Monday, March 4, 2013

Western Union Fraud Claims



Just got my adsense earnings through Western Union, but before I can claim my money someone already cashed it out.

The Story

I went to a Western Union branch in Taguig last March 1 to claim my AdSense earnings but when I gave the payment details to the agent he said that it was already claimed. At first we thought that it was just a problem with the MTCN that Google issued. That night I submitted a report to Google using this link. At the same time we called Western Union (888-1200) and informed about the problem. They said that they would investigate and they would call us back for updates but we did not hear from them again.

So we went back to the Western Union Location this afternoon (3/4/2013). The agent already knew about our issue and he told us that someone actually picked up the money on their second branch at the same building an hour before we arrived last March 1 (WTF). They showed us the form that I supposedly filled up, It has my name on the form but with a different address, middle name, age. Strange thing is they also tried to copy my signature. The agent also showed us the scanned driver's license that they used, (The picture on the ID is not me). We requested a copy of the ID but the Western Union agents refused to.


We also searched the internet if someone is also having the same issue and we stumbled upon Yugatech's post yesterday afternoon. We had the exact same issue. His payment was also claimed last March 1st.

I believe it was an inside job. Who else can get the MTCN details aside from Google and Me. I saw the signature on the form and it was close to my signature so a compromised adsense account or a keylogger does not apply here. Whoever claimed that payment definitely saw my signature before. And the fact that the payment was claimed on the same location that I usually go to for the last 3 months is definitely suspicious.

We already filed a report to CIDG Taguig this evening. We are also going to ATCD-CIDG Camp Crame tomorrow since the officers at Taguig said that they are probably more well equipped and accustomed to crimes like this.

I would love if Abe would also file a report on this with me since they would probably take it more seriously if they get more reports about this crime. I actually do not have any hopes in retrieving the money. I am more interested now on who are the people behind this fraud but it would be better if Western Union can still give us our money back.

This is definitely a well planned crime since they have fake IDs to show and they also know my signature.

One thing to note is that the agent did not ask for more IDs since they should be more strict when they are dealing with large amount of money. Her reason is that the person said that he was already a "suki" on that branch. Well they could always fake more IDs so asking more Identification Cards is useless. The government should pass the National ID System so that it would be much harder for criminals to commit crimes. Our government and Western Union should use biometric system in verifying the identity of a person. That would be far fetched but really the government should already pass the National ID system.

I will post which branch we went to probably later, but for now I'll just keep it to myself until the investigation is not complete. Western-Union is probably  not the problem here but the people working on those branches.

The lesson here is to claim your payment immediately after you get your MTCN. I am also going to opt for "Check - Secured Express Delivery" next payment since I no longer trust Western-Union. I also wish AdSense would also offer EFT here in the Philippines.

Another interesting article: http://www.selaplana.com/2012/07/20/western-money-union-scam/#sthash.5ldsw2II.dpbs

21 comments:

  1. Wow! At least we had our warning here. Sorry about what happened, and thanks for sharing your story.

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a coincident? They know the people who has large amount of withdrawals from adsense. This issue should take more seriously. Wondering if, we could report this to Tulfo or Mike Enriquez to by-bus this kind of operations.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We already reported this to the authorities if nothing happens within a month we will report and ask for help from the media.

      Delete
    2. hello sir, my friend also have the same problem, i just posted awareness and did post a request to bayan mo ipatrol mo fb page, hoping it can be notice. if all victims would stand and make noise are the chances of noticing high. may you please send email address to contact you so that she can have proof that a fraud in her case is not isolated. would be very appreciated for your immediate response. here is my email address. ros.bautista@yahoo.com

      Delete
    3. You can email me at admin at pinoyden dot com

      Delete
  3. Did you pursue your claim for the stolen money? This situation is very rampant. Report says victims of this modus are keep on increasing. It's clear inside job, if WU didn't do anything about it they will definitely lost there reputation. Internet spread this WU failure rapidly. Chances are, people may no longer need WU service and may start losing their trust. And switch to another remittance company.

    ReplyDelete
  4. pwede naman cguro kuha ka ng info about don sa nag cash out, id or something diba im sure may copy sila.

    metal

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The data that western union has are useless since the name on the form is mine and probably other details are faked. The only thing that is important is the picture from the ID but they refused to give us a copy.

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  5. Sir Please Pa share kung may update. ganto din nangyari sakin. di ko nakuha agad, nung kukunin ko na nung monday march 4, sabi na paid na daw nung march 2. $15,000 po ung nakuha samin.

    Sa Aguirre Pawnshop namin huling kinuha ung payment nung January.

    Nag try kami sa NBI pero inadvice lang kami na gumawa ng letter sa Western union para makuha yung information kung sinong nag withdraw ng pera then saka daw kami mag complain. Ewan, Labo!

    ReplyDelete
  6. can you post the WU branch? hope it's the same as mine. the check parments are not good too. a friend's very first check payment from adsense was encashed by other miscreants. a check he waited for years to get and yet...

    i will release my hold on my payment but probably advise my branch again on my identity and will not wait for days to get it next time

    ReplyDelete
  7. This situation
    is very rampant. Report says
    victims of this modus are keep
    on increasing. It's clear inside job,
    if WU didn't do anything about it
    they will definitely lost there
    reputation. Internet spread this
    WU failure rapidly. Chances are,
    people may no longer need WU
    service and may start losing
    their trust.

    ReplyDelete
  8. may kasabwat cguro yan sa loob.

    ReplyDelete
  9. kayang ma trace kung sino ang nag claim ng pera... Sa pamamgitan ng pag Review ng Security Camera ng Western Union makikitaa naman sa Validity ng document kung anung oras... Pwera na lang talaga kung inside job ang ginawa....lahat ng security camera ay di bastabasta dinedelete and data...

    ReplyDelete
  10. Ako nman hindi ko nakuha yung adsense ko.. Kasi mag nag bomb sa adsense ko ayun na ndisable.. Hindi nabalik

    ReplyDelete
  11. kayang ma trace kung sino
    ang nag claim ng pera... Sa
    pamamgitan ng pag Review
    ng Security Camera ng
    Western Union makikita
    naman sa Validity ng document kung anung oras kinuha...
    Pwera na lang talaga kung Inside job...

    ReplyDelete
  12. wah kaya pala di ako makapasok nag offline pala tong pd. Sana maagapan na at malaman kung sino yong taong gumawa nito. So pangit na pala ngayon ang WU

    ReplyDelete
  13. grabe lantaran n ang pangloloko ngaun

    ReplyDelete
  14. Admin tanong lang paano nila binigay yung cash na nagpakita ng ID na ginaya sayo ano yun magkamukha kayo sa personal ? Diba tinitignan kung sino ang nasa ID at ang personal na kumukuha .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Syempre fake ID yun at mukha nya ang nasa ID.

      Delete
  15. kayang ma trace kung sinu ang nag claim ng pera sa pamamagitan ng pag review ng security cam... May data naman kung anung oras yan nakuha sa pagvalidate ng document...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ang problema ayaw makipagcoordinate ng branch ng SANRY'S Money changer sa Market Market!

      Delete