Scams R Us

So that means you will lend below $1000?
I faced similar situations many time!
Just skip from that conversation politely
Also am against giving 'money'.

charmavietnam wrote:

So that means you will lend below $1000?
I faced similar situations many time!
Just skip from that conversation politely
Also am against giving 'money'.

That's right.  So the next college student reading this post will ask me for $999.99999999 instead!  So what's your story?  I know you got plenty. 

I wanna hear these "free" language exchanges that you've been harping against.  Did you first get tricked by one?  Let's hear the story.

Oh, as usual.
Motorbikes, parents sick, tuition...

Tran Hung Dao wrote:

So what's your story?  I know you got plenty.

charmavietnam wrote:

Oh, as usual.
Motorbikes, parents sick, tuition...

Tran Hung Dao wrote:

So what's your story?  I know you got plenty.

I have never lent anyone here any money, and I never will. I HAVE, however, GIVEN some locals I know lots of money over the years - not because I'm a sucker, but because I wanted to, and thought they legitimately needed it. I too laugh (not out loud, but to myself) when I hear the "my mother/father/little brother/little sister/grandmother is sick and needs an operation" story. I've had several locals I know ask me if they can "borrow" some money. My answer to them is NO...But I will consider GIVING you some money. All of us who are more fortunate must realize that a local with a job that pays only $150-200/month is NEVER going to be able to repay a loan of more than about 500,000 dong. And I'm not the kind of person who enjoys "tracking" the status of loan repayments. After all, I'm not a freaking bank! Therefore, it's easier to just GIVE. (OR NOT)

My neighbour from hell , ( wakes me up at 4am every morning, noisy most of the day,  only talks to me when he wants something, i.e, tools, drill, welding done, etc, but never offers anything in return , and they have heaps of chooks, pigs, cows, vege's, etc, etc ), we lent him 50 mil to help with building his new house, soon after he was back for another 50 -- 100 mil, but the wife is smart, she told him to sign over some of his land for security on the loan, ( including the first loan ), but he wasn't keen on that idea, ( must think I'm really stupid, I can't speak VN, but I knew what the arguments were about, when people came there for their money for work done, and materials supplied ), eventually we got our 50mil back, but only after he sold a piece of his land to a VK , who built a 2nd Mausoleum on it, and he told her what a marvelous neighbour I was, ' I had everything ', ( for him to borrow ), she wasn't impressed with him at all.

"Free Language/Cultural Exchange" people are mostly, unemployed with a 'parasite' mentality
When I came first time I fell for that some and enlightened
But they didn't ask money or motorbikes. They just need hangout and eat as much as 'their order'!
I got acquainted with someone through forums. That was a kind of dating. They are too much interested in 'money' or motorbikes!
How can I offer them motorbikes as am a poor Indian?

Tran Hung Dao wrote:

I wanna hear these "free" language exchanges that you've been harping against.  Did you first get tricked by one?  Let's hear the story.

First person that wanted to borrow from me was a tuk tuk driver in Cambodia. He needed $100 because his mother needed surgery. Maybe he was hoping for a tip?
Second person was in Thailand, she never asked to borrow but wanted me to buy things. She was smart and always asked just prior to sex. Did not take me long to understand the meaning of this relationship. Then there was the occasional sick buffalo....
No one in Laos ever asked for a loan or gift.
Vietnam is where I learn to place girlfriends on an allowance. Currently on my 3rd GF here, current GF occasionally ask for stuff but nothing expensive until the house question. Why an allowance? I just feel better about paying them. When their family or friends need a loan, I just tell her I would need to reduce her allowance and she would work on getting repaid. So far no loans have been asked. Some might say this equals prostitution, well I do not care what some might say.

not so much a loan story but one of personal greed, while in Thailand, I was offered a supper good ex rate, didnt stop to think, too good to be true it was , never happened again, legit only and never lend

If locals need loan for their business than refer them to the site where people from developed countries loan out money to people in developed countries for I believe interest free loan.

According to this website which I can't publish the locals can re-pay the loan in increments and not all at once.

Yeah locals don't have to re-pay too but than that gives a bad reputation to the local agency that is vouching for them.

The surgery line seems to be a heavy hitter.  Our housekeeper's father had this lump on his neck like a softball, we lent her the money to get it removed, deducted from her monthly in installments.  That one was real.

