So heres the story,

On Wednesday 9th of August my ex colleague by the name of Geradline lim Shi Hui, messaged me at around 3:30pm and said that of one her friend is in need of cash and would like to borrow $1000 as Geraldine’s bf is oversea and would only be back on the night of August 10th to return me by 12am.

After I agreed to lent her, Geraldine said that $850 will do and asked me to pass her cash instead. I was kind of worried to pass her in cash therefore I asked for her address and look her up, and to my surprise Geraldine gave me a condo address. (Many of you may think that i’m foolish to have to do so but because I have been through situation like this in need of help urgently and that reminds me to return a deed.)

SHE IS STAYING IN A CONDO WITH HER PARENTS. GIVEN THE DOUBT AT THAT POINT I CHOSE TO BELIEVE HER. So I decided to withdraw the money from my credit card and transferred the amount of $850 to her bank account, believing that she will return the money on time so that I will not incurr any interest.

After transferring to her bank account, she seems to be checking her bank account and started to walk bit by bit further away from me, so 5 mins later I didn’t get to see her then I knew something is wrong, so I msg her called her more than 10 time, her phone is still off and doesn’t even care to reply my messages.

You are smart to block me from my phone call, whatsapp and Facebook and I couldn’t contact you.

So I got no choice to send you via SMS. You knew that I have kids and family to feed, don’t play me LA… I know $850 is not a big amount to some of you but its a substantial amount for my family daily expenses. Where on earth is the humanity, in the end theres a price to pay for being nice.

On the 10th August you still don’t want reply me, so I got no choice to report to the police to protect myself if she would do anything foolish.

After the report is done, I went up to her tampines unit to look for her so her dad told me that she is not staying with them and I told her dad it’s okay I will look for her myself because as I saw her dad seem like his tears will drop anytime soon. I decided to make my way back home. I’m also a parent so I can understand that feeling of disgrace and disappointments. 20mins later after I left tampines, I received a call from her and I believe its her bf and this is the convo exchanged:

Geraldine bf : “knnccb you at her house downstairs right, you don’t go, I come find you
Me : you come lor .
Geraldine bf : knnccb i will call your wife
Me : you call lor
Gerakdine bf : knnccb you don’t think I don’t know where you stay I come find you
Me : you want you come lor.
Gerladine bf : you better beat me lei.. Arbo I confirm beat you.
Geralding bf : lets go make police report.
Me : please kindly do so to make police report.

Since I got threatened by them, I booked grab and head back home. During my way back home I called police hotline and told them I got threatened by them so police advised me that to call 999 if they do show up.

On 11th August which is yesterday around 4pm geraldine called my phone again but I was on the line with customer so I didn’t pick up her call, soon after, she called to my office and look for me.

Geraldine : so now how you want to settle personally or what
Me : what settle personally you meant?
Geraldine : you went up to my house and look for my dad and now they are very upset
Me : I just wanted to asked your dad where can I locate you but the moment your dad seem like his tears will tears anytime soon then I told him that it’s okay uncle I look for her myself.
Geraldine : so you want me to pay you by today is it, if I didn’t pay you and you will go up again is it?
Me : you think I eat too full meh. Still need to fetch my daughter and go home cook after work.
Geraldine : how do you want to settle now?
Me : you want to pay or not just say
Geraldine : I dont want lei
Me : don’t want then don’t want lor and becoz of trying to help you this is what I get in return and this matter is between you and me do not call my office phone.
Geraldine : don’t make me go up hor..
Me : go up where?
Me : then yesterday your bf said want beat me then now what?
Geraldine : sorry lor about what my bf said yesterday
Me : so what you want now.. If you want to pay just pay if not then never mind. I still need to work okay
Geraldine : Never mind I go make police report
Me : I would be thankful if you do so.

GERALDINE I would like to advise you that before you do anything foolish to me or anyone related to me, I had already lodge police report with all the relevant facts.

I also would like to inform you that I will not hesitate to lodge other reports if any of the following below happen

1) threaten to hurt me or my family
2) calling my friends or office to make a nuisance.

Lastly I am not a person you can push over. I will do whatever it takes to take legal action against you to protect my family.

I said it here and I meant it.

It saddened me so much that helping a person in need would turn out in such way, resulting in threatening to harm family members.

Source: FB post by Colin Anz

When my father reached the destination, the passenger just hopped out of the taxi without paying. My father thinking it was a mistake, honked at him to stop, wound down the window and told him that it was a cash and not #GrabPay booking and requested he pay the fare. He told my father that he had no cash on him and fidgeted with his mobile phone, telling my father that he was getting a friend to pass him cash.

As my father’s taxi was in the middle of at a bus stop, he told the passenger that he had to move the taxi a little in order not to obstruct traffic. When my father proceeded to move the vehicle, the passenger quickly ran off – obviously with no intention of paying in the first place.

My father contacted Grab support, who told him that they will contact the passenger to pay the fare. It has been 4 days now and yet there is no news from Grab, even after my father has called in to check again.

I managed to CSI out the culprit on Facebook given that his online moniker was rather unique – EirfanWilliams. The URL to his account is https://www.facebook.com/tommy.lavidalocaa. I showed my father the photos and he identified this fare cheat through the multiple photos shown on his Facebook profile. I made very sure to ask my father repeatedly if this is the guy, and his answer was positive.

I contacted him and asked him to call Grab to pay my father back the money, and he came up with the saddest excuse ever:

“I help this one guy using my grab as he told me he has no data to booked a grab and i really dont know that he didnt pay for the taxi fair..Its not my fault for not paying so i hope u understand..And im really sorry about that”

First of all, he has admitted that he was the one who booked the taxi. Secondly, my father has already identified him through the photos. I personally find that his excuse is laughable – no person in his right mind who has no data will ask another person to book a taxi for him – ever heard of hailing from the street?

Some of you may ask why doesn’t my father report this to the police? The adminstrative process is a nightmare and a time waster. Every minute my father is off the roads is an earning opportunity gone –

Honestly, neither my father nor I is hardup for the return of the $9, but fare cheats like EirfanWilliams need to be exposed and prevented from doing the same to others. To add insult to injury – not only did my father waste his time to pick up this fare cheat, he has to pay $0.90 to Grab for the booking commision. Grab has not made any legitimate attempt to help my father, nor made any offer to return him the $9, or even the $0.90 commision.

Taxi drivers, Grab and Uber drivers – please beware of this fare cheat when you receive a cash booking.

UPDATE (13-Aug 1:14PM): A Grab representative has contacted me directly to look into this case. I have given him my father’s account details to resolve this issue.

Source : FB post Jordan Lee