Black Gold

Today I signed my contract and will start in Jakarta at the end of April.

I also received an email from our Vietnam Finance department to inform me that my future salary will not be paid in USD. It will be paid in Vietnam Dong, which cannot be easily converted into hard currency unless you go to a gold shop (any gold shop) and accept a shit rate. Even the bank will send you to a gold shop.

I received an email, which I think was mocked-up to look like a forwarded email. It has no previous date/time trail on it; just this text:

Dear Anthony

Until today I have not received feedback from you. However, accounting has advised me your VND account. Thus please be advised that from this month we will transfer your salary to the following account:

A/c Number: 021-244216-031

Beneficiary Bank: HSBC, Hanoi Branch

Other details: 83B, L y Thuong Kiet, Hoan Kiem, Ha Noi

Thank you.

Best Regards,

Trang

__________________

Dear Anthony,

From Mar 10, all payments for employees from Vietnam will be paid in VND. Therefore, could you please kindly advise me your VND account for salary transfer?

Below is required information:

- Account Name:

- Account Number:

- Bank Name:

- Branch name (ie. This bank is a Head Office or Branch. If it is a branch, please advise the name of this branch)

- Detailed Bank Address:

Thank you.

Best Regards,

Trang

This original email was never sent. It is not in my mail or archive. I think she forgot to send them in time, panicked and knocked up some history. And not very well. My forgeries are impeccable and it's sad to see how far someone has to go.

My reply was thus:

Dear Trang

1. I did not receive this email from you. I have also checked my email archive and there is no record of it.

2. You do not have permission to change my bank accounts for payment. Asking a friend in Finance for the number is not my definition of "permission"

3. My agreement was to be paid USD. I have it in my contract. I already have a problem with considerable travel expenses which you have forced me to have reimbursed into VND even though nearly all expenses are incurred outside Vietnam.

4. I am leaving Vietnam at end April ... so please consider making this an exception until then?

5. I repeat - I did not receive your original email. Please give me the exact date and time it was sent and I will ask someone to investigate.

Cheers

Anthony

This has got success written all over it. Well at least, someone will have it written all over them.