SMS Scam by Sam O. Mendoza

I have been receiving text messages from a certain Sam O. Mendoza since December 2012. She says she's a 22-year old girl from Bacolod and she's asking for help to be able to go to Manila. According to her, she applied for a job in San Miguel Corp - Ortigas thru SMC-Mansilingan Plant in Bacolod.  And that she wais scheduled for a Final Briefing in the Ortigas office that week, hence she needs to go to Manila asap. She even gave a website link where her photo and credentials can be found.

She sounded really desperate and if you are not careful you could easily be moved by her pleading words. (See full transcript of the messages I received from her below)

I have always been very wary of this kind of messages. A friend once asked me for help thru a private message in FB and I didn't believe it immediately because I know how FB accounts can be hacked. More so in text messages because unscrupulous people can easily get your number. 

So I decided to investigate. A little google here and there and voila! I found at least 3 blogsites that discusses her scamming activities. And the posts were dated way back 2010 to 2011. So this operation has been going on for quite a while. I wonder how many people she (or it may even be a he) has fooled thru all these years.

Not only that, it seems "Sam Mendoza" is already a second alias. My little research also stumbled upon a few articles on another similar kind of scam perpetrated by an "Anna Marie Velasco". The same photo and details so it could probably be the same person. 

Here is the copy of the text messages I received from Sam since the beggining. I didn't delete them because I had a feeling it was a scam right from the start and I wanted to do my research first. Unfortunately, I was right, it was indeed a scam.

Mobile Number Used: +63 926 713 1648

Dec. 23, 2012; 5:19pm

Puede po humingi ng help sa inyo? I'm Sam, 22yo GIRL from BACOLOD CITY. May deadline lng sana ako for Final Briefing po sa SanMiguelCorp - Ortigas this week (nag-apply po ako thru SMC-Mansilingan Plant here in Bacolod din po). Kahit ano po, willing po i-offer na kpalit. Desperate lang po talaga akong makapunta ng Manila & mahabol po yung deadline ko. May pic & supporting docs po ako sa www.SanMigWork.tk baka sakali makatulong po ung info - Sam

Dec. 23, 2012; 6:18pm

I'm Sam Mendoza, 22yo girl from Mandalagan, Bacolod City. Graduate po ng BS Information Management (DOST Scholarship). Living alone sa isang boarding haus po d2 sa Purok Sambag. 5'6", and hardworking province girl po. May po ako sa www.SanMigWork.tk. Ngtetext lng po ako ng random numbers na GLOBE Postpaid numbers po and really hoping na may makita man lng ako kht maliit na tulong para makaluwas ng mynila. Wala po akong idea kung babae o lalako tinitext ko. . But im really willing to give any favorable exchange in ur part para sa tulong na makapunta sa mynila.. Un lang po sana.. - Sam

Dec. 23, 2012; 7:17pm

Pasensya na po kayo sa text message ko... Hindi ko naman po talaga kilala mga natetext ko. Ngtetext lng po ako ng random numbers ng GLOBE Postpaid numbers po and really hoping na may makita man lng kht maliit na 2long para makaluwas ng mynila. Wala po akong idea kung babae po o lalaki tinitext ko.. But im really willing to give any favorable exchange in ur part para sa tulong na makapunta sa mynila.. Un lng po sana.. - Sam

Dec. 23, 2012; 7:55pm

Sorry if nakaoagtext po ako. I just need help. Merry Christmas po... sam

Jan. 5, 2013; 8:19am

Good day po, si Sam po to, ung girl na humihingi ng 2long makapunta ng maynila.M22lungan nio po b ako? Gagawin ko po ung kapalit na hhngin nio, para lang po makapunta npo ako ng mynila. Parang awa nio napo. 

Jan. 5, 2013; 2:59pm

Name: Sam O. Mendoza

Age: 22

Sex: Female

Location: Bacolod City, Negros Occ.

