Personal - Got Scammed Experience

Hi Blog,

Have you experienced any scam before? This week I got one despite my guts warned me loudly but I still chose to risk it... Just stupid me... I just can't forgive myself for being stupid...

Yes, I got scammed because I wanted to complete my houseplants craze with one last plant.

let me share with my rollercoaster-scam experience. Warning, it will be a lot of screenshots in this post and I will explain my thought towards the screenshots between me and the seller.

This user Plantsparadise__ (IG account) followed me because I posted houseplants those days. I noticed them have a lot of my most WANTED houseplant - Monstera Deliciosa Variegated. One of the recently hyped and expensive plants during this pandemic. One adult plant can costs you at least $1200-1400, the cheapest for getting its node with one leaf will cost you $350.

What is so special about that plant, you asked?

This Monstera Delicious variegated is a rare mutation on the monstera and why it sells so much because of its rarity. You can read more here.

(image credit to miraclegro) This is the normal monstera looks like. All green.

The variegated version will have these splashed of white patch on its leaves like as if Heaven met an accident while painting. But they are beautiful to look at.

(Image credit to Tobancay and ThePlantGarden) Four different type of variegated Monstera

Anyway back to topic, they private-messaged me to ask me whether am I interested to get a monstera variegated? I got a bit skeptical and I know it won't be cheap. I sank in when I knew the price. They sell their beautiful monstera for USD 186! That is affordable! So I tried to test their conscience.

When I asked for account detail here was what they sent me... instead of text, they sent image... Typing in their account detail was such a chore. (I tried to google map it and realised the place seemed suspicious...)

As they seemed authentic then I asked how to transfer to them.

It seemed like they have a store! Sounded assuring and looked like many people will go and get this plant for sure.

After transferred to their Indonesia Blu account, I picked my dream monstera with a nicer variegated among the rest and hope they can be safe. I was so happy to get my dream plant very sooner!

In the next day, they texted me a bad news...

What made me feel unappreciated, was that they still have the audacity to ask me to transfer to another account?! Assuming that my money will be returned but transfer to their 2nd account while I had yet got back the money is a NO NO.

They sent me a screenshot of the conversation from the Blu official (weird... to have it in IG) which translated Blu doesn't accept money abroad.

I felt so angry with the way how insensitive they handle money matter. Not a single apology from them at all! They made the mistake for asking me to transfer to their blu account, and money struck somewhere, and I was busy calling my bank to see how to get back the money... I can't blame them because there is really nothing much they can do when Blu really can't accept money abroad. So I decided to tell them that they will have to repay me for the lost if I got back my money.

More calling to my bank, doing all the works... Not a single apology from them... and I was like a soccer ball kicking around by the banks... 

I called my bank for days to seek for their advices and they kept on telling me that they can’t do much and will need to pay agent fee to get my money back.

While waiting for the money to be refunded... I got to know Wise.com service which can transfer money internationally with a small fee charge.

They gave me detail to their wise account.

To add salt to the situation, after the next day, they told me that they just gave me a WRONG account again! WHAT THE... I tried to be polite and lucky I had yet transferred anything.

Now another account detail with different names... Then on that day, I received my money back but with a $100+ deduction from the bank... basically $100+ lost for nothing!!! I told myself, That is it! I had enough of their bullshxt... I gave up in them... All this while, I was trying tto help them and made sure the whole transaction can go smoothly... Even if I lost money... but... why was I experiencing this?

I felt so hopeless and the way how they replied... Really! Where is the simple customer recovery service???

After when I told them that I will share my experience on FB (link), they started to act nice.

They started to apologise. I started to get emotional and believed them deeply that they were sincere. I tried to tell myself that they might have some English language issue which might lead to miscommunication. Now this one sounded like they had gotten someone to handle the situation.

I proceeded to transfer through Wise.com service.

Honestly... I was so excited again that I can get my dream plant sooner! Then I kept them update on the wise-transfer those days. Then... another bomb dropped to kill my heart...

They blocked me... What the hell!

This is their second account where I picked my dream monstera - monsteragardens which they forgot to block me.

That was where I realised that I was scammed... I felt so angry but helpless... because I was so STUPID with myself for ignoring the red flags... All I can do, is to share my painful experience on social platform to stop others from this scam.

I also tried to alert any users who showed interest on their plants with my second account but my comments were removed... I messaged them to keep them alert, trying to pick myself up from my stupidity...

During these days, I received many positive words from FB users here. Their words made me feel positive too because at least, I can learn from my bad experience and picked myself up to face my situation.

Then something which I unexpected from Mr S from Sindo.com... gifted me credit. OMG... He is so kind. Thank you to Mr S... May Heaven bless you.

While letting the gardening lovers to be aware of this scammer, I decided to email to Wise.com

Wise team replied and I glad that they were trying to help. Great customer service!

Next day, I got another email o inform me that something wrong with the scammer's account? What? I was so LUCKY or Thanks Wise team to help to make this happen!

YIPPEE!!!!!!!!!! MY MONEY WAS REFUNDED!!!!!

Thank you Wise Team. What a great service! Guys, whoever reading, please use Wise.com service. Trustworthy service.

I also made my promise to make a police report, advised from FB users and Wise team.

Overall... my scam experience was like a rollercoaster ride... Up and down... I guessed, I will not get my dream plant and we will tend to lost or even blinded our own judgment when we desired for something. As for scammers, those red flags like they only wanted to close the deal quickly and best to buy from local seller or trustworthy individuals.

But if you insist to get it from them, you need to risk it. Oh well... Thanks Heaven for such lesson for me... even though, I got back my money but I still lost 100+ (in fact... I didn't lost anything, all because and have to thank Mr S for his credit which allowed me to get free plants from SINDO. So I just got myself some more plants :3) What a treat from everyone. Thank you to everyone and hope the scammers' conscience can be awaken one day.

(Updated 8th Sep 2021) My last houseplant, and now no more space for this toxic hyper monstera albo. NO MORE for it! I fenced up already

Jeff