But my friend's GF's mom really needs it and refuses it.  I think she likes the pain meds.  A benign liver tumor can go malignant and if  does she's gone in a month.  I don't think she's said a kind or courteous word to anyone in her life.  We took her and others to a nice buffet, she just glared at everyone, wasted half the food she brought to the table. 

Family has the attitude that the daughter's foreign BF is an ATM.  they're constantly inventing excuses for more cash.  He too has gone the allowance route too high in my estimation.  Only good I can say is that they're not drinking it.

I've had surgery here.  Three days, laproscopic, anesthetist, etc. ... Ten mil, $500.  In the USA, $30,000 easy and insurance would have found some excuse to not pay.

I say yes too easily. That's why I got a wife.

I refuse to take taxi alone, every single time they try and scam you.

This is news I can use. All the posts here have been good information because this is one thing I have been concerned about based on my research.

Thanks for the heads up about the scams to be on the look out for. Sounds like the best advise works from the USA too. Don't lend money, but be generous if you want to gift.

ancientpathos wrote:

Vietnam is where I learn to place girlfriends on an allowance.

An allowance (Rent a GF) is an interesting twist though and one to contemplate at some point in the future. What's the going rate for a quality rental these day?

Good_Man wrote:

This is news I can use. All the posts here have been good information because this is one thing I have been concerned about based on my research.

Thanks for the heads up about the scams to be on the look out for. Sounds like the best advise works from the USA too. Don't lend money, but be generous if you want to gift.

ancientpathos wrote:

Vietnam is where I learn to place girlfriends on an allowance.

An allowance (Rent a GF) is an interesting twist though and one to contemplate at some point in the future. What's the going rate for a quality rental these day?

AHA! This must have been ancientpathos' ad posted on craigslist after he got pissed at his old GF.  Looking for a new one already!

Get Paid to be my Girl Friend $350/week !! Must speak some English (HCM District 1)

I've bought seven motorcycles and built five houses (and 1 small house/shack),all for inlaws. The motorbikes were Chinese, and we bought one per brother or sister's family, they picked the recipient, with the understanding that the bike was for support of their parent when they needed to visit the doctor, clinic, or whatever.

The first house was the most interesting. It was built in the early nineties for her favorite brother, a VC veteran. On her next trip back home he did not even come to see her, telling everyone in the family she was a whore who had married a GI. He actually repented some years later, but she never saw nor spoke to him again.

Each of her four surviving sisters got a house, as did the daughter of her formerly favorite brother, which was a special case. She was living on a loaned piece of land on Provincial Route 61, right next to the road, in a grass shack. Her husband had been diagnosed with cancer and was dying. We gave them enough money to buy a small piece of land a bit off the road and build a  small house. He came to see me before we left, and embarrassed the hell out of me with his prostrations and tears. When I went back two years later he had died.

I am no Buddha. Not even a Bodhisattva. And I was making very good money in those days. Everyone has a hobby, and helping her family when and where they needed it was (and remains) mine. Frankly, there are other people in Vietnam I would rather help, particularly Trung-si Giao's family if I could ever track them down, and a few Montagnard families if I could get close to them without drawing the Cong An's attention. But her family is what I have been given and we get along quite nicely even when we say 'no'.

When they come asking for help, they need it, and the houses and motorcycles were our idea, not theirs.

Oh, scams? The 'orphans' that hit you up at the Nha Trang Buddha have to be a classic case.

lirelou wrote:

I've bought seven motorcycles and built five houses (and 1 small house/shack),all for inlaws. The motorbikes were Chinese, and we bought one per brother or sister's family, they picked the recipient, with the understanding that the bike was for support of their parent when they needed to visit the doctor, clinic, or whatever.

The first house was the most interesting. It was built in the early nineties for her favorite brother, a VC veteran. On her next trip back home he did not even come to see her, telling everyone in the family she was a whore who had married a GI. He actually repented some years later, but she never saw nor spoke to him again.

Each of her four surviving sisters got a house, as did the daughter of her formerly favorite brother, which was a special case. She was living on a loaned piece of land on Provincial Route 61, right next to the road, in a grass shack. Her husband had been diagnosed with cancer and was dying. We gave them enough money to buy a small piece of land a bit off the road and build a  small house. He came to see me before we left, and embarrassed the hell out of me with his prostrations and tears. When I went back two years later he had died.

....

Seems alot of the wife's family took advantage of you.  Except the guy who died, I didn't read anyone saying thank you.  One even insulted your wife...if I were you and he called my wife a whore, I'd be on a bulldozer dozing the house I BUILT for him.

