She has been scammed last Saturday

"You won 45k and you need to send your gcash account number so that we can deposit the prize. _scammer called her"

Last Saturday, we have been surprised by the bad news that we received from one of my husband's workmates who came here to our house. He told us that the wife of their colleague was scammed, and they have already given 40K, with the scammer's account through cash. We feel so sad about it because we know how hard it is to find such amount when they are having a minimum wage every month and they have a family.

We're really confused about how did it happen, if we come to think of it, it's a very familiar strategy of a scammer in Ph which has become known before the pandemic happens. The NTC, the national telecommunications commission had already sent a lot of warning text messages about the strategy of scammers who used the show Tutok to win Mr. Revillame, (the famous game show in the Philippines that gave big prizes) that a person won a certain amount of money and you need to send a certain amount of load in exchange of your prize money.

I already acquired such kinds of messages for few times, sometimes the text says, that I won 300k or more, but I don't pay attention to it, instead, I delete it immediately. Even our neighbors have already experienced it, and they send loads like 25 to 50 loads but those are just small amounts compared to our new friends' 40k.

We can't believe that they are scammed because almost everybody knows that certain scammers' techniques are very familiar.

This woman, have received a call and at 5 pm that said it was Kuya Wil, which is exactly the time slot of Willie Revillame's show. Without a doubt, she immediately goes to the cash outlet which is a few meters away from our place. The scammer told her that she win 45k and she needs to have a cash account so that they can send the money through it. The scammer who is a guy once again called her, and he told him to cash in 500 pesos or 10$. And she obeyed the request of the scammer, and then, another called again, they asked for 10k. The woman had already been out of money that's why she begged the teller at the cash outlet to send that exact amount and she will pay it when her husband will arrive to get her. The teller has agreed and cashed in the exact amount. A few minutes later, another call from the scammer, and told her if she has any money left, and he told her to deposit because she will be refunded after the money will be sent and she can also receive her prize. The woman asked the teller to deposit another 30k to the scammer, but the teller was curious and ask her, "Ma'am, what if you're already scammed". But, the scammer have try to convince the teller, the woman passed the phone to the teller and said, that he is the woman's elder brother, he knows that she has money, that's why she should cash in the said amount because she will gonna pay it later.

The teller has finally cashed in the 30k, for a total of 40k, which she already sent earlier to the scammer. A few minutes later, the woman waited for the money which is her prize, which amounts to 45k plus the refund of what she had sent.

Unfortunately, the long wait is over because the scammer suddenly disappear, the number that he used earlier when she called her has disappeared, it's already out of coverage, the woman wasn't able to pay the 40k and they finally conclude that she is a scam, which she didn't realize.

She called her husband to help her because she will be brought to the police if she can't pay the 40 k, which the teller has already confirmed that it's a scam.

Her husband lend 30k to the company where he is working, he begged for that money so that her wife can go back home and, another 10k was loan to the worker's fund.

They paid the teller the exact 40k, then they go home with a heavy heart because they gonna pay for that money for almost 2 years with the salary of her husband. When they came home and everyone knows about it. We were very sad when we know about it, nobody can help them , they have nothing to do but cry.

My point of view

There are different ways a scammer, believe it or not, can access our numbers and they will get our money . This is one of the reasons that I need to keep myself updated every time, with what is happening around me, so that I will be aware with things like this.

Always remember that "to always be wise in answering calls, they caused their sweet voices to convince people."

Never let yourself grab the promises of any calls if you need to exchange an amount of cash before you received the prize.

There's no easy money, just like what they said, it's hard to earned it daily, so please be wise when you received such text messages.

If there will be a catchy approach with you, don't hesitate to ask others for their opinions and listen to good advice. The woman who is being scammed didn't ask anyone for an opinion, she just transact with the scammer alone, because of her excitement to receive the prize that is being said by the scammer.

Always be vigilant!

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