MoneyGram Sucks

[WakingUp]

I used MoneyGram to send $100 to a female friend in the Philippines back in May (Western Union wasn't working) without issue and again last week for another $100 without issue.

I needed to send $500 total to help her out with a plane ticket for a job opportunity so I tried to send the remaining $400 Friday morning and got a call from MoneyGram immediately after submitting the request. No problem there, many companies call to confirm details when making relatively large transactions.

I confirmed all my personal details, and the details of the woman I was sending money to, and a number of really personal questions as well ("How long have you known this woman?" "Have you met in person before?"). I found it to be very invasive and irrelevant esp. after confirming my personal details and making it clear that the transaction was legitimate.

Didn't matter! MoneyGram refused the transaction .

This morning I tried again with a smaller amount, $100 again. My entire account has been frozen now.

Apparently *many* people have had similar experiences, even sending money to relatives within the USA: https://journalxtra.com/comment/seethin ... -pain-ass/

No lectures about sending money to foreign chicks please. I don't expect to get anything out of this - I probably will never even meet her - but she has been a friend for a number of years which was really helpful to me when I was unemployed a few years ago.

[TruthSeeker]

Dude you are getting scammed. You should thank MG

[TruthSeeker]

MG and WU have reasons for asking those questions. That means that "she" is on a blacklist and is scamming others. She is quite likely a he behind the keyboard.

[droid]

How about Paypal? Can he/she/it/them open an account there?
https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/s ... hilippines

No lectures about sending money to foreign chicks please. I don't expect to get anything out of this - I probably will never even meet her - but she has been a friend for a number of years which was really helpful to me when I was unemployed a few years ago.

As you wish, but do tell us later how the job opportunity went

[WakingUp]

MG and WU have reasons for asking those questions. That means that "she" is on a blacklist and is scamming others. She is quite likely a he behind the keyboard.

We've kept in touch since 2013. She actually sent me a box of small gifts for my birthday. I never mailed her a gift or gave her a penny until last year. If she was a scammer, she would have been long gone I think.

How about Paypal? Can he/she/it/them open an account there?
https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/s ... hilippines
...
As you wish, but do tell us later how the job opportunity went

Haha, will do. I'll ask her to use PayPal if Western Union fails again.

[TruthSeeker]

Well it could be a real person. Have you seen her on cam? Still why are you responsible for financing her plane ticket for a job opportunity. Sounds fishy to me

[WakingUp]

Well it could be a real person. Have you seen her on cam? Still why are you responsible for financing her plane ticket for a job opportunity. Sounds fishy to me

Of course, many times.

Not responsible, just a gift. I make enough to the point where $500 is not a big deal to me.

[xiongmao]

Here's my tale of woe about trying to send money out of China.

tl;dr: wire transfers are the best option if the sender and recipient have bank accounts with IBAN/BIC/SWIFT routing codes.