Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Jaring Scam?

Mom called earlier informing me that there is a letter addressed to my name from a solicitor acting on behalf of Jaring. The content of the letter basically state that I owe them a few hundred ringgit since 1996. Yes, 1996! So many questions ran through my mind... Firstly, I don't recall ever signing up to Jaring for their services. We did use them at home before but never under my name. I was just out of high school then thus would not have applied for it myself. Mom would have done it and under a common family name. Secondly, I have never, not that I can recall, used the username mentioned in the letter. On top of that, I don't recall ever seeing a Jaring statement before in my life. So why would I suddenly be billed hundreds all of a sudden!?

Whatever it is, I need to get some detective work done. So I tried calling the solicitor's office and initially, it was always engaged. When it finally got through many dials later, no one picked the phone up even after a few more tries at different times. I will need to try again later. I was given two other numbers to talk to someone directly though but I'm hesitant to call these numbers. Somehow want to know exactly is going on and try to clear things up if necessary.

There are tonnes of online Jaring scams going around but I couldn't find any that sends a physical letter during my random search on Google. If this is a really a scam, how in the world did they get my full name and address? If it is not a scam, why have I not received any bills from then from 1996 till now?? Anyone experienced similar incidences before?


*Update: Managed to get through to Jaring, the guy on the other line seems to know what it is all about even though I have only told him my surname and a letter regarding outstanding payment. He also directed me to the same two numbers stated on the letter which I was reluctant to call initially. Still feeling skeptical, I dialed the number. I was only greeted with a 'Hello'. No, so and so speaking from Jarings Communication Sdn Bhd, nothing. I had to ask who is speaking, then explained about the letter. He actually has all my details down: Full name, address, telephone number. I told him that I had not applied for their services on my own before, bla bla bla. I asked how come I had not received any reminders before and then suddenly slapped with a lawyer's letter? Seems they sent out reminders through emails and incidentally my supposedly jaring email account was terminated in 2008. He then told me the only way to get my name off their list is to pay up or get a police report.

Conclusion, I gave it a little more thought and may just make a police report. The more I think about it the more absurd this whole thing is! I was probably either preparing for or maybe even in the exam hall itself sitting for one of the STPM (A-level equivalent) papers on the date mentioned! How did I find myself registering for Jaring services at that time, I have no idea!

10 comments:

  1. Hi, found your blog via google. I too received a similar letter from a firm of solicitors claiming I owe Jaring a few hundred ringgit and made some enquiries with Khalek Awang & Associates and Jaring. Very fishy.

    My gut tells me this is a scam. I wonder how many more people receive such letter.

    I plan to discuss this matter with a lawyer friend of mine before I get MCMC and bar council involved.

    Lets keep in touch.

    Rgds,

    CS Tan

    email: cstan@asiacomp.com.my

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi CS Tan,
    My other half said to just put the piece of paper in the bin. Anyway, I didn't get to see it and am just going to forget about it. What worries me is that they have my details. Did you get any advice?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Glad to found ur post! Received similar letter recently, mar 2011. I had paid the claims in 1998 when I received the letter saying I contracted with them in 1996. Emailed both tht legal & jaring. No response. Let's make police report. I'm not in Malaysia now bt hope to get update on this. My email coffeeliquor@yahoo.com

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  4. Btw the legal letter I got is from Nizamuddin & co.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi, Nespresso. I can't recall now who wrote the legal letter and probably should have made a police report. Will try to retrieve the letter again off my mom when I go back next month and then consider making a police a report. Are you back? Have you made a report?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi I received the same letter from solicitor that mentioned I owe Jaring for RM750. And I have to settle this witihin 14 days, if not legal action will be taken. I called to the phone number given, the guy gave me very details, But it is a bill that is on 1997. My goodness, I totally have no idea what is this. Somemore, I can't imagine a dial up can used up to RM750. The letter is by Hishamuddin too.

    Any advise, what have you done o the letter?
    Yuan Ling
    Email yuanling_lim@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Yuan Ling,
    I was just as apprehensive when they recited all my details as well but I was really sceptical as my bill was since 1996 when I still in school and seriously doubt I would have applied for it.
    Anyway, I have just left it as it is. Did think of making a police report initially but can't be bothered with the hassle given the circumstances that I am in now. Maybe someone should so more people are aware of this!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hey i just got pretty much the same letter today except mine wasn't from a Hishamudin Lawyers' Office. Instead, mine was some KHALEK AWANG & ASSOCIATES.

    the letter claims i have RM500 plus that needs to be settled... for two years of usage -- 1997 and 1998!! i was in form 6 back then and apart from the fact that my family and i did back then, subscribe to jaring, and that we used a pre paid system, i cant recall anythin else.

    As most of you have expressed, i have the same gut feeling. That this is utter B.S. What makes things worse for me is that when i called up this guy on his handphone (named Mr. Kovan as listed in the letter for enquiries together with his HP number), he gave me the runaround.

    It was really weird. There was just a Hello.. no mention of company name etc and not an ounce of professionalism in the way he spoke -- there was PLENTY of weird erm..ahh..uncertainty from him and so many of my questions went unanswered. He just repeated "we've been emailing your jaring email" and i was like.. WHAT, FOR THE LAST 15 YEARS?! and he just went on being weird. I must say i've never had the experience of speaking to a credit officer (so he said) who sounded as inexperienced and uncertain as him. in fact i even came round to thinking at one point, that it was a prank..like some hitzdotfm's 'gotcha call' or somethin.

    anyway.. things got to the point where i was really furious and i told him i was going to hang up because we were going nowhere but that i was not paying a cent.

    next, i called the KHALEK AWANG lawyer guys and it was not any better. i kept being passed from one to another and yet another and back to the first girl who all did not want to give me their names. I told them i wanted answers. they said they couldnt answer because they knew nothing. told me i had to call jaring to speak with them. i got furious yet again and they just continued saying jaring jaring jaring.. none of what any of them said was even near convincing. i asked to speak to a lawyer and they gave me a name and his mobile number askin me to call him. i did and guess what... a sleepy sounding man answered -- he had definitely just woken up from an afternoon nap. he said that he was representing jaring and beyond just pushing for payment, he (or his firm) knew nothing.

    At that point, i just hung up. Now i'm not sure what to think. it troubles me that if this IS legit, that they would send me a demand-letter after 12 years of absolutely NOTHING (never ever received even a notice, much less a bill from JARING in my life). and if its crap, then how in hell did they get my personal details in such accuracy.. *sigh*

    Well i know i've gone on LONG in this post but i hope you guys out there who are facing anything similar can relate and maybe get back in touch with anything constructive. similarly, if i find out anything, i will post.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi,

    I've received a similar letter. Found this guy who hired a lawyer to write back to those Jokers.

    http://www.johanfaridkhairuddin.com/post/6282245343/jaring-mimos-wants-to-take-legal-action-against-jfk-for

    ReplyDelete
  10. ELKAY: Tks for relating your experience. I have concluded that this is a scam. Although there are only four to five comments here, it is good enough to tell me that someone (or a group of people) out there, is trying to be funny. I just hope that not many fall prey and pay!

    Bee: Thank you so much for the attached site. I am so glad to read about what JFK has done but I seriously wonder what will be the outcome even though legal action has been taken. I contemplated making a police report too but again wonder where will that bring me or other victims. Are you planning to take legal action too?

    ReplyDelete

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