Porky Got Conned

Yesterday made an appointment to get a hair cut with Porky. We both seem to like this particular hair saloon near the hawker centre because the hair stylist knows what we need ... a pretty face washing our hair instead of a yellow hair Ah Beng with elongated nails scraping our tender scalp.

As usual Porky is late by an hour. He told me he had a 'business appointment'. A business appointment??? How does a full time national service army assistant vehicle spare parts storeman have a business appointment? Like a child who just broke a glass, Porky looks a little uneasy and he starts to mumble to himself at a decibel only audible to God. Of course I feel like strangling him when I cannot hear him properly.

I sensed that something was not quite right. It did not take very long with my stern voice to get him to admit. Apparently Porky just spent $1000 on what he described as BEAUTY PRODUCTS. One would think that he just visited a beauty spa salon or something and got mesmerised into buying skin care products. But no, he just came back with a bag of air freshener, some facial wash and toner and a synthetic leather folder. Each of this item costs $288 and to attract the gullible juicy Porky, they round it up to $1000. Later when I looked at the stuff in the bag, I estimated the total value to be less than $30. The facial bag had names on tubes that is not printed properly. The supposedly aromatherapy stuff is actually a air freshener burner lamp with oil. The best part is, Porky doesn't know what's really in the bag!

Porky had unknowingly got himself involved with some multi-level marketing scam. (Something like Pyramid selling schemes). In fact he doesn't even know he is in it! I believe every action has a motivation behind it, so I asked Porky what made him part with the only $1000 he had in his bank acount. He said there is an opportunity for him to make more money and make full use of his army time. By getting more of his friends to part with their $1000 , Porky would get to earn commission from these people. And if the other friends get their other friends to join in the schemes, Porky would earn more commissions from the friends' friends also. So the chain will keep on extending and he is suppose to profit from every level. So he thinks.

These multi level marketing people prey on the greed of the young impressionable minds. I think most people who got involved don't know what they are suppose to sell except to find people to be part of this scheme. The idea is to generate a long list of losers who will pay to this company their hard earn money. The product for sale don't even matter. It can be a bag of flour and these people won't bother. To me its more like a souvenir bag for being conned of $1000. What the company is saying is "Thank you for giving us $1000 for nothing, we hope you won't mind this little parting gift, which is some soap for you wash your face after crying and in case you cannot take it, some fragrance oil to poison yourself."

So when Porky realised this deal ain't so sweet and he has been cheated, he asked me if he should get a refund or should he just find more of his friends to join in the scheme so that he can recuperate his money. Can you beat that??? If you feel like digging his eyes out at this moment, try and imagine what Haddad and I were going through when we first heard his options. I think Haddad was holding my arms to prevent any violent confrontations.

Porky then started calling the 'introducer' for a refund, who then ask him to call his 'sponsor' who then asked him to call his junior manager who finally referred him to the senior manager. The senior manager asked him to bring the bag to his office. We were afraid that Porky may be sweet talked again and possibly conned into parting MORE money by the manager. I then decided to accompany him to the office at Shenton Way after we closed the centre.

In the car, Porky looked like a deflated balloon. He kept sighing and taking long breaths throughout the journey. I pitied him and was wondering if I would do the same if I was 18. But there are 50 year olds who were conned into buying expensive cooking pots and magic stones. So Porky is also just as human I think.

When we reached there, I was really shocked when I saw a huge office full of people like Porky talking and negotiating on a Sunday evening. I never knew a place like this could ever exist in Singapore. I am very sure there was nobody 25 years or older. All young punks with black shirts and ties hoping to make a million in a month. Half of them looks like army guys. There were a couple of 'managers' who had spiky dyed hair, wearing coats and walking around with a artificial sense of confidence. If you accidentally walked into this office, you would mistaken this place for a juvenile gangster hideout. You could not see the product they are suppose to peddle, only computers to see who got sucked into the scheme and a few aromotherapy lamps in a glass shelf in one miserable corner. But we cannot find the person in charge. I think nobody is in charge when it comes to a refund.

After a few trips up and down the building (cos Porky was not sure which floor he gave his money to), we finally got hold of this 'manager' call Mr Rick. Rick is only 22 years old. But he was quite polite because I had that intimidating look in every part of my body. He took back the stuff from Porky without even checking if it was the complete set and ran through some forms which Porky had signed. The forms had stated that Porky was not coerced into signing and paying for anything and so no legal actions can be taken against them. Rick then went on to say he will 'submit' the forms to the 'upper management' for the refund but will not promise anything.

When we left the place, Porky felt a sense of relief although I am sure he will not get all his money back. But I think this is a valuable lesson for him. Somehow we can be greedy at times. We always want more than what we already have. Greed for money, knowledge, power and everything else. Greed propels people into action. But it depends on what on we are doing to satify this need. Some people can be greedy all their lives and still be alright. Its all about a matter of doing the right things the right way and the right amount. Right Porky?