and I don't mean ETs or UFOs. My encounter with weird calls/sms-es from unknown numbers has taken a funny, bordering weird twist.
Two weeks ago, while in Jakarta, apparently I was a property agent. Someone sent me a sms requesting to be kept in the loop of any possible double-storey homes in Bandar Puteri Puchong that are up for sale.
Last Saturday, I received two more weird sms-es. In SMS 1, I was a university student. I was "asked" if I was interested in a study date. If yes, the sender of the sms will do the necessary booking of study room with the university.
In SMS 2, I was simply asked this question in Malay: Can sign (the contract/deal)? As usual, my response to theses pesky sms-es is to press the delete button. However sender of SMS 2 is one determined lady, which I shall call her Ms. B. When failed to get a reply from me, she called and asked to speak to a Mr Tan. I told her there's no such person and requested her to stop calling my number.
But that wasn't the last I heard from her. Ms. B called yesterday and again requested for Mr Tan. I gave the same response - no such person. She went on to explain that she had earlier sent a sms to my number to inform that she has banked in some money and when can she sign the contract. I repeated myself that Mr Tan doesn't exist and I told her to stop bothering me. When I ended the call, then only I saw her sms stating she banked in the money as requested and when can she sign the contract.
That sms got me worried. Like shitting bricks worried. In my mind, flashed the worst case scenario - someone could be using my number in some shady money lender business and I saw my face plastered in the Star newspaper, seeking help from Head of MCA Publice Service and Complaints Bureau to appeal to whoever it is to stop using my handphone number in such way.
I quickly called Hubs to tell him what happened and to get advice on my next course of action. Hubs informed that maybe I could check with my mobile service provider if there's another user registered to my number and also to lodge a police report. I gave my service provider a call and weirdly enough there's only one me that's tagged to my handphone number and their advice was also to lodge a police report.
On hindsight I decided to give Ms. B a call to find out exactly what sorta business is this Mr Tan involved in. Upon questioning her, I found out that she wanted to borrow some money from some shady money lender and apparently was asked to deposit some money into a particular account. She was supposed get in touch with Mr Tan after doing that and that's where the blunder happened - she couldn't remember precisely Mr Tan's handphone number. She could only remember the last four digits which matches my number correctly but wasn't sure what were the first three digits.
I gave her a very stern warning that her sms-es and calls got me very worried because it certainly felt like someone has deliberately use my handphone number illegally in some illegal businesses. I also told her that I was that close to lodging a police report. She begged me not to do so as it was really fault on her part that she couldnt remember the exact number. She sounded genuine, someone desperate. She promised not to disturb me anymore and will inform me if my number was indeed illegally used.
I left the matter as it is. My only fervent hope is that it was a genuine case of stupid blunder.
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