Beware of Malaysia Travel Scratch-and-Win Scams!

In recent years, there has been a myriad of Travel scratch card scams. I'm writing this so as to warn other people to be careful! There is no such thing as free lunch in the world! If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. 

The story goes like this, my Dad received 2 'professional looking' scratch cards alongside with a brochure with the 'face' of the director of the company inside. Poor thing, don't know whose picture they ripped off. On first look, it appeared 'professional' as they took effort in printing the scratch cards, even with a glossy finish.

Curious, I went to their website to take a look. Despite being a 7 years old reputable Travel company, there are spelling mistakes all over the website, alignment issues and the so called 'travel deals' cannot be clicked on etc. Too many mistakes please! Seems like the website does not do the 'professional looking' scratch cards justice. And to add on, the website was only created in 2012. Hmm, fishy no? And oh, one of the MOST deadly sins that they have committed at their website which is such a giveaway that it's a scam is this.

We at Emperial Travel (malaysia) is...

WAIT. WHAT DID YOU SAY? Emperial Travel?!?! I thought your company is 'The Empire Travel'? Wah, such a spelling mistake also can make! Name of the company also can type wrong! BOO.

Updated: They have changed the copy and paste mistake. But still, tons of grammatical errors and spelling mistakes, what an eyesore.

So, I googled 'Emperial Travel' and TA-DAH! There are results!

http://www.tripadvisor.in/ShowTopic-g293951-i7006-k4967875-Emperial_travel_survey_prizes_Scam_maybe-Malaysia.html

Haiyo, hello dear scam company, if you want to change name of the company from time to time so as to scam more innocent people, please at least change the name too? Just simply copy and paste effort also can result in a major loophole like this!

Lesson to be learn: Copy and paste and change accordingly! TSK.

And since it's just a reputable travel company which supposedly has been around for 7 years running, why there's totally no news of it at all when I tried to google initially. Totally no good/bad reviews of a travel company? Fishy again.

Few days later, a google search and this churned out some answers that it's an obvious scam!

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20120621014919AAySSNn

As I have some spare time then, I decided to play along with them. I want to see what tactics do they actually have up their sleeves. So, they called me up and said that since the top 3 prizes were sponsored by the Hong Kong company, Premier Marketing Authority (There is no such company when I googled, and the website layout style is similar to The Empire Travel), I'm a non-client and I have to be discrete about it in case the clients of the Hong Kong company found out that they have given away the prize to a non-client. What a way to get me to shut my mouth about it and telling people, hur.

Next, the claim officer tried to build trust and rapport with you first. She did WAY TOO MUCH talking. Even telling me that she came to USS before blah blah and want to be friends with me if she come to Singapore again in the future. EEYER. HOW DISGUSTED.

 Then I told her to send the details to my email. Apparently she did not initially. When she called again, I pressed her to send the details to my email as I can't remember all that was said. Eventually, she relented.

Below is a screenshot of the email from the person called 'Christina Leong' at christina.leong@theempiretravel.com. Nah I doubt it's her real name anyway, and not mine either. 

Need to have letter of authorization to claim prize money from the Sponsor (Premier Marketing Authority) in which the Hong Kong Government will charge a fee for it. Please! Since when got such a law? Never heard of it before! What a scam! Check this out: http://www.justanswer.com/law/5p79e-whom-may-cocern-i-recieved-two-scratch-cards.html

Seems like the scammers are targeting in other countries as well! Even Australia!

Click to read the news belows:

http://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/corporate/Media/statements/2009/May/Malaysian_travel_lottery_fraud.html

http://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/Corporate/Media/statements/2011/October/More_Malaysian_travel_scam_bro.html

How interesting, the extent to which the scammers are doing. Printing out nice glossy brochures/scratch cards to appear professional, talking alot of bullshit so as to gain the trust etc. Who knows what other tricks they might dish out in the future. But apparently, this Malaysia Travel scratch card scams have been around for some time already, and they have been switching names of the fake 'company' from time to time.

Share it with your loved ones! And don't fall for it! :)

Posted it on my Facebook notes as well.

Updated:
1. You can actually check the http://www.matta.org.my to check if the Travel company is legitimate or not. All the travel agencies are under the Malaysian Association of Tour & Travel(MATTA). If it is, probably they are just using the name only, you should file a complaint to MATTA.

2. Also, if the so called Hong Kong sponsor company is for real, which is a financial institution. You can also check under the HK Securities and Futures Commission website.

3. Made a police report already. If the company is legitimate, then they have nothing to fear :)