[dazeddude]

What's up with this place? I've been hearing all this news about people being scammed by talent agencies, people who rent places that promise high speed internet but find out it's slower than dial up, people renting places that seem decent only to find out it's infested with ants, and so on and so on. Just saw a news report about someone who had some illness and was tricked into paying money for something that not only didn't work but was also harmful to a point where he almost died. WTF?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

[mumto2]

i don't see it as any different to anywhere else in the world to be honest, all those things could have happened anywhere...the difference i think is that when you're an expat, you share these kind of things on forums as a means of release I guess...

[jimbo]

you're only likely to get scammed if you don't do your research first and of course if not sure on anything then always get a second opinion.

There are certain posters on here whose opinions and recommendations I'd value and trust if I do need a second opinion.

Scammers might be too strong a word for the things such as mis-selling but of course is appropiate for the model agency situation and things such as the current Iphone spammer on here.

Caveat emptor

[carang]

you forgot the little old ladies buying up white tablets to prevent them catching the Y2K bug a decade ago!

[Crocodile]

Sorry, but HK cannot compete with the Nigerians.

One Australian guy got dones out of A$280,000 (around US$250,000).

Queensland's plan to end Nigerian scams: News - Security - ZDNet Australia

I do enjoy reading the SCMP when they have the small sections on various scams that have been uncovered. In China there are some very ordinary scams (the Y2K bug one is a awesome one that I hadn't heard of, but soooo ordinary) that are very successful. When you have a poplution of over one billion, you don't need a high hit-rate for a scam to be successful.

[hullexile]

There sure are some stupid people out there if that percentage fall for the Nigerian scams.

[aussiegal]

I can understand little old ladies and men getting scammed out of a few bucks but pls, how anyone with $280K can get scammed in this day and age - i.e. with media all around us telling us to watch out, is beyond me. Greedy, greedy people.

[Jon.E.Kong]

I'd agree with you, but I've been to Beijing and Las Vegas.

In Beijing, every person you talk to other than your friends tries to rip you off, even if you speak Mandarin!

In Vegas, well it's Vegas, the whole point is to lose your money.

Most scams in Hong Kong seem pretty see-through, and if you fall for them it's really your own fault most of the time.

[dazeddude]

Originally Posted by Jon.E.Kong

I'd agree with you, but I've been to Beijing and Las Vegas.

In Beijing, every person you talk to other than your friends tries to rip you off, even if you speak Mandarin!

In Vegas, well it's Vegas, the whole point is to lose your money.

Most scams in Hong Kong seem pretty see-through, and if you fall for them it's really your own fault most of the time.

Oops! I forgot about Beijing. Ha! Don't know why I forgot about it, that's where I had my cell phone stolen and I had it on me.

[carang]

scamming preys on the greediness of those being scammed, generally...if it sounds too good to be true... it usually is.