Seems alot of the wife's family took advantage of you.  Except the guy who died, I didn't read anyone saying thank you.  One even insulted your wife...if I were you and he called my wife a whore, I'd be on a bulldozer dozing the house I BUILT for him.

They were all living in grass shacks when she started going back. Besides that, it increased her 'face'. If you can't take advantage of family, who can you take advantage of? As for bulldozing his house, if you're going to use THD's name and avatar, you ought to be 'Vietnamese' enough to understand why not.

Like I said, It' my hobby. Or I could be another one of these ridiculous Florida nearly seventy-year olds riding around in a sports convertible, my long gray pony-tail flapping in the breeze behind my nearly bald head, trying to pick up forty-year olds.

A chacun son gout!

Tran Hung Dao wrote:

Get Paid to be my Girl Friend $350/week !! Must speak some English (HCM District 1)

Now that's funny

lirelou wrote:

Seems alot of the wife's family took advantage of you.  Except the guy who died, I didn't read anyone saying thank you.  One even insulted your wife...if I were you and he called my wife a whore, I'd be on a bulldozer dozing the house I BUILT for him.

As for bulldozing his house, if you're going to use THD's name and avatar, you ought to be 'Vietnamese' enough to understand why not.

Name or Avatar aside, I'm American enough to kick anyone's ass who calls my wife (if I had one) a whore.  So did you let him off the hook or did you clobber his ass?

I also think I've learned enough of this culture that it's the man who is still the head of the house?  So if anyone insults a member of your house, it means they insult you.

We did the Confucian thing and swallowed it. After all, he was an older brother in the family line.

Good_Man wrote:

Tran Hung Dao wrote:

Get Paid to be my Girl Friend $350/week !! Must speak some English (HCM District 1)

Now that's funny

Yah that was funny when I read it...pay some chick just to hold her hands....whatever.  This guy must be a total loser.  Man, just go out to any "language exchange" and you can meet girls.  Or maybe he's just lazy since courtship with a proper Vietnamese girl is very lllllloooooooonnnnnnnnggggggg (I once asked the owner of a language school where I was teaching how long he courted his wife and he told me seven years.  I was like...well crap, I guess I won't be chasing the Vietnamese teachers at his school then). 

Actually I can see a scam going from that ad.  A pimp will just send his hooker to this guy's house and be his "girlfriend"...after casing the joint, the gang will come and rob him clean.

Send your email now ... tomorrow you will be glad you did !!

lirelou wrote:

We did the Confucian thing and swallowed it. After all, he was an older brother in the family line.

You should of hired me since I'm outside the family line 

Well, you did say he repented.

Tran Hung Dao wrote:

Yah that was funny when I read it...pay some chick just to hold her hands....whatever.  This guy must be a total loser.  Man, just go out to any "language exchange" and you can meet girls.  Or maybe he's just lazy since courtship with a Vietnamese girl is very lllllloooooooonnnnnnnnggggggg.  Actually I can see a scam going from that ad.  A pimp will just send his hooker to this guy's house and be his "girlfriend"...after casing the joint, the gang will come and rob him clean.

Send your email now ... tomorrow you will be glad you did !!

The poor sap is probably BUFF (Big ugly Fat F**k) and can't find his manhood anyway. But hey, if the dudes got cash to burn then I am sure many will find ways to help separate the fool from his money.

Tran Hung Dao wrote:

Good_Man wrote:

ancientpathos wrote:

Vietnam is where I learn to place girlfriends on an allowance.

An allowance (Rent a GF) is an interesting twist though and one to contemplate at some point in the future. What's the going rate for a quality rental these day?

AHA! This must have been ancientpathos' ad posted on craigslist after he got pissed at his old GF.  Looking for a new one already!

Get Paid to be my Girl Friend $350/week !! Must speak some English (HCM District 1)

The add is not mine, the allowance idea was really from my mom. She had my dad on one even though she did not work she manage the money. I travel a lot, the allowance insures they are still able to meet their responsibilities without having to ask me. Most of them were making 3-4 million a month from working. I just double their salary. There is no discussion about intimacy, it just occurs naturally. However they do tend to feel we are in a serious relationship regardless of how I tell them I enjoy their company but I am not in love. It is aways the love issue why it ends. They want love and money. Friendship and money does not work.

