With the rising trend of overseas travel, flying abroad has become a daily option for most people, but lurking online traps continue to emerge. Recently, actress “Hold住” Hsieh Yi-lin shared her personal experience of almost being denied entry to Malaysia after mistakenly trusting a visa website.
She revealed that before heading to Malaysia to visit her husband, she followed his reminder to search online for the required “MDAC” information and filled out the application form. The process seemed normal—she not only completed the form but also paid $39 USD (about 155 Malaysian ringgit), and even received a confirmation email, which made her believe all the procedures were in order.
However, upon arrival at Malaysian immigration, she was told that her application was invalid. It was only then that Hsieh realized she had entered a fake website and that all her previous form-filling and payment were in vain. She had to urgently redo the application at the airport. Fortunately, she was eventually able to enter the country, but she could hardly hide her frustration at having been scammed.
Looking back on the whole episode, Hsieh later learned that similar scam websites usually charge between $20 and $35 USD (about 79 to 139 Malaysian ringgit), while the amount she paid was even higher than the common range, prompting her to joke, “Even when I get scammed, I pick the most expensive one,” choosing to see the experience with a wry smile.
In the end, she especially reminded everyone that the real MDAC application is actually free of charge, urging people to always verify that websites are legitimate before proceeding, to avoid making the same mistake. She also sincerely hoped that scammers would channel their efforts into more legitimate pursuits.
Source: United Daily News