Height: 5'6"

Other: Joined some provincial pageants for allowance

Course: BS Information Management (Computer & Accountancy)

School: DOST Scholar in University of St. La Salle - Bacolod

Parents: Anna & Luisito Mendoza (both deceased)

Documents & Pic: www.SanMigWork.tk

Jan. 5, 2012; 5:05pm

Tulungan niyo na po ako parang awa nio na po. Nagpapakababa na po ako sa ginagawa kong pagpapalit sa sarili ko, makapunta lng po sa trbhong naapplyan ko po. Ang hirap po makahanap ng trbho kya gnagawa ko lahat makuha ko lng po un.. Sana po maramdaman niyo sincerity ko.. -Sam

 Jan. 5, 2013 ; 6:51pm

 Kahit katawan ko na lang po ang ipapagpalit ko. Im stil a virgin at 22 but im willing to lose it for a good purpose para sa sarili ko. Wala na po talaga akong maisip na ibang paraan, pasensya na po. Im really desperate...

 Jan. 16, 2013 ; 7:17pm

 helo po...si sam po...i hope you can still remember me. Ung girl from bacolod na humihingi ng tulong...Matutulungan niyo po ba ako? parang awa niyo na po...kailangang kailangan ko po talaga ng tulong niyo...ako lang mag isa ngayon sa bacolod kaya medyo mahirap po yung sitwasyon ko9 ngayon gayong wala pa pa akong trabaho dito... bigyan niyo lang po sana ako ng chance na makapunta ng maynila... yun lang naman po sana yung hinihingi kong tulong... willing naman po akong magsakripisyo eh na magbigay ng kapalit para lng po sa trabaho ko sana sa maynila... hirap na po talaga ako dito... sam

Jan. 16, 2013 ; 9:31pm

Hindi ko rin naman po gagawin to kung meron rin lng naman po akong mahihiraman at malalapitan d2. Wala naman po ako relatives dito dahil kung nabasa niyo po yung website na naibigay ko, nasa surigao po kasi dun po talaga lugar ng nanay at tatay ko. Puro estudyante lng po na mga scolars din kgaya ko ang mga kasama ko po d2 sa boarding haus. Puro umaasa lang din sa parents nila at sa scholarship po.

Jan. 17, 2013 ; 2:13am

Wala naman po kc akong maibibigay na assurance ko kundi ung mga credentials ko and ung willingness ko tlaga na makapunta ng Maynila. Trbho, at offer ko lang po sa inyo ngaun ung iniisip ko. Kung itatakbo ko ang perang ibibigay nio, mgiging ganyan nlang po ang value nia.. Kysa kunin ung trbho na pinaghrapan kong pa applyan, mas may maaabot ako. I don't think na ang graduate na kagaya ko, ganyan ang dapat gawin na manloko ng tao. Nakapag aral ako na di nanloko para sa tuition dhl scolar po ako. And i think, hindi ko rin kailangang manloko para maka punta ng mynila dhl alam kong kaya kong pag hrapan ung hnhngi kong 2long. Kaya po nagoofer ako ng kapalit. Ayoko ring magmukhang pulubi na humihingi ng 2long na wala rin naman ginagawa. sam

 

Jan. 17, 2013 ; 6:29am

Trabaho, relative at offer ko po sa inyo ang gagawin ko diyan sa Maynila. Wala naman akong dapat ikatakot kaya malakas pa rin ang loob kong pupunta ako. 

So beware and be warned! Feel free to share this post to your friends and family so they may be informed.

Related articles on Sam Mendoza:
SMS SCAM ALERT: Sam Mendoza, the new Marie Velasco by Blog Experiences on May 17, 2010 
SMS SCAM ALERT: A girl named Sam Mendoza seeks help thru SMS by Thinkathon Blues

SMS or Text Scam by Sam Mendoza by Noelizm on Sept. 18, 2011

Articles on Anna Marie Velasco:
Scam Alert! Anna Marie Velasco SMS by Secondwind on Jan 30, 2010
Anna Marie Velasco, Another Scam in the Making? by Isyu on June 4, 2008