Not only was I scammed–almost scammed of thousands of pesos–the scammer stole my identity and posed as me to scam other people. Not one, but there are two of them who messaged me or a relation, saying they were duped and lost money.
I was up until 4 am trying to clear my name and was woken up at 7 because of messages from people and my posts that said my IDs are stolen and that an imposter is scamming people of their money. I have emailed banks, called up my telco, filed complaints to GCash, the app of choice of the scammer, and numerous things I need to do so the crook can’t open up accts under my name, hack into my accts, or attempt to switch sims to get my OTPs.
Such as nightmare.
I need to file a case with the NBI. But I need to sleep first.
Today I emailed my APAC boss to ask for promotion and raises for two of my team mates. It’s long overdue and this has been neglected by my direct boss for quite a while.
I cannot work well if the team I have is overworked, underpaid, and unappreciated. I need to fight for them and be given their due. Just as I asked for equipment for one of my juniors and went to HK to fetch it. A good team leader always makes sure that her team is looked after by giving them the right support, training, and resources.
I have to keep fighting for their welfare. I cannot lose another team member. So even before I assume my new role, I have to make sure everybody else is well compensated. I have yet to have my papers worked on by my superiors for my promotion. Everything is still fluid.
I have a tough road ahead of me.
In the meantime, I will continue with my soup and bread diet for dinner and nuts for snack.
I will try the intermittent fasting in January for a clean slate.
I love mornings like this. Appreciate the little cozy things.
Sunlight being filtered by my new curtain. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
My high school friends and I were throwing ideas on FB Messenger about the next topics to tackle in our live stream for January. I suggested that we take up basics of investing because a lot of people even in their 40s have no idea how to go about it. I said why not we talk about what are the investment instruments that you should have when your investment horizon is 6 months, 1 year, 3-5 years, or 10years ++? I told them I remember interviewing the president of COL Financial about 13-14 years ago about this and he gave me excellent tips that I use up to this day.
I did a similar interview with then-PSE president Hans Sicat about the basics of stock market investing for my TV network. We did an #askPSE live tweet segment then to popularize stock market investing and to widen the local retail investing base.
I really should upgrade my digital camera now. *sigh* I should get what some Youtubers use for clear videos. And a good video editing software. These videos are just raw videos for posting on my TV network’s online news website and wasn’t meant for broadcast since these videos are accompanied by texts. I just collated them in my channel, which is just a dumping ground of my interviews that had nowhere to go.
Like this one:
I think this interview was done during Ayala Corp’s annual general meeting in April 2012.
I should fix my Youtube channel because I have a lot of interviews that could be used as reference or they could be standalone news stories.
On the other side of the coin, I was almost scammed this morning but good thing I was alert.
So you see I have posted the ad (on several FB groups/marketplace/platforms) that I am selling my Roland E-09 arranger keyboard and I had been receiving inquiries about it. Most were low-ballers but there was one potential buyer who was keen. Then long story short, we came to the advance payment part of the conversation.
Then he sent me a G-Cash payment alert
However, I realized that it wasn’t a notice for payment; it was a notice that he asked for payment as a remittance fee. It was fishy because the remittance fee was exorbitant.
I searched on Google and found that KKB (kanya-kanyang bayad) a.k.a. Dutch Treat is a function in G-Cash, like Venmo in the US, where you can split the bill and you can receive a payment from your friend for his share of the bill. The scammer made it look like it was a notice from Moneygram and at first glance it was convincing. But Moneygram transfers don’t look like this.
When I told the “buyer” this was a scam, he blocked me and left the FB messenger chat. I posted on Twitter and FB about this modus operandi and I asked my friends to report the scammer. I had one TV reporter friend from my old network to message the scammer that the network received a complaint about him and he would be reported to NBI.
I would check his many FB accounts if they’re still up. The fucker.
I was so incensed that I finished a floor-length curtain panel for my room to let off steam. By hand.
My granny curtains. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
I’m trying to have more prints in the house because white is boring. Next time I will try graphic prints and see how it would look and if I like them. So far I’m in this cottagecore phase again, just like when I was in high school. My bedspread then were florals and I crocheted doilies, my study table was decorated with figurines of rabbits and similar designs that would go with the cottagecore aesthetic. Then when I started working, I gravitated towards Asian designs, the zen mode–the minimalism phase. I went for Budji Layug x Francisco Mañosa designs with a sprinkling of Japanese aesthetic. This is my rebellion against the horror vacui that Filipinos are known for and which my ex-in-laws were going for. I simply rejected this pack rat mentality and this design aesthetic that was an assault to the senses.
