In Reply to: Not sure how to respond to sms........ posted by Nikkiknack on Sunday, 18. February 2007 at 10:05 Bali Time:
I'm afraid. Don't send the money. I personally wouldn't tell your friend in case she doesn't know and it makes trouble for her. If she does know, well she isn't going to mention it anyway.
Look, in all our years of going to Bali this has happenned to us twice and it's like a punch in the belly. An old Bali hand who posts on here once said "Don't give money, if you want to help give food or whatever but don't give money" I don't any more. What hurt me was that this young man who we had been very kind to made up stories about his "house falling down" and his father being sick and when we sms back no, I'm sorry I can't send you money he didn't give up but kept coming back for the hard sell. It was the lies that upset me and I now don't answer his messages but it made me very sad because we were fond of him.
On the credit side only he and one other have ever tried this with us and when you think of the many genuine Indonesian friends we have the odds are pretty good.
So, my advice, don't send the money.