March 15, 2017 at 10:09 am

It was 2009. I was (not-so) fresh from graduating with a degree in Nursing and having passed the board exam, I was excited to try on my license to a real live hospital setting. It was also the time when I broke up with an ex-fiance who cheated on me. So I was really in the mood to get my life back.

I was doing a little bit of ghostwriting back then when an old professor of mine encouraged me to apply in Ireland as a home care nurse. I took the advice and I went on to file my application. It should take a few weeks based on the application and so I waited.

While waiting for the results of my application, I got an email from a recruitment agency. The email was very straightforward and yet thorough that I thought I was getting lucky. It read that I was accepted at a newly built hospital in Saudi and that I will have to attend a seminar as part of the application I placed.

I didn’t actually think “what application, I only applied in Ireland…” cause I honestly did not just applied in Ireland but in other countries as well through job boards.

I was so excited because I thought I will be leaving soon. I’m ready to pack my bags. I paid the seminar fee and I went to Manila together with my mom. We are to stay for a few days in my cousin’s house.

Anyway, when we got to Manila, we searched for the place. We even called the number on their “website” and took a cab to the place. When we got there it was a hotel. And so we asked which room is the agency at and the receptionist looked at me with no surprise at all and said: “You’re not the first to ask me that question.” And she went on “Did you pay for that seminar?”. That’s when I realized I was duped and I wasn’t the only one. According to the girl at the front desk, there were several people who asked her that day about a seminar that’s supposed to be held in the hotel. Unfortunately, it was not real.

My excitement dwindled to pure disappointment and disgust at myself. I couldn’t believe it. It was the first time that something like that ever happened to me.

So now, every time I get an email or any notifications about me getting this and that I really looked into my history if I have ever applied to anything or provided my info to anyone.

Sadly, that’s not just the bad news that I’ve received that time. After a few days, I went home to my hometown and found out that I was 0.5 short from the point requirement for my nurse application in Ireland.

When I think about it now, I realize that there really are things that happen to us to teach us. I think the lesson I need to learn from that experience is to be wary of things around me and that not all people wish you well.

March 15, 2017 at 4:10 pm

So sad that some people can sleep even though they had scammed someone. They were not afraid of karma, fooling people of their hard-earned money. Woe to them!

March 15, 2017 at 10:59 pm

Very sad indeed. I got scammed very recently over a peer funding group. I was made to believe my money will double in a week, but as I speak to you now, it’s been over 4 weeks.  I’m so pained and I feel too foolish for being scammed that way even with all the red flags. Gosh!

March 15, 2017 at 11:17 pm

In a way, I am probably more lucky than the rest.   I live in Jamaica.    When I get these ‘offers’ in my email I just laugh.   Because no one would target Jamaicans.   Our money is valueless, we have developed a reputation of being scammers and/or violent and/or trouble makers.

If I told you how many lotteries ‘I won!’  How many inheritances were offered, how many courses, it would fill a phone book.

I delete everything I don’t know.   Save, sometimes, just to be evil… respond in my ‘foreign language’  telling the writer of the scam mail many interesting things he or she did not know about their parentage.

March 16, 2017 at 12:52 am

This kind of story really makes us a better person and guide us with life. Mistakes gives us a better lesson in life. A mistake that we don’t want to happen again that is why we are being careful. Thanks for sharing this one because not all have the courage to share their story about mistakes. It is a lesson learned to you and a good story for all of us. I know you being careful now with finding jobs in abroad. we don’t want this to happen to anyone. thanks for sharing.

March 16, 2017 at 8:16 pm

That is indeed sad experience. I got scammed plenty of times online. Many freelance experience is with some of the people is really bad. I got to work for them on low amount. And then they scold me for not doing good work. And then also didn’t paid the money. So having a good price at first is lot better than going for the people who are charging low for quality work. I only charge low these days if I have some bad experience. That is what makes me more comfortable. Working on low often gets me to scammed.

March 17, 2017 at 11:02 am

It is sad actually. I hoped that it will not happen to anyone anymore. Sadly, there are still a lot of us who fall for this. But we cannot blame ourselves or anyone besides maybe we’ve been ignoring the signs as well that’s why we got scammed.

The only thing this experience taught me is to be more careful next time.

April 6, 2017 at 1:29 pm

It is really sad to know about that. Already a person is in need of a job to earn something for her family. For that, she had to forego some more money!!!this is too bad.  It is encashing on the hope of someone in distress. It is all because there is no proper closure for such activity on the Internet. People are misusing the technology for their selfish ends.

Such thing has happened to me only once. I got an email informing that I won a lottery. I suspected it. It was about winning a 200 million British Pounds. They asked for my Bank account etc., along with copies of some documents. I got everything scanned in my office. The I.T person though he got doubt he did everything for me. At the time of pressing the SEND button, he just asked me to put a reply message telling that it is not possible to give the account number he asked for but a swift account number will be provided if it is acceptable to them. I did it.

We both waited for a reply. Even after two days, I could not get any reply. Then I googled about the lottery and came to know that it was a scam. Here the point is not losing the lottery but losing my precious time and energy on trivial things.