Speaking of designs, I already contacted my future contractor and he will meet my mom on Thursday or Friday and I will do a video call with them so I can explain what I wanted. It would have been great if we could have met on a weekend so I can drive down there but he’s also a busy guy as I see him posting his multiple projects. He and I used to chat a lot in high school over the ham radio. Fun times.
I love sleeping on my bed. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
I may be cheap in some aspects of my life but I allow myself some kind of luxury in other areas. Not clothes, cars, or bags or similar items.
I indulge in sleep.
I keep buying beddings and new pillows every now and then. I ordered new ones from House of Snores and Neatens Manila for me and my kids a few weeks ago and I was pleasantly surprised that those were 500 thread count fabrics. They are nice. Every week I change sheets and every two weeks I change the duvet covers. If the sheets are older than a week, they feel itchy to me.
I had Tempur orthopedic pillows before but they didn’t work for me because I’m a side sleeper. I left them in the old house.
I also love scents.
My scented humidifier. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
When I started working even before I graduated in 2000, I began buying scented candles and lighted them so that my room would smell good and put them out when before I went to sleep. I stopped using scents in my rooms because I figured my ex-partner wouldn’t be enthralled with it. We did buy some Indian incense from Little India before but when we tried lighting it, it didn’t go well with my airconditioned room…smoke gets trapped inside! I still have a box of those incense here but I couldn’t use them because it reminds me too much of him and his love for India.
Anyway, my kids love hanging out in my room because as Twin A said, “Mommy, your room feels like a hotel room; your bed is nice and it smells good.”
For me to give up my bed for anyone is a sign that person is an esteemed person in my book.
Why did I write about bed now? Because I change my sheets on Sunday nights and while I was doing it earlier tonight, I reflected on why I keep on doing this tedious chore weekly. It’s cumbersome because it involves lifting the heavy orthopedic mattress, but when I have made my bed with fresh sheets, it feels really good so it’s all worth it. It feels luxurious.
Today I pulled out my lazy ass out of bed to cook because Twin I asked for pasta. So I did.
Carbonara, as requested by my daughter. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Tomorrow I need to shop for veggies though. They need to be stuffed with vegetables because come Christmas, they won’t be having any since they would be spending the holidays with their paternal side. They don’t eat enough veggies there. Their aunt and her family would be driving from here in Metro Manila to south to avoid airports = Covid. They will take the girls to see their 89-year-old grandpa before something happens to him. I cannot deny him his granddaughters and I don’t have any beef with him except for raising a spoiled, self-centered and lazy idiot.
I’m not worried that their dad won’t return the girls. Now that he’s so free, he wouldn’t want that freedom be taken away by having the kids with him. Besides, he doesn’t have money to send the girls to a private school. He knows he will destroy his children’s future if his ego gets the better of him.
So for weeks it will just be me and the cats in this apartment. I think it sounds lovely. The introvert side of me says ❤️.
Yamaha grand piano, worth several millions of pesos. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
I am here at Yupangco Building in Makati with my girls. I had been trying out the pianos here and I am dying. Been tinkering with the grand pianos and upright pianos here. I may come out of this store with a Yamaha P-125 with me. 🤦🏻♀️
Yamaha P-125 in black and white. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Save me from myself. I’m like a kid in a candy store. I even fell in love with the guitars. The guitars are so beautiful and the tones are perfect. The cheapest Yamaha guitar there is PhP 17k.
We’re at the nearby Starbucks so I can calm myself and contemplate.
Came back to Yupangco…
Lovely to play, too expensive for me. Photo by CallMeCreation.comFlashyyyyy! Worth half a million pesos. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
I can’t resist.
I’m such a sucker. Photo by CallMeCreation.com It’s now gracing my small apartment. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
My birthday, Christmas, and promotion gift to myself. So far I haven’t felt any buyer’s remorse. It sounds and feels 10x better than my old Roland that I’m gonna sell online later tonight.
Bye bye Roland E-09. May you find another good home. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Meanwhile, my APAC boss said HQ is working out an arrangement that I don’t have to be in Singapore to take on my new role next year. Hopefully, it would push through. If they can’t give me the salary I want (it should be above SGD 14k because that’s the minimum with primary school children) and not just the minimum requirement that the Singapore government demands, then it’s a no-go.
If only sending kids to school there is not that expensive. 🤷🏻♀️
Why the trauma?
Because when you loved someone so much, more than anybody in your life like that, and you get that kind of treatment, it’s traumatizing.
Yes, I’ve never loved anyone like that in my life. In the past I’ve had the courage to walk away. Not this time.
I don’t think I’ll ever love like that again. I no longer have any love to give.
So I just pray that the next person will love him more than I did because he rejected mine since it was not enough.
And as for me, I pray that I will get my peace. That’s all I ask for. Peace.
