Local Health Dept scam?

[gffgold]

Just now some very official looking ladies came round on behalf of the local public health department wanting me to accept 3 sachets of Abate mosquito larvae killer. I explained that I didn't have a bak mandi and I don't even have a water tank in this house but she insisted so I took the sachets and thanked her. 'That will be Rp30 000', she said. Now, I know that you can buy Abate for about Rp2000 per sachet so I declined and was closing the door as she yelled that according to some bit of paper or other I MUST take the Abate stuff and I MUST pay Rp30 000. I told her to go and whistle.

Anyone else had this kind of visit?

[atlantis]

I had a similar (was about replacing my elpiji slangs & head) visit long ago and kindly explained my visitors that the money was to be claimed to one of my Rottweilers who are in charge of any financial matters at the house. :) Dunno why they never came back, nor any scammers by the way.

Unfortunately these kind of scams are quite common in Indonesia.:(

[marcus]

Gffgold , it happened to me also . Two ladies came at my door (2 weeks ago) offering these sachets (forgot the brand) saying they were from the "cooperasi" . I accepted because it happened before (one year ago) but from our Bapak RT. I paid Rp20.000 for 8 sachets .

[waarmstrong]

Peddlers with various pitches that usually include a claim of officialdom are common here abouts. I am not allowed to answer gate calls, but isti always first asks for a letter from the RT & when they do not have one (they never have so far) she points them in the direction of the rumah RT with an admonishment to get a written authorization before returning. They never come back.

[atlantis]

i am not allowed to answer gate calls,
lol :)

[Pimpin]

Great advice Waarmstrong. Thanks for that.

[waarmstrong]

lol :)

I'm not sure what the big deal is; everyone in the Kel. knowns where the bule lives, so there are likely to be no surprises if I answer the clanking.

When I was growing up in rural Iowa, my mother was convinced that the hobos, who always seemed to pick our house for a free sandwich, had notched our mail box post or somehow marked our house for their community as a place where charity was likely available. I suppose istri is afraid that our gate will be likewise marked if a wrinkly white face appears when the gate opens.

That brings up another point. I wonder if Indonesians consider bules more charitable than their country men and women. Or perhaps more gullible?

[ohmdafyd]

I'm not sure what the big deal is; everyone in the Kel. knowns where the bule lives, so there are likely to be no surprises if I answer the clanking.

When I was growing up in rural Iowa, my mother was convinced that the hobos, who always seemed to pick our house for a free sandwich, had notched our mail box post or somehow marked our house for their community as a place where charity was likely available. I suppose istri is afraid that our gate will be likewise marked if a wrinkly white face appears when the gate opens.

That brings up another point. I wonder if Indonesians consider bules more charitable than their country men and women. Or perhaps more gullible?

Good question, I imagine it's because they think we are all rich...ha ha ha, if they only knew...but it is true that when I do donate a few rupiah, they always come back with regularity!
Did anyone ever see that show where someone, a child or disabled adult or whatever goes around asking people for help with a particular problem, usually it took literally hours until someone with compassion enough to help was found...it opened my eyes to Indonesian generosity especially as many who told them to bugger off obviously had some spare money in their pockets.

[littleiyut]

That brings up another point. I wonder if Indonesians consider bules more charitable than their country men and women. Or perhaps more gullible?
I think because of both. While Indonesian (some of us) are very generous indeed some maybe because they know this people who beg has been doing it hundred of times and hoping everytime will be someone new around and will listen to their problem/cry then they will donate. Sadly to say some of them are genuine but some just exploit their disadvantages. Near my secondary school in Kampung Melayu terminal, there was a man with small legs (perhaps untreated polio?) always beg around terminal I always give him something a little from my pocket money and my friends too. Then one day we were sitting in a little warung in the terminal waiting for our oplet/mikrolet we were talking about him and then the owner of the warung said don't feel too sorry for him because in his kampung he has 2 wives and 6 children!!! We can not believe what we heard. The little rascall:mad:.

[ohmdafyd]

I think because of both. While Indonesian (some of us) are very generous indeed some maybe because they know this people who beg has been doing it hundred of times and hoping everytime will be someone new around and will listen to their problem/cry then they will donate. Sadly to say some of them are genuine but some just exploit their disadvantages. Near my secondary school in Kampung Melayu terminal, there was a man with small legs (perhaps untreated polio?) always beg around terminal I always give him something a little from my pocket money and my friends too. Then one day we were sitting in a little warung in the terminal waiting for our oplet/mikrolet we were talking about him and then the owner of the warung said don't feel too sorry for him because in his kampung he has 2 wives and 6 children!!! We can not believe what we heard. The little rascall:mad:.

I'm sure we all know that a great deal of the begging that goes on is purley orginised crime, women who hire babies to pretend that are destitute and so on.
I read somewhere that it can be very lucrative, hey Fred why don't we get a duet going? :p...

[marcus]

................................ then the owner of the warung said don't feel too sorry for him because in his kampung he has 2 wives and 6 children!!! We can not believe what we heard. The little rascall:mad:.
I still feel too sorry for him .

[littleiyut]

I still feel too sorry for him .
Yeah, and he has 2 houses for the two wives! Back to kampung every middle week not weekend because he will be in Taman Ria Senayan at weekend, thousands of visitors:)!!!

[atlantis]

In between two short legs but two wives and houses, and not having any physical handicap but no wives and houses, I would without a doubt choose my legs (still can find a wife and build my house).
Therefore I also feel sorry for him, even if he is a crook.