I can only echo what many on here have already said, I have lent money to Filipinos in the past, some were small amounts, 1 was for an airfare Taiwan to Canada, this kind lady now has her own house being built on Mindanao, she never got to Canada, and Im one airfare lighter, a lot of Filipinos find it second nature to ask for mone if they dont ask they dont get. Seeing as you have never met this lady, tread very, very carefully it would be no surprise to me if you were not the only one she has asked..
Happens all the time I'm afraid, sorry to hear you were caught out as many have. Hope it has not put you off the Philippines and their people.
Are you sure she isn't asking for 3000 pesos? I think even the most brazen and cut throat Filipino scammer would steer clear of asking for £3000. Whatever the true figure, if you've never met the girl you shouldn't entertain it.
3000 pounds - roughly 200,000 pesos - is excessive. If you indeed are being asked for that sum then I suggest that you run a mile. It's a scam. 3000 pesos (roughly 50 pounds) would not be unreasonable for a scan and some medication. As others have mentioned, it's possible to get help from PCSO. In addition, salary for a housemaid working in Saudi is roughly 10,000 to 18,000 pesos a month. I would wonder why she can't afford to send funds herself. I would definitely ask to see a receipt if you send 3000 pesos, and to be honest, given that you have never met this girl, I would be wary of sending anything at all. I certainly would not suggest that you send 3000 pounds. Having been down the road of sending money to family, just be aware that once you start giving in to demands for money, they have a habit of never stopping and becoming more and more frequent. Finally - my wife knows a girl who looks very sweet and innocent. She does very nicely by having several western 'boyfriends' who all send her money. I would be super careful.
usually its smaller sums of money for other life saving essentials---like new mobile phone, motorbike, shoes........
Can you not try to ask her the illness of her mother? As members have stated here, ultrasound isn't that expensive in PHL. A "simple" ultrasound is usually around 1,000-4,000 pesos (it actually depends what ultrasound is needed). Giving 3k quid away is no joke.
No it has not, I have finally met someone she has never asked me for 1 peso, or even 1 centavo , in fact the more i see of the philippines, and its people i am more determined than ever, its the way to go..
From experience (not directly, but from many stories I have read throughout the net), there is regularly a family emergency usually within a few months of a Filipina getting hooked up with a Westerner. Don't become an ATM machine. Similarly, don't dismiss the claim as being spurious. IT COULD BE legit. The thing with these types of requests is that it plays on your conscience. If you don't pay, will her mother become sicker, or die? First, establish what her illness is. Then, ask for copies of the invoice from the hospital. A friend of my wife's recently had a mother in hospital with pneumonia. The hospital bill worked out at about £2000 - this included x-rays, a week's stay and other treatment. So, is £3000 realistic? I would say yes. My advice would be to see the receipts and invoices. From there, you can ascertain whether or not the request is genuine (i.e. it is her mother who is sick, and the bill is in the range of 180,000 PhP). Health insurance (if she has any) will pay for some of this. Then, you must decide if you are willing to donate. You haven't met this girl yet, I expect you have seen photos. But be warned, if you have yourself a little gold-digger (and I make no apologies for suggesting this), and you pay the full £3000 - expect more heartbreaking stories and requests for money. Can you afford £3000? What are you paying £3,000 for? Is it because you are genuinely concerned about a stranger? Is it because you are desperate for the relationship to work? This request could be genuine, and the £3000 quoted is realistic if it is genuine. However, if you provide money with no evidence and the request is not genuine - then next time you are asked for £3000 you may still believe it is genuine, and you're sat on a slippery slope with a pound of butter on your arse.
Doesn't sound like a £3000 bill to me. Has she had to stay in hospital? Does she have to do this regularly?
I've witnessed that behaviour with my own eyes. I saw a girl chatting flirtatiously to a Westerner on the internet in an internet cafe, told him she had to go bye bye, kiss kiss, love you love you. Only for her to log out of the IM, and log back in (I assume under a different name) and start chatting with another guy. I have been asked for money, and have sent money. Usually £50 every few months, but I haven't been asked for anything for a long time. With regards to the family situation, do they have a nice big TV? Cable subscription? Car? Eat out? Mall trips? lots of kids working? I remember reading a story on an American forum where the Filipina asked for a sum of money for a "family emergency". The American guy had just bought the parents a new TV and suggested they should sell it and cancel their subscription. It didn't go down well, the girl chucked him after accusing him of being selfish. "Eat your money selfish pig" was the phrase that always stuck out. As selfish as it sounds, you have to look after yourself first. It's a cultural thing in the Philippines to look after the family. It is commendable, but you are not responsible for her family. If they can't afford bills because they have spent too much in Jollibee, whose fault is that? If they elected to spend money on extra TV channels instead of on health insurance, whose fault is that? If she dumps you or calls you selfish, or tries to make you feel bad for not giving any money, then you've done yourself a massive favour.
Sorry, sir, but I have to question this based on personal experience. Was that friend staying in a private room in St Lukes and included private nurses day and night'?! My mother-in-law was rushed to Davao Doctors Hospital when she had a particularly severe asthma attack a couple of weeks ago and had X-Rays, intravenous antibiotics as well as other medication; her confinement lasted 4 nights and 5 days (charged for 5 days). Her bill came to just under Php13,000 of which about 40% was paid by PhilHealth leaving a balance of around £120. But she did not have a private room but was in a four bed ward. Just over a couple of years ago at the same hospital, my newborn baby son had a week's stay including an operation to repair a hernia. Total charge was about £700 and that was in a private room.
Well this is the second time she asked this with no proof of legit situation. I am thinking of challenging her and maybe passing ways.
Hi Markham, This was also in a Davao hospital (not sure which one though). Dialysis was also required. The bill stood north of £1600. The patient was in a private room. If I can get more details, I will - I remember seeing the bill with my own eyes and was shocked at the price. However, I suspect insurance and some other scheme paid for a big chunk of it. I believe she was also in ICU for a week. The thing that concerned me (though I am no doctor) was that there was a possibility she was being over-treated. Has anyone else thought that in their own situations?
It could be 3000 pesos then. Get more details, don't jump to the conclusion that she is after your money just yet.
