Ed Earns

You have to do better than that you Paypal scammers!

This is the second time that I received an email from somebody who was claiming that they’re from PAYPAL, telling me to update my records to protect my account. I checked my Yahoo email one morning and got this message below telling me that my account will be suspended on September 20 in case I don’t update my records.

I am more vigilant in detecting these Paypal Scams but there are still a lot who are not aware to distinguish the fake ones from the real ones. That’s why I took the time to create this blog entry to help out and spread the news on How to detect Paypal Email Scams. I’ve had issues before because somebody hacked my Paypal account but when it was resolved, I was really glad.

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Notice the “To” and “From” fields, it didn’t even put my actual email and their email address is completely a hoax! tp-verify@accouts.net??? Is it even an email at all? I wouldn’t want to use ‘accouts.net’ as an email. Sheesh.

This Paypal scam update told me to update my information by clicking on the link that was written down. They even used a Paypal link to direct it to the page. When I opened the page up, it had a different link altogether! Haha, another trick in the bag that got busted!

I tried to type in some details on the page provided just for the heck of it. You have to give it to them though, it was a fair attempt to imitate the actual feel of the Paypal homepage. They even included some common links that we usually see when we sign in to Paypal as well as a picture of the paypal advertisement.

Upon closer inspection though, I found out that the links for the “Home”, “Personal”, “Business” etc. as well as the footer links were not click-able! My mouse would just treat those links as actual pictures! Except for the Account log-in section, all the other information are illegitimate!

So I typed in a dummy (with a curse) account and password to see where it would lead me to.

When I clicked on “Log In”, it gave me another fake Paypal page that told me to write some more pertinent information. Wow, so many details that they need. Even if they did not ask for my credit card number, enough was already needed to steal my identity and access my Paypal account.

I typed in some more fake information and hit “Enter” to see where the Paypal scam would lead me to.

Alas, filling out all the information, it now directed me to one of the legit Paypal sites! Hmmm. Very funny indeed. I could tell the distinction because of the link which now had an “https” and the domain is from Paypal.com itself.

I could now click on the actual links (Home, Personal, Business etc.) and all seemed normal already. The only problem is that those Paypal scammers/losers have already gotten your information and you would be saying goodbye to your account sooner than later.

I hate these Paypal scammers. People like me are trying to make some decent income and are very thankful for services like Paypal to easily transact business with different people but there are just those scams and fakes that really get into my nerve.

We are glad that we can easily transact with other people using these legitimate platforms but it’s really sad that there are people who don’t have anything better to do but steal your identity and crack you up.

I better report this to the proper people first before an innocent victim falls prey to these losers.

The other day, I received an email from an email address that claimed that they were from PayPal but it went to my SPAM. It was telling me that there was an unauthorized credit card usage on my account. It went like this, I’m copying the message below
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Dear PayPal user,

As part of our security measures, we regularly screen activity in the PayPal system. We recently contacted you after noticing an issue on your account.

We requested information from you for the following reason:

We recently received a report of unauthorized credit card use associated with this account. As a precaution, we have limited access to your PayPal account in order to protect against future unauthorized transactions.

Case ID Number: PP-859-350

This is a reminder to restore your account as soon as possible.

Please download the form attached to this email and open it in a web browser. Once opened, you will be provided with steps to restore your account access. We appreciate your understanding as we work to ensure account safety.

In accordance with PayPal’s User Agreement, your account access will remain limited until the issue has been resolved. Unfortunately, if access to your account remains limited for an extended period of time, it may result in further limitations or eventual account closure. We encourage you to restore your PayPal account as soon as possible to help avoid this. We thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. Please understand that this is a security measure intended to help protect you and your account. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Sincerely,
PayPal Account Review Department

PayPal Email ID PP859350

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I went to Paypal.com to check my account if this was true or not. Definitely, this is a SCAM. Good thing I didn’t follow the instructions and went through the paypal website to check how to detect Scams.

Q: How can I protect myself from PayPal fraud or scams?

A: PayPal is dedicated to fighting fraud and scams. You can help protect your account against PayPal scams by being cautious in giving out your own personal information such as first name, last name, business name, email address, password, financial information (credit card, bank account number, PIN), social security number, and driver’s license number.

