottery etc.
less than 0.00001% as evidence by your telco are sms providers offering you services, which you downloaded or requested. The way Jeff Ooi mislead public by linking above issues to these poor sms provider is not only unethical but irresponsible as a human being.
Occationally, there are errors from telcos, you can always question your own operator and get an answer. No big deal. This is already top quality service. Try asking a refund from Telekom Malaysia or Tenaga National. You dream your wrong bill got processed shorter than 6 months.
There are bloggers who frustrated with Jeff Ooi spoiling the blogger image. Becareful with what you are reading and give a comment if you don’t know the deep down story.
Zaini,
Thanks for your comments here but I don’t know why you suddenly bring up the statement by Jeff Ooi.
Pertaining to sms spam, I would disagree with your comments about the telco’s promo sms. Reason being, telcoms don’t provide an option for customers unsubscribe to “unwanted” sms.
Currently, I am using Celcom service but I don’t like they send me “unwanted” sms until I have to purposely call them to stopped the “unwanted” one. I demanded to stop all future sms spam. Do you know what they tell me? They can’t do the stop for future sms and what I can do is just reply the sms to indicate stop receiving without called them. Well, I understand that I can be charge for RM0.50 for just unsubscribe. Imagine you have 10-20 unwatned sms in future, what’s amount you need to pay to just to stop the sms.
On the other hand, Maxis is good, come out a move which enable the customers select the option to stop receiving unwanted sms (I saw an adv in star paper).
I don’t know about Digi, if you are Digi user, maybe you can let us know whether Digi allow you unsubscribe to unwanted sms delivery.