Terry's Cambodian visa scam nightmare

Help Me Escape a Nightmare in Cambodia

I'm alone in Cambodia, still grieving the loss of my wonderful wife, trying to rebuild my life. But just when I thought things couldn't get worse, they did.

On July 6, 2024, I handed my passport and $300 to a visa service in Kampot, as I had done many times before. They assured me I’d get a call when my new visa was ready. Days turned into weeks, then months.

Each time I asked, they told me not to worry. Every time I messaged the woman who ran the company (which I have used for years, and used to be the most certified agents in Kampot City) kept feeding me lies that it was being processed, or I would get my passport back within the week.

Seven months later, I finally got my passport back—without a visa. Instead, I was told I had 250 days of overstay fines, totaling $3,000 ($10 per day).

The visa agent finally admitted that she had scammed me, was not intending to process my visa and has now fled the country (as I was not the only person that she had been taking for a ride), and is now living her best life in Australia. Instead she offered to pay me $50 a month – an absolute joke, not a solution.

I went to the police, hoping for help.

Instead I was met with bureaucratic BS, police fishing for bribes and protecting a family member. Did the police help?..if anything they made things worse. Now, my overstay fine is increasing by $10 every single day. If I don’t pay, I could be detained or deported.

I don’t want to be banged up abroad. I need to stay safe, keep mine and Jane's dog Poppy with me, our lovely little Rottweiler, and move forward. My passion is art, and I just want the chance to live and work without this overwhelming stress.

This is why I am reaching out. Please, if you can, help me raise 3000 POUNDS to pay my overstay fine and secure a legal visa. Any donation, big or small, will get me one step closer to freedom.

If you cannot afford to donate, you can help me for free by sharing this link with your friends and family, and liking the post where you found my plea, would also help me and Poppy carry on with our lives.

Thank you for your kindness and support.

Terry Mackay