Yes stand in line indeed. I knew that in October oldislandman. Sorry for the long post.
Ponzi scheme… funny you should mention that. When she sent me an urgent email two days before my last trip asking if I had a credit line that I could tap into for $5000, I mentioned this to one of my friends at work and he used the words “Ponzi scheme, confidence scam etc.” I told him I offered $300 and she said no it’s okay I’ll borrow from someone else… oh gee I hate to do this”. My friend at work said, “You watch, she will ask for that $300. She might even pay it back to build confidence so that she can later borrow more.” And indeed she asked for it and I withdrew $300 at the Bank of Novia Scotia and gave her around $260 (depending on the CDN/Peso exchange in early June) I kept 1500 pesos for myself. I didn’t even count it. I know that sounds ridiculous, I was even embarrassed for her that she was in that position that she needed to ask me for a loan. We didn’t write it down, I believed in her integrity and honesty and I would never ask a friend to sign anything.
It was only later when I asked for the money to be sent that the red flags appeared. The email was never received, I had to resent it and ask again. A few email enquiries later, she asked me if I had received it. I checked with my online banking, nothing had come in. I gave it a 4-5 business, checking and enquired online about the transfer. They gave me the transfer person at my branch and she checked all the wires and asked some questions and told me it sounded like the runaround and told me to tell her to do a bank trace on their end.
At the same time an email came to me from my friend telling that she had sent it and that I had better talk to my bank and find out where that money went!!! With an accusatory tone. “Get a letter from them saying that it hasn’t been received so that I can talk to my bank.” And I had just received another email from my bank online instructing me on what information should have been on transfer, tell her to get a trace at her end.
So the penny dropped in the gumball machine that is my brain, and I knew for certain I was getting the runaround. Now my only hope was to get repaid later. So I continued asking for my money, and she said she might send a second one and that I would send back the first one bank when it finally comes through.
Nothing came. I reminded her again and again finally using a very different tone. I asked her which bank and she said it was Banco Popular. I suggested we go on DR1 to write a thread about it thinking this would get her moving. She replied it was her problem, SHE would deal with the bank and if there was a problem SHE would write a post on DR1 about this subject.
After more emails, in November she said she was “so sorry honey, I’m going to fix it.” She would send it through another Canadian or through Western Union. I said Western Union. No calls from Western Union to come and pick up the money, no instructions on how to pick up. Of course nothing came. Then I started using more of a business tone and told her she was unprofessional. No reply. Finally I posted something on a thread about collecting money from a friend and sent her a PM asking her where is my money. She replied immediately to ALL of my email accounts that she has paid TWICE now, this is a pain in the a$$. What is your problem?
I said I never received it, she said she EMAILED it. I said resend it. She said I faxed it, I didn’t email it. Her memory was failing her and she was contradicting herself. But you know I ALWAYS checked with my bank and kept thinking she MIGHT actually repay me. At any point she could have asked for more time, she didn’t.
But what she didn’t know is that back in October, I had already heard about her stiffing other friends. So I’m a sorry fellow members of this forum if I took up your time with this and didn’t put all the cards on the table. (I should use emoticons in my posts. ) I really thought this might make her repay me and repay others. I’ve already informed every one I know so that I’m not associated with her and she use my friendship with her as leverage to scam someone else. I know that she threatened someone with jail if he told anyone and I will gladly buy a ticket and come down to Puerto Plata to support him.
Thank you b.batista for having the guts to say what I didn’t. Moderator you can move this to any forum you want, I don’t believe it has anything to do with Banco Popular. I would be delighted if it was their mistake, and I will gladly eat my words and apologize in front of everyone if it was. The onus is on the SENDER to do the bank trace. I think some people take advantage of the image of the DR as a developing country, the longer timelines, mix-ups etc. to cover their own dirty work and yes there is such a thing as a gringa sankiette.
Ponzi scheme… funny you should mention that. When she sent me an urgent email two days before my last trip asking if I had a credit line that I could tap into for $5000, I mentioned this to one of my friends at work and he used the words “Ponzi scheme, confidence scam etc.” I told him I offered $300 and she said no it’s okay I’ll borrow from someone else… oh gee I hate to do this”. My friend at work said, “You watch, she will ask for that $300. She might even pay it back to build confidence so that she can later borrow more.” And indeed she asked for it and I withdrew $300 at the Bank of Novia Scotia and gave her around $260 (depending on the CDN/Peso exchange in early June) I kept 1500 pesos for myself. I didn’t even count it. I know that sounds ridiculous, I was even embarrassed for her that she was in that position that she needed to ask me for a loan. We didn’t write it down, I believed in her integrity and honesty and I would never ask a friend to sign anything.
It was only later when I asked for the money to be sent that the red flags appeared. The email was never received, I had to resent it and ask again. A few email enquiries later, she asked me if I had received it. I checked with my online banking, nothing had come in. I gave it a 4-5 business, checking and enquired online about the transfer. They gave me the transfer person at my branch and she checked all the wires and asked some questions and told me it sounded like the runaround and told me to tell her to do a bank trace on their end.
At the same time an email came to me from my friend telling that she had sent it and that I had better talk to my bank and find out where that money went!!! With an accusatory tone. “Get a letter from them saying that it hasn’t been received so that I can talk to my bank.” And I had just received another email from my bank online instructing me on what information should have been on transfer, tell her to get a trace at her end.
So the penny dropped in the gumball machine that is my brain, and I knew for certain I was getting the runaround. Now my only hope was to get repaid later. So I continued asking for my money, and she said she might send a second one and that I would send back the first one bank when it finally comes through.
Nothing came. I reminded her again and again finally using a very different tone. I asked her which bank and she said it was Banco Popular. I suggested we go on DR1 to write a thread about it thinking this would get her moving. She replied it was her problem, SHE would deal with the bank and if there was a problem SHE would write a post on DR1 about this subject.
After more emails, in November she said she was “so sorry honey, I’m going to fix it.” She would send it through another Canadian or through Western Union. I said Western Union. No calls from Western Union to come and pick up the money, no instructions on how to pick up. Of course nothing came. Then I started using more of a business tone and told her she was unprofessional. No reply. Finally I posted something on a thread about collecting money from a friend and sent her a PM asking her where is my money. She replied immediately to ALL of my email accounts that she has paid TWICE now, this is a pain in the a$$. What is your problem?
I said I never received it, she said she EMAILED it. I said resend it. She said I faxed it, I didn’t email it. Her memory was failing her and she was contradicting herself. But you know I ALWAYS checked with my bank and kept thinking she MIGHT actually repay me. At any point she could have asked for more time, she didn’t.
But what she didn’t know is that back in October, I had already heard about her stiffing other friends. So I’m a sorry fellow members of this forum if I took up your time with this and didn’t put all the cards on the table. (I should use emoticons in my posts. ) I really thought this might make her repay me and repay others. I’ve already informed every one I know so that I’m not associated with her and she use my friendship with her as leverage to scam someone else. I know that she threatened someone with jail if he told anyone and I will gladly buy a ticket and come down to Puerto Plata to support him.
Thank you b.batista for having the guts to say what I didn’t. Moderator you can move this to any forum you want, I don’t believe it has anything to do with Banco Popular. I would be delighted if it was their mistake, and I will gladly eat my words and apologize in front of everyone if it was. The onus is on the SENDER to do the bank trace. I think some people take advantage of the image of the DR as a developing country, the longer timelines, mix-ups etc. to cover their own dirty work and yes there is such a thing as a gringa sankiette.
