CAUTION in CP or China for that matter - Public Service Announcement

[petrolheadsg]

Now while this (robbery) isnt new, its a very recent reported event. I am thinking it is always good to remind us of ever present dangers, to be vigilant and keep wits about us even when merry making in CP.

This is a post that was found on the "other" website and I hope readers will read it for what it is and nothing else. If you want to flame, I suggest you expend your energies elsewhere. Party on safe bros!

(pls note the part of the story where he says this has happened to other S'pore/M'sian bros...if you are one of those reading, perhaps you can consider chiming in and adding your experience for the benefit of others)

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Dear Bros, I debated with myself for a long time on whether to write the following post. On the one hand, this is important information for CP mongers. On the other hand, I made some very stupid mistakes, and am deeply shameful of it. Nonetheless, in the interest of public knowledge, I give the following horrifying account. Feel free to deride me for my mistakes.

Two days ago, I finished lunch at the Yunnan rice noodle place on Zhongyuan St. (the main street) and contemplating a trip to Huimei for a sauna. A tall woman with long legs approached me and gave me the usual "do you want to see some girls. " I really hesitated because it was going to be my sauna day, but curiosity got the best of me. She was pretty good looking for a mommy, so I followed her. We did NOT head behind the Huimei to the usual BBS. Instead, we headed the other direction into the street next to the two-story Taiwanese restaurant into a residential neighborhood. That didn't alarm me as I have followed plenty of mommies into residential neighborhood for a viewing. We arrived at a residential apartment; she opened the door and started heading upward to the fourth floor. Again, this did not alarm me because I have done that plenty of time. What should have alarmed me is the complete absence of other people in any of the other floors. We arrived at an apartment; she opened the door. THERE WERE NO GIRLS, but she said that "go on in, the girls are in the next room. " I have replayed this scene in my head a thousand times since then and wished so much that some small alarmed had sounded in my head at that time, but it did not.

I stepped across the threshold and the horror began. She slammed the door shut, locked it, and three guys emerged from the next room holding a hammer, a iron pipe and a the iron thing you put on your fist. I panicked, and my first thought was that they will kill me, so I STRUGGLED and SCREAMED. That was a big mistake; they began to beat on me with all of their weapons, focusing on my head. Another guy emerged from the other room and joined in. Eventually, someone put their knee on my neck, and I was losing consciousness, so I stopped resisting as they put tape around my ankles. Fortunately, I spoke Chinese, and I soon apologized to them and promised that I won't resist further. The beating stopped. Blood was flowing freely from my head, soaking one side of my jacket. Facing me were four hard-looking peasant type, one of them perhaps looking a bit sophisticated. They were still mad that I had resisted. I pled with them that I panicked because this had never happened to me. I was sobbing uncontrollably, so they relaxed somewhat and began to lay down the law for me. "If you cooperate, we will not harm you, but if you don't, we will kill you. "

They searched through my stuff and immediately grabbed my wallet and my phone. My phone was old, so they just took the sim card out and laid it aside. They took the 2000 or so I carried, but also dug everything else out. I didn't carry any bank card but had my hotel key, so they asked "what do you have in your hotel? " By then a bit more calm, I said nothing; they can look themselves. I had some more money, but it was not in the safe, but hidden somewhere in the luggage. I was betting that if they didn't find anything in the safe, they may not find my other money, passport and bank cards. They took my key and went to my hotel to search it. The bleeding in my head slowed, and I was not dizzy, suggesting that I didn't get a concussion. I was a bit relieved by that. An hour or so later, the searchers called the people in the locked room saying that they found some money and my cards.

The next round of nightmare then began. With my wallet and money from my room, they had over 8000 RMB, but their main objective is to drain their victims' bank accounts as much as possible. They were NOT interested in the credit cards. They are not Russians and are not interested in selling credit card numbers on the internet. They were however very interested in the debit cards, of which I had two, both for US based bank accounts. They immediately asked me menacingly of the code. I told them honestly and told them to get cash from machines with a VISA sign. On the first trip, they failed to get any money. I was honestly puzzled by why that was the case, but they were not happy about that at all. The head person once again threatened to beat me, and in fact kicked me very hard. However, I sobbed and told them the code again, and also told him that he must go to a VISA linked machine to get cash. In the mean time, I tried very hard to befriend two of the guys there, who seemed a bit nicer. I think I was somewhat successful, and I told them about my own family. Etc. Then, my luck turned further as they got another person to step across the threshold, so they were distracted for another hour trying to get money and PIN from the other person, who was from Hong Kong.

However, around 4pm, the head guys went to the ATM again, and failed to get money again. Needless to say, he was pretty pissed off and threatened to beat me again, but by this time, the other two guys, seeing my uncontrollable sobbing, tried to persuade his elder brother that I was telling the truth. The questioning dragged on for another hour, and I swore that I didn't know why they couldn't get money from the accounts. Seriously, I didn't know why and was deathly afraid that they would kill me in anger. My pleading finally managed to persuade them to give up questioning me. It helped that they got some money from the other person's bank account. Around 7pm, they cut loose the other person and left the room altogether, leaving me and the other victim to free ourselves. We left the chamber of horror and smoked cigarettes furiously. My head was still bleeding a bit, but my fellow victim was kind enough to direct me to a clinique, where I got some treatment. I was very shaken when I returned to the hotel. I wanted to leave right then, but I was too exhausted, so I showered, locked the door and slept, leaving the next day. Some observations:

1. It was a small organization. They claimed they are a part of a large network, but I never saw any communication with anyone higher up. They were very ignorant of how bank cards worked. It turns out that they weren't able to take any money out because they didn't know what a checking account was. Peasants always save money in savings account, and I didn't have any money in the savings account for that one account. For the other card, Citibank does not allow overseas access to savings account from non Citibank ATMs.

