I got scammed.

Yes, I got scammed.

I thought I will never get scammed. Because I have been "swimming around" with these kinda "Job scams" for quite a few times. Really kia dio ho, mai gey kiang!

The difference is that, I never pay for anything in the previous encounters.

"Upgraded" Scam

Anyways, this is an "upgraded scam", hidden in more layers.

In the previous scams, it's just 1-2 layers. You get contacted, setup an account on a website and then you do 10-20 "jobs" and for the first time, you're able to complete the 10-20 tasks and you get paid. For the next 10-20 tasks, you can't complete it at all due to "Wah! MegaTask!" or "Congrats! Bonus Task!"

They will then ask you to top up to continue.

In this "upgraded scam". They will add you to a group and you can complete tasks daily and can even skip those task whereby you have to pay. The sequence is usually like this:

6 tasks as a set, Complete 1 set to get paid. 

Out of the 6 tasks, there will be 1 paid task. It usually start small, asking for $1-3 only. You can also skip if you don't want to pay. After you completed 6 tasks (even if you skipped any tasks, you get paid).

So the thing is simple, IF you can really fight the temptation to paid to "earn" more money, you can end up walking away without being scammed.

Emotional Temptations

But the thing is that, they will add you to a group with many "others"(I believe more than half of them are scammers too!). These "others" appears to be "unknowing users" who are skeptical and will ask questions that you would have too. Then the moderators will give assuring answers.

The amount are usually very small, ranging from $1-10 initially. Until the 2nd day, you started getting "bigger tasks" than required more money, like a minimum of 60-80. You can of course also top up more and get more money back. (But we all know now, that it's get scammed of more money!)

These tasks usually appears after you have earned about 2/3 the amount. Like for me, I have earned about $30+ when I started encountering these "bigger tasks".

I ignored it at first, but I started seeing "users" who were initially skeptical, starting paying and then getting paid (with Paynow transfer as payment proves)

These "bigger tasks" will come every round. So even if I skipped the "bigger task" for my current set, I will be faced with another one for the next set. And the receptionist (who is in charge of paying me) will seems to be very understanding, using words like "never mind, you observe first. Don't invest if you're uncomfortable!"

You know, the feeling of a "friend".

Eventually, everyone else are joining in and some of them even "bought" the higher amount packages like $288,$588 and one even paid 1K!!

I must admit, I was tempted and the receptionist assuring me that I can earn back the amount via the "normal" tasks makes it even more tempting! 

I finally gave in to my temptation and paid the lowest amount, $65 via Paynow. I was promises that I would get $80 back! 

Same Old Bottomline Scheme

After making the payment, I was added to my "Master" (Pui! You stupid scammer!) and his group!

There I was asked to create an account on a website ... blah blah.

Honestly, it was here that I know that my money will probably gone down the drain!

But I went on. Probably because I was in some kind of denial.

I went ahead and completed 20 tasks on the website, thinking that I will at least be paid once but nope, I was told the merchant task is set of 2 and that I need to pay to continue.

I can't get paid unless I completed 2 sets and there is no refund! I also cannot continue with my "normal" tasks contradicting to what the receptionist have told me.

I went into the group to ask about it and was surprised that everyone think it's normal for them to be telling you that there is a 2nd payment after the first! Some even told me to continue and get "paid double"!

My receptionist stopped being as nice as previously. She started repeating what others have said and urging me to make payment in order to not " waste your first payment!" She even hinted that they won't gain much from scamming $65!

But I know, that if I make the 2nd payment, they will ask for a 3rd and eventually I will just feel more and more 不甘心 because I will be losing more money!

I stopped.

Well, I hope my experience will help anyone out there to be careful about these type of scams. They're ever evolving, with more layers to disguise their schemes. You can try to earn some quick bucks from them if you want but then always remember to exit once they ask for money, especially if you're easily tempted like me!

BSP-D3 Telescopic Bluetooth Controller

 

My iPega 9167 controller broke down recently. They right side (A,B,X,Y) totally didn't work. I tear it down and tried to see if the ribbon cable connecting both sides have loosen. But it seems to be tightly in place. And after teardown the controller, it looks like shit because the screws are hidden under very sticky and thick stickers. 

Anyways, unless I want to get a new ribbon cable to try if it works, the controller is unusable. And it'll be ugly even if I managed to fix it. 

I decided that it will be easier to just get another controller. A cheap one that is not too shabby. I searched around and found the BSP-B3 controller to be the cheapest I can find.

It's almost half the price of the iPega 9167, @SG$17. (The iPega would have cost $34-36 on the same website). 

The D3 came in a simple box with a manual and a Type-C charging cable. 

The body is made of plastic and feels light and a little cheap. Honestly, when I first picked it up, it feels like a toy.

At the first glance, you should be able to notice that there is no Dpad. And that if the controller is not turned on, the buttons indicator aren't visible. 

I do like the indicator for the mode it's currently in (Android/IOS MFI/PC C-input/Switch ...etc), I think that is a good touch.(1,2,3 at the top)

However, the buttons are kinda clicky and a little small. They aren't as good to press when compared to the iPega 9167. They tend to give less "feedback" (the springy feel of the buttons after you release the buttons) and are sometimes noisier. (Especially the "Start" and "Select" buttons)

The shoulders button are soft and I don't really like the almost non-existing feedback. 

The controller comes with Bluetooth 5.0 and 500mAh battery, which can easily last more than 8 hours of gaming. 

It can stretched to a maximum of 173mm, which should fit most smartphones. However, if you have a thick case, you might have some problem trying to fit it in. My Samsung A14 with a slightly thick case, could barely fit in. 

The 'cut out' to accommodate the protruding cameras at the back of the phone is a very nice touch. 

I have gamed for awhile on the controller and I can say that it's pretty decent. There is not much latency and I could play fighting games like Teken without much problem. The only thing is that, I feel certain games works better with a Dpad. Or maybe I am just so used to using a Dpad that I just can't get used to this layout of direction buttons.

I ended up using the thumb sticks more that the direction buttons. The thumb sticks are OK-ish, definitely less deadzone than the iPega 9167, even after expanded it's the thumb stick plate.

Overall, I feel the D3 is a decent budget telescopic controller. If you have slightly more budget or wants a Dpad, I suggest looking at the D6 or D7.