Tips to stay safe from PayPal fraud or scams:
Log in safely: To log in to your PayPal account or access the PayPal website, open a new web browser (e.g., Internet Explorer or Netscape) and type in the following: https://www.paypal.com/

Check the email greeting: Emails from PayPal will always address you by your first and last name or the business name associated with your PayPal account. A PayPal scam email may include the salutation “Dear PayPal User” or “Dear PayPal Member”

Look out for attachments: PayPal emails will never ask you to download an attachment or a software program. An attachment found in a PayPal scam email will often contain a virus that can harm your computer or compromise your PayPal account

Never give out personal information: If we require information from you, we will notify you in an email and request that you enter the information only after you have safely and securely logged in to your PayPal account.

Often, PayPal scams will request details such as your full name, account password, credit card number, bank account, PIN number, Social Security Number, or mother’s maiden name.

To learn more about protecting your PayPal account and spotting PayPal fraud or scams, please review our Security Tips.

If you believe that someone may be using your account without your permission, please contact us immediately.

I have yet to send an email to Paypal to alert them about this bogus message. That’s why we need to be careful to ensure that our confidential information doesn’t get released without much thought.

Just wanted to create this entry in order to list down my Danvil Plans entries in this blog. In conclusion, I don’t think this is a scam considering that I got my money back. But then again, I hate their way of selling. ‘Nuf said. Here are my entries.

Click on the links for a detailed blog entry of each post.

1. my danvil plans story: signing up
2. danvil plans: request for refund
3. Danvil Plans Inc: letter for cancellation and refund
4. Danvil Plans is here
5. Danvil Plans: following up
6. Danvil Plans Inc: claiming the check
7. Danvil Plans Inc: got the refund!

In the end, what’s important for me is that I got my money back and they gave me back my money. Again, to Danvil, I understand that you’re just doing business and it’s still up to us, consumers to decide what we want to do with our money. But please do stop the hardselling that leads to insults when things don’t go according to your plan.

After I called Danvil and have confirmed that they already have my check for the policy that I enrolled, I had to find a way to claim the actual check. I couldn’t just go to Manila just for the check because it would be unwise as I don’t have enough money for the fare. I didn’t want to pay for it just for the sake of getting my money back. It would be a waster of time and money.

When I had the go signal, I was lucky to have a colleague at work who was willing to pass by the office of Danvil Plans in the Equitable Tower in Makati. All I had to do was print all the necessary requirements and then give it to colleague who went to their main branch.

The Monday that my colleague arrived at work, he gave me the check and I had it directly deposited to my bank account. I was so happy and relieved that I got my money back after about 3 months of waiting and processing the refund. Now I can just sleep soundly since I don’t have to worry about the money that I gave.

I got my check from Danvil Plans Inc.!

This is a repost. I forgot what I wrote in this entry but my server crashed and it erased the latest post that I published and I didn’t do any back up. Bummer. Anyway…
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After the 30-45 business days of waiting for a response from Danvil, I called them up again to inquire about what has happened to my request for refund. After waiting for a couple of minutes from their representative who was still pulling up my account, I was told that it was already approved and that I could get my money back.

I was silent for awhile. I couldn’t believe that I would be able to claim the check after all the hassle. I double-checked and asked the rep again for any instructions and to confirm what I need to do. I was told to just bring some necessary documents to their main office in Manila and everything would all be settled in.

I emailed them again to ensure that I’d be getting the right forms needed since I can’t go to their Makati office due to location issues and I didn’t have plans to go back to Manila. It was a good thing that I have some colleagues who are willing to go there themselves so I just requested for a representative to claim the check.

Going back, I received a response from them through email and here are the requirements that one needs to have to get the check.

For the Planholder:

• Photocopy ID of Plan Holder (at least st 2 Primary Id’s or one primary and two secondary ID’s)
• Current Cedula

For Representative:

• Authorization letter (With signature of Plan holder)
• Photocopy ID of Plan Holder (at least st 2 Primary Id’s or one primary and two secondary ID’s)
• Original ID’s of Representative (2 Primary ID’s or One Primary and two secondary ID’s) and
• Original Current Cedula/ Residence Certificate

Acceptable Primary Valid ID’s:

• Passport
• SSS Digitized ID
• Company ID (Current)
• Driver’s License
• PRC ID
• School ID (Current)

Acceptable Secondary Valid ID’s:

• Postal ID
• Tin Digitized ID
• Senior Citizens ID Card
• Voters ID

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For more information on Danvil, here are their contact details.
Office Address:
4th floor Equitable Bank Tower,
8751 Paseo de Roxas Makati City.

