My 46th blog:

When Online Shopping Shrinks Expectations: The Scam Sisters Saga

 

I usually trust my gut and scroll past sketchy Facebook ads like it’s second nature. But this time? The scammers were probably smirking, thinking, “Let’s see her fall for this one.

 

There it was—an ad for a rotating, tracking, flashlight-equipped, borderline sci-fi cellphone stand. Supposedly, it could follow my movements, extend like a transformer, and light up my selfies. As a blogger and selfie taker, I was intrigued, and readily I filled out a form.

 

Days pass. The package arrives. Cue excitement.   Drumroll please…

 

What I got: Two plain black cellphone stands. No rotation. No flashlight. Just two glorified paperweights that wouldn’t even pass for decent giveaways at a tech event.

 

So yes—I didn’t just lose Php600. I lost faith in online ads, a bit of pride, and definitely the right to brag about my “scam radar.”

 

I told my Php600 scam story to one of my sisters and her husband—not with rage, mind you, just a healthy dose of regret. But before I could fully wallow in my disappointment, my sister topped my story with one of her own that was even funnier.  She had ordered a pan sold at a promotional price of Php99. Expecting a pan that could fit a whole red snapper or sea bass—something around 8"x13"—she opened the package to find… a pan roughly 4"x3".  Basically, a serving dish for two anchovies or sardines.

 

But wait—there’s more.

 

She had also ordered a pressure cooker, assuming it was standard-sized and capable of cooking a decent family meal. What arrived looked more like a lunchbox with delusions of grandeur. It was so small, she joked it could only handle two to three cubes of beef—if they were feeling cooperative.

 

Our stories may sound funny in hindsight, but truthfully, they were just plain frustrating. Is the world overflowing with scammers now? Honestly, times are tough—we get that. But surely, there’s a way to earn a living without tricking people. Right, folks?

 

Let this be a reminder: don’t trust too quickly, and take extra care when buying things online—where flashy ads are everywhere, promising more than they deliver.

 

Take it from someone who clicked, paid, and learned the hard way—I was scammed.

 

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