2. They are looking for quick bucks. Had I known this, I wouldn't have panicked and resisted. They only want quick money; they don't want the messiness of killing or kidnapping someone, unless they are convinced that you are super rich. But they told me that they let a few Taiwanese bosses go after getting a few tens of thousands from them.

3. There are many victims. During our conversations, one of the guys told me that sometimes they go through five guys a day, and they have been doing this for a few months. Thus, there are hundreds of victims out there. I think they probably would try to avoid Caucasians, but they told me they have victimized Malaysian, Singaporeans, Taiwanese, Japanese, and of course HK mongers. In fact, they also got two other guys, but these two were smart enough to not step across the threshold, but if they had, they would have gotten four people in one day.

4. They left victims with some money. They didn't take my laptop computer and left me 500 RMB. I think they intuitively know that if they took everything, the victims will have no choice but to go to the police. With the 500, I could easily go back to any of the major airports in the area.

Fellow CP mongers, I don't think this mean we shouldn't have fun in CP any more, but I certainly will never again go to a BBS in an unestablished area. I will only go to saunas and BBS behind Huimei and in Yalan. I also will not go into anywhere without seeing a few girls there. Also, for Joe and the other regulars, you should tell BBS owners that this is extremely bad for business, and people will be afraid to play through the BBS and will only go to saunas and KTVs. In general, I feel that law and order are degenerating in southern China, and I will avoid it for the next few months. I am still very shaken by this incident, and flash backs continue to haunt me. I hope no one will experience the horror that I experienced.

[JediSkull]

always important not to travel alone and best if u cheong wif our merry SBF bros who often go CP!

[Montbank]

Frankly speaking, the first time I was in CP, I was already forewarned that any BBS or FL sighting to be done has to be done with someone who knows the area. These people are known, and the advices are such that, DO NOT FOLLOW anyone to any flats. Establishments are ok, not to apartments. Unless of course, you know the one who is bringing you there is authtentic.

Moreover, if you are booking rooms from XGX, they have BBS tours in the afternoon which one can actually join. I think that's the best bet if you are new, or just stick to places you or your friends know.

[adidas88]

i think i posted similiar incident in CP thread couple of mths back cos one of the bro encounter such unfortunate incident ...

i think the thread is in my nov trip ....

[m0747]

i was in cp last week. The mode of operation of bbs in cp has changed. now the mommy will bring the girls to your room for selection. i think this would be a safer mode of operation. those bro interested for mommy numbers can pm me. have fun!

[Ronaldo]

CP is getting really commercialized with my bros from overseas splashing money there... Especially those who keep dividing by 4.5 (hehehe.. I used to too)

So they keep assuming that we are rich when actually locals are far well off than us... Anyway we just have keep a lookout.. But dont keep turning your head around lahz.. It makes you more conspicuous...

[bonk88]

Originally Posted by adidas88

i think i posted similiar incident in CP thread couple of mths back cos one of the bro encounter such unfortunate incident ...

i think the thread is in my nov trip ....

is early dec last yr......with me and other bros

[nex100]

i think better to buy travel insurance in case of such unfortunate incidents. remember it can happen to anyone. we outside of our territory into china must be caution and please bear in mind, do not follow anyone to any place no matter what they say.

[lacoruna69]

Originally Posted by petrolheadsg

This is a post that was found on the "other" website and I hope readers will read it for what it is and nothing else. If you want to flame, I suggest you expend your energies elsewhere. Party on safe bros!

For a while, I thought YOU are the victim....haha. Thanks for the post.
I guess being born n bred in Sillypore, we tend to take things for granted. As such, we threw caution in the wind when in other countries.
Always good to exercise control and dun let small head rule over big head when in unfamiliar grounds. Best is cheong with good Bros found in SBF!!

[tiongkoklan]

I would like to share this as another Public Service Announcement:

[img=http://www.pixslam.com/show/1933/d571abb6e1ab23ede2a84ea5f0200083/3/thumb3.jpg]

[specialguest]

haha..very interesting story from CE reporter ...

[snooker]

Originally Posted by tiongkoklan

I would like to share this as another Public Service Announcement:

[img=http://www.pixslam.com/show/1933/d571abb6e1ab23ede2a84ea5f0200083/3/thumb3.jpg]

Very well written, bravo!

[havana]

Haha This is damn farking funny. No prize for guessing who is the "victim".
Bro. jchongking, do u have any idea?

[Davidoff9876]

Thank you TS bro for sharing. I guess we all should not take things for granted especially overseas. I myself am about to make an inaugural trip to china/hongkong next month.

I will be extra careful after reading this.

[havana]

Bro. Petrolheadsg, so sorry for hearing what u went thru.
Did u make a report to the gong an? We shouldnt let them get away with it!!!!