Office Hours: Monday to Saturday 9am to 6pm
Customer Service Hotline : 755-1521, 755-1591
Office Trunkline :755-1500

After a week of submitting my documents to a Danvil branch in SM, I wanted to make sure that the request of cancellation and refund for the endowment plan was being processed. I was already in Cebu so I didn’t want to waste any minutes of calling long-distance.

When I talked to one of their reps over the phone, I was told that the request wasn’t processed because they still need the Official Receipt (original copy) of the transaction which was with me in Cebu. I was a bit upset considering that it was a waste of 7 days already and counting. However, I told them that I’ll just mail it to them since I wasn’t in Manila anymore.

So I went ahead and went to an LBC branch and paid 80 bucks to send the OR to their branch and make sure it was being filed. I also saved a copy of the OR for myself for my reference.

Afterwards, I called a couple of days after I sent the letter to make sure it was received. When I called again, that’s when the 30-45 business days would take effect.

Good thing I really called because true enough something was still needed to process the request and it wouldn’t have been done so if not for that follow up. I would’ve waited 30-45 business days and still not get the money back because they needed the original receipt of the transaction. That would have been a total bummer.

Below is my letter for cancellation and refund when I went to SM North Edsa the day I enrolled for a policy in Danvil Plans Inc. the previous day at SM Megamall.

I wrote this impromptu which was quite draining since I didn’t have a draft paper and I immediately wrote it then and there. But I’m happy that I was able to write this within 24 hours after I successfully applied for one of their plans.

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October 31, 2008

To whom this may concern,

I, Ed******** , would like to cancel the Danvil Plan with policy number PPL****** that I applied for yesterday, October 30, 2008.  In line with this, I would request for my initial deposit of P6, 650.00 (P5, 000.00 taken from my BPI Savings Account, and P1, 650.00 through cash) to be fully refunded. The reason for this cancellation and refund is because I’ve discussed this matter with my immediate family and thought this through. Because I am unable to comply with the said agreement that I applied for, it would be wiser for me to invest my money to a business that I plan to venture. I did not expect that the amount that was charged (initial deposit) directly from my savings. Although I did enter my pin number and the agent that handled my application (*********) was nice, I was not in my best mode to sign those contracts. I immediately affixed my signature without carefully reading the policies and guidelines. After I became a successful plan holder, I was able to think things over and realized I’m not comfortable with this agreement.

I hope you will grant this request for cancellation and refund as I am still within the 24-hour time period to request and get it.

I apologize for any inconvenience.

Sincerely yours,
Edcel
+63 926 *** ****
edcel_****@yahoo.com

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After writing this letter for cancellation, it was later taken by the agent who assisted me, and then affixed her signature and gave me another copy of this letter. I was told to just wait about 30-45 business days for it to be processed.

So I waited in Cebu since I went home then already. I didn’t really put much focus to it because I didn’t want to expect much. Patience wasn’t much of an issue.

The night after I signed up for a Policy in Danvil Plans, I had a hard time sleeping because I suddenly gave 6,650 bucks without much thought or second opinion from another person. That night, I researched about some available information on the net about danvil plans. I googled ‘danvil plans scam‘ to make sure if the former Family First company was legit or not. I saw a number of experiences and blog entries from different people who have also signed up for their own policies and felt that they were hypnotized and were scammed.

Just to be fair, I didn’t think the company was a scam; I just realized that the I was not comfortable with their plan that’s why I wanted to get my money back. But I felt hopeless because I was told that it’s non-refundable.

However, upon searching more information online, I was able to find a video feature from ABS-CBN’s “Probe” with Gina Cruz (Danvil’s VP for Corporate Communications) stating that “for whatever reason, so long as the plan holder goes back within 24 hours, we can give him/her a refund”.

I submitted my letter of cancellation and request for refund within 24 hours in SM North Edsa and it was received by another rep who was substituting her managers as she claimed that her managers were not around.

She was helpful in assisting me and informed me that she was going to forward it to the SM Megamall branch. I asked her a favor to follow it up since I don’t have any other means to contact the Megamall branch because that was my last day to be in Manila. She told me she called the Megamall branch but there was no assurance since it’s still subject for approval by the “higher management”.

