Whenever I hear the word "scam" I would automatically raise an eyebrow then frown because the memory of the Havaianas scam I was a victim of back in 2007 comes flooding back in my mind. It's as if a dam breaks down and all of a sudden I can't help thinking about the 11K, which was a substantial amount then and even now, that I lost to a scammer! So yeah, when I read about a scammer, honestly my blood just boils. I tried not to read about scams after the incident as it only amps my insomnia but it really helps to be informed about these things. I feel truly sorry for people who get their trust abused and I especially feel sorry for the souls of the scammers who will forever be damned, imho.

A few days ago, I was doing my usual catching up with current events with my favorite iPad app, Zite. A post from Inquirer got my attention. I was glued to where I was sitting (which was the toilet, I know, TMI) but I couldn't stop reading about the PHP500M Birkin Scam. If you don't know about yet, then I suggest you check it out.

Hot items are usually a big thing for these scammers. I really don't know what goes inside the head of a scammer but they must not be totally criminal minded because they leave digital footprints. I mean, if there's anything that I learned from watching a marathon of the first season of CBS' Person of Interest, it's that if you post something online, at this day and age, it makes it so much easier for people especially the authorities to find you. I admire those private people who have so much restraint in being involved with computers and the Internet. I, on the other hand, have a life like an open book. You can even read between the lines.

Anyways, this whole scam/scandal reminds me of the one just a few months ago that involved a certain Angela Maureen Estandarte Directo who scammed about PHP50M of Apple products. Now we all know how hot these items got recently! As posted by Technoodling.net (one of my favorite tech blogs), let's be wary of buying stolen goods as Apple products can actually be traced and who wants to own an item that will sooner or later be taken away from you? Okay, well, you get the idea.

Oh look! An Apple Fangirl! This scammer even has an Apple logo tattoo! Tsk tsk tsk!

So let's get back to the more recent issue, the Birkin Scam. I'm not really a big fan of gossip, even celebrity news don't really tickle my fancy. But somehow, I do want to look at the face of this scammer who deleted her Twitter account very recently. It seems that she has been identified already by a lot of concerned parties and there are even blogs about her and lots of interesting comments to boot! Now I can't show you her face here but if you are like me who knows how to dig deep in the internet, you might just be able to catch a glimpse of this flight stewardess turned social climber and eventually a scammer. ARGGGH. The thought just irks me so much. So allow me to post some photos of @sje429 that I found online; however, since she is not yet convicted of her alleged crimes, I blurred her face.

Twitter account @sje429 already deleted but there are screenshots you'll find in the interwebs.

If I were a scammer, I would NEVER allow photos of me to be posted in the web! Pfft.

Social climbing seems to turn a person into a scammer.

Okay, so I'm affected even though I really don't get how she was able to dupe all those people just for some bags, jewelry, and art. Forgive me but those are not items that you'll ever find in any of my wish lists. Show me a Birkin and it will look to me the way non-computer savvy people deem html codes akin to LOL or BRB, so it's just a bag. Heck, I don't even own a wallet now! But I digress. I was once scammed for flip-flops, so who am I to judge. Tee hee.

If it really turns out that @sje429 is the Birkin Scammer, then I hope they catch her and make her pay for all her transgressions. I mean, I lost 11K and it almost drove me crazy... just imagine the folks who lost 11M to her! Que horror! But hey, karma's a bitch.

You know, I've always thought scammers to be males. Like the Havaianas scammer who went by the name of QUINTIN REYNOSO and got more or less 100K from all of us (yup, there was a whole lot of us!). But I'm pretty sure that was a false name s/he used. I'm now convinced that scammer was a woman! And in the light of these events.. umm, Filipina scammers??? I bet there's a lot more others on the prowl out there. Particularly those who want to keep up with the Joneses and this one other particular story I have which seems to be heading in that direction.

Oh God why... But I sure hope I don't get to read another Filipina scammer story any time soon.