Warnings & Updates

INTERNET SCAMS and other WARNINGS, TIPS & UPDATES!

Update for 2009

MONEY CHANGER WARNING #2:

In this scam, you are changing you money at the counter, and after the cashier has counted out your money, a well trained and very fast child comes out from a small hole or loose board in the wall or fence. The cashier makes some form of distraction to cause you to look away from the stack in front of you, at which time the child grabs a handful of your cash (pisos) and then disappears from where they came from.

Due to the large amount of bills given in exchange for American Dollars, it is normal for paranoid Americans to want to stash the “wad” they have just received into their pants pockets and to get back into their cab as soon as possible. That’s why these scams are usually not discovered until its to late.

Another warning about unregistered money changers is counterfeit American dollars. There is a real problem with counterfeit money, and this will become very apparent to you when you go to pay your hotel bill or ask to exchange cash at the hotel or any bank, where they will do everything but bring out a microscope to examine the bills!

THE SCAM: KICKBACK SCAM

Basically, the kickback scam is where the foreigner takes his Filipina and/or some member of her family to purchase something, let’s say a washing machine, dryer, engagement ring, or even a fishing net (these are just examples), and the foreigner is told to allow a relative or the “driver” to do all the dealing so that he can “haggle” a “best price” and prevent the foreigner from being taken advantage of.

In this scam, most commonly, the person doing the “dealing” will first speak to the salesperson in Filipino, and explain that he will guarantee a sale of the particular item, for a small “kickback” or “commission” on the sale. At the same time they are discussing this, the unsuspecting foreigner is led to believe the individual is actually making a deal in his favor. (WRONG!)

This is a hard scam to catch, however, one needs to watch for contact between the salesperson or manager and the “negotiator” for any contact, or in the alternative, for the “negotiator” or other person to announce that they have to return to the store for something they forgot, or to ask a delivery question, etc., at which time they receive their “kickback” payment for steering the sale of the item.

NIGHT LIFE, BARS AND CLUBS IN PHILIPPINES:
THE SCAM: THE CLUB SWITCH

Similar to the scam above, but this one takes place in many of the bars and clubs frequented by many foreigners in the Philippines. (And I admit it was even ?tried? on me!) Although this one does not involve the internet, because of the "switch" similarities, I thought you should be aware of this one for when you are in the Philippines.

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