I was able to find a link fortunately for people who have the same experience. I was also able to read through plan holder’s who have successfully gotten their money back after 24 hours of submitting their request for refund. I was able to stumble upon a woman who was able to get her money back after how many letters to the SEC (Security of Exchange and Commission)  and such. It gave me a spark of hope to anticipate that I could get my money back.

So I just had to wait for time for a response.

When I was in Manila for work, I was confronted by an employee from Danvil Plans Inc. (formerly formerly Berkley International Plans or Family First), a company that specializes in selling endowment plans or insurance plans. Anyway, it’s only now that I decided to blog about it because of the situation in SM Cebu that I’ve heard that they’ve opened another branch.

This experience happened to me sometime in October of 2008. I was strolling around the 5th floor in SM Megamall around 5pm when an agent approached me saying I’ve won something. I was wondering how I could’ve won something when I didn’t even apply for any contest. He told me that I won a chance to win a new car if I were to go inside and play their computer game. I got curious because he just asked initially for a couple of minutes without really informing me what it was all about. Because of that, I became excited probably because of acquiring a prize that could be mine.

So I filled up a small information sheet making me check if I had a credit card, atm or checking account. I was assured that there was NO money obligation involved and the reason why they asked if I have an account is just for verification purposes. True enough, they didn’t get my card number. I agreed to go inside for them to listen to their now 45-minute presentation.

While waiting, the agent kept on asking different questions in order to build rapport (How many we are in the family, how old I am, do I have a girlfriend). When it became too personal, I politely refused to answer and made him stop. Afterward, I was ushered into their boiler room by an agent just went on saying that I am a very lucky person to be one of a few people who were given the chance to participate in this opportunity.

She then discussed to me a lot of data about their company and asked me what I wanted for my family, for my future, for my life. Of course, who wouldn’t want to wish yourself well? I provided her answers that were normal for any person to dream; all the while the agent kept on shaking my hand whenever she would hear a good answer saying: “Congratulations for making that decision.” –>duh! Of course, everyone wants to have a safe and secure life in the future.

There were a number of explanations and then some more information. Until it came to a point that she discussed the available plans Danvil Plans was offering. Honestly, I was really looking for different plans in the market that’s why I stayed there because I was interested. I never thought about this as a scam until I tried to research on the internet about it because I got curious and it was money, MY MONEY that I used to pay off the amount.

Anyway, the agent informed me that she was going to use my credit card for verification purposes after pointing out the plan that I wanted. I will only have to pay the down payment of 6650 Php and then pay 1610 Php every month for seven (7) years, will wait for 8 years before I get the money. At first I was apprehensive because it was too long a time for me.

She took my card and then told me that they were just going to check the funds. Good that my card didn’t have enough credit left, but stupid me offered to use my BPI Savings Account card that could also be swiped and deducted. So they took 5000 bucks from my atm card and then 1650 from my credit card.

The manager then asked me if I was happy with my decision, I just nodded without much thought because I felt drained from all the listening and talking. Then came the agent bringing a microphone congratulating me in front of other people that I am their newest member of their family. I was then directed to their computer machine when I was about to exit for the raffle promo of a car which I already forgot. It was pretty useless because they used a computer that had a slot machine game that I just need to press the proper numbers that would match their screen and I could win the car. But hell, I don’t think anybody could win that car at all because of how fast the game was playing. So much for the WINNING A CAR contest.

After I left the room in that Megamall branch, I felt a bit uneasy and I couldn’t sleep the night after. I tried to search for some information online about Danvil Plans if this was a scam or not and I came across some bloggers who said that it was indeed a scam; nothing really provided me any data that this wasn’t so I became really worried.

Will continue the story on my next post on what I did next…

Danvil Plans is here in Cebu, Philippines

I have my own story about this company who sells endowment plans when I was in Manila for work. It wasn’t a pleasant experience on my part because I had to wait for some time before I could get my refund. I was asking myself if Danvil Plans is a scam or not. I even researched on the internet about it. There were different stories, but mostly the ones that were being published were the negative experiences. Anyway, I’ll probably be sharing my story of Danvil Plans when I visited the SM Megamall branch sometime last year.