Tran Hung Dao wrote:

Get Paid to be my Girl Friend $350/week !! Must speak some English (HCM District 1)

It would have been interesting to see how many thousand applicants there was for this position, ( and how many were ' Ladyboys ' as well?? ).

ancientpathos wrote:

Most of them were making 3-4 million a month from working. I just double their salary. There is no discussion about intimacy, it just occurs naturally. However they do tend to feel we are in a serious relationship regardless of how I tell them I enjoy their company but I am not in love. It is aways the love issue why it ends. They want love and money. Friendship and money does not work.

Hmmmm Love can really be a Pain In The A@@ (PITA for acronym lovers), but as long as you are upfront about your intentions despite the obvious cultural and communication differences it seems to be an equitable arrangement. Sounds like everyone wins and it is difficult to find the proverbial win-sin, umm I mean win-win situation.

ancientpathos wrote:

...
The add is not mine, ....

I knew it wasn't you...but the joke wouldn't work if I didn't tie it to you.

bluenz wrote:

Tran Hung Dao wrote:

Get Paid to be my Girl Friend $350/week !! Must speak some English (HCM District 1)

It would have been interesting to see how many thousand applicants there was for this position, ( and how many were ' Ladyboys ' as well?? ).

Why don't you copy that ad and outbid that guy by writing $400/week and see how many thousands of scammer/gold-diggers you get emailing you?

Do girls always ask you "When are you going back to America?" (as in, if I marry this sucker, when will he take me to the USA?)

- for Kiwis, substitute "...to New Zealand",
- for Aussies, substitute "...to Australia",
- for Brits, substitute "...to the UK",
- for others, you get the idea.
- but for Canucks, substitute "...to Hell" (well, it's really cold in Canada right now isn't it? For people who thinks Hell is burning and flames, they obviously have never been to the frozen North.)

Tran Hung Dao wrote:

Do girls always ask you "When are you going back to America?" (as in, if I marry this sucker, when will he take me to the USA?)

Ok, I will admit to being dishonest when I answer this question. I tell them once I have found my passionate love.

but for Canucks, substitute "...to Hell" lol (well, it's really cold in Canada right now isn't it? For people who thinks Hell is burning and flames, they obviously have never been to the frozen North.)

Actually, Vancouver is usually warmer than Boston in the winter. As for Victoria, it has a climate similar to Seattle. Now, Fort Churchill? Brrr.

lirelou wrote:

but for Canucks, substitute "...to Hell" lol (well, it's really cold in Canada right now isn't it? For people who thinks Hell is burning and flames, they obviously have never been to the frozen North.)

Actually, Vancouver is usually warmer than Boston in the winter. As for Victoria, it has a climate similar to Seattle. Now, Fort Churchill? Brrr.

So...the frozen North...like...Whitehorse, Yukon Territory?  I do notice about 95% of Canucks like to snuggle with Americans at the southern border though.

yeah it's -30 with the wind chill right now. brrrrrr cold don't know how I put up with this cold weather every winter.

Just couple weeks ago a Vietnamese waitress tried to scam me. She wanted to be my girlfriend. Asked for my phone number. Said she's sad and I ask why. We had a long conversation than she says her car was repossessed because of not making payments. She flat out asked me if I can loan her some money.   I won't be going back to that restaurant again.

khanh44 wrote:

yeah it's -30 with the wind chill right now. brrrrrr cold don't know how I put up with this cold weather every winter.

Just couple weeks ago a Vietnamese waitress tried to scam me. She wanted to be my girlfriend. Asked for my phone number. Said she's sad and I ask why. We had a long conversation than she says her car was repossessed because of not making payments. She flat out asked me if I can loan her some money.   I won't be going back to that restaurant again.

Wow that's really inept.  Doesn't she know she has to lower your resistance with post-coital euphoria before asking?

khanh44 wrote:

yeah it's -30 with the wind chill right now. brrrrrr cold don't know how I put up with this cold weather every winter.

Just couple weeks ago a Vietnamese waitress tried to scam me. She wanted to be my girlfriend. Asked for my phone number. Said she's sad and I ask why. We had a long conversation than she says her car was repossessed because of not making payments. She flat out asked me if I can loan her some money.   I won't be going back to that restaurant again.

Wow, a WAITRESS with a car????, I think she must HAVE quite a few boyfriends .  ( or was this is the US/CAN ? )

Canada but just saying there's no border to scamming people of their hard earned money with sob stories.

I've learned to accept people hating me lol.

khanh44 wrote:

I've learned to accept people hating me lol.

It just comes naturally living in VN, you don't have to learn it.

where are those guys going???? snow bound