1.
SCAM FILE:
Asia Expat Guides Fake Testimonials
Version 1.0 | Louise McGregor | changememe.com | @changememe | © creative commons

2.
SCAM FILE: Asia Expat Guides Fake Testimonials
I blogged about the fake testimonials on the Asia Expat Guides website last week.
Here’s their reaction – a tweet they’ve since deleted.
Except I wasn’t pointing out likenesses, I was providing evidence of photos stolen from
legitimate bio pages of universities, schools, conferences and companies.
Since then I’ve played a cat and mouse game, posting evidence of their fake profiles on
twitter and adding the person affected if possible. It’s been somewhat effective, they’ve
removed some – but added some new ones.
What follows is evidence of just how much Asia Expat Guides lies. Enjoy!
Version 1.0 | Louise McGregor | changememe.com | @changememe | © creative commons

3.
http://www.unmc.edu/biochemistry/graduate_students.htm
Removed 8 August 2013
Vikesh Naidu, an IT Analyst in China who
struggled to buy groceries (supermarket?)
Or a Ph.D candidate in Biochemistry
called Bhopal at the University of
Nebraska Medical Center?
SCAM FILE: Asia Expat Guides Fake Testimonials
Version 1.0 | Louise McGregor | changememe.com | @changememe | © creative commons

4.
Removed 10 August 2013
Jeff Goldman, Operations Manager in
Vietnam looks a lot like….
John Franklin of John Franklin Ministries
http://www.johnfranklinministries.org/
SCAM FILE: Asia Expat Guides Fake Testimonials
Version 1.0 | Louise McGregor | changememe.com | @changememe | © creative commons

5.
Removed 10 August 2013 Reappeared 13 August 2013
http://www.onlinehsa.com/RosannePaul.aspx
Who is this mystery woman, last week she was Jessica
Langseth, this week she’s Jenet William…
But she’s really Roseanne Paul,
a territory manager for
HSA, and still based in the US
SCAM FILE: Asia Expat Guides Fake Testimonials
Version 1.0 | Louise McGregor | changememe.com | @changememe | © creative commons

6.
http://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org/2013/06/14/sticky-cells-blood-
vessels-and-cancer-the-paradox-of-claudin-14/
Jenet William, lab technician, who
moved to China…
But wait, she’s really Dr. Marianne Baker, who is
a researcher cancer research in the UK. Wonder
how she feels about AEG demoting her to lab
technician.
SCAM FILE: Asia Expat Guides Fake Testimonials
Version 1.0 | Louise McGregor | changememe.com | @changememe | © creative commons

7.
Jon Albarto, Marketing Manager in
Thailand…
… or Stephen A. Odom, one of the
Ontogeny partners
http://www.theontogenypartners.com/who-we-are/meet-us/
SCAM FILE: Asia Expat Guides Fake Testimonials
Version 1.0 | Louise McGregor | changememe.com | @changememe | © creative commons

8.
Philipp Blank… (who looks nothing like
the real Philipp Blank…)
Probably because he’s really Denys Anctil.
http://www.normand.ca/Machinerie/e-contacts.html
SCAM FILE: Asia Expat Guides Fake Testimonials
Version 1.0 | Louise McGregor | changememe.com | @changememe | © creative commons

9.
Is Kris Allen and accountant in Malaysia
(who oddly doesn’t capitalise ‘I’)?
Or a PR guy called Oliver Chesher, based
in Manchester?
Removed 13 August 2013 http://www.prweek.com/uk/news/1067542/Admiral-PR-opens-office-
Manchester-appoints-head-office-Oliver-Chesher/?DCMP=ILC-SEARCH
SCAM FILE: Asia Expat Guides Fake Testimonials
Version 1.0 | Louise McGregor | changememe.com | @changememe | © creative commons

10.
On Sunday he was Aron
Smith
By Tuesday he was Stevie
Wright
Tuesday evening he’s back
to Aron Smith
SCAM FILE: Asia Expat Guides Fake Testimonials
Version 1.0 | Louise McGregor | changememe.com | @changememe | © creative commons

11.
Janet Wilson, a Lab Tech in
Malaysia.
Who swims at the University of Vermont under the
name Tori Wood.
SCAM FILE: Asia Expat Guides Fake Testimonials
Version 1.0 | Louise McGregor | changememe.com | @changememe | © creative commons

12.
Asia Expat Guides couldn’t decide whether to call him
Donald or Brent. I think he looks more like a Donald.
But he’s known as Peter to his
friends, to everyone in fact,
including his colleagues in the UK
http://www.debtmanagementtoday.co.uk/peter_welch
SCAM FILE: Asia Expat Guides Fake Testimonials
Version 1.0 | Louise McGregor | changememe.com | @changememe | © creative commons

13.
Hiromi loves her job as a
translator in China.
It leaves her plenty of time to moonlight
as a hairstyle model…
http://hairstylesweekly.com/japanese-
hairstyles-gallery/short-japanese-for-spring/
SCAM FILE: Asia Expat Guides Fake Testimonials
Version 1.0 | Louise McGregor | changememe.com | @changememe | © creative commons

14.
Removed 10 August 2013
It’s great that Ibrahim has
mastered Chinese, many expats
don’t…
But I’m surprised he needs it in his day job as
Samir Ahmed…
http://bluechipmag.com/qa-with-samir-ahmed/
SCAM FILE: Asia Expat Guides Fake Testimonials
Version 1.0 | Louise McGregor | changememe.com | @changememe | © creative commons

15.
Hassan Azar, an accountant (another one
who can’t capitalise correctly, how odd)
Turns out to be Antonios Lalechos, sounds
Greek to me.
http://www.xfel.eu/organization/staff/lalechos_
antonios_vassilios/
SCAM FILE: Asia Expat Guides Fake Testimonials
Version 1.0 | Louise McGregor | changememe.com | @changememe | © creative commons

16.
Brent Keith, so happy in
Singapore…
Or Grant Hallstrom managing partner of a law
firm in California?
http://www.emotionalblackholes.com/
SCAM FILE: Asia Expat Guides Fake Testimonials
Version 1.0 | Louise McGregor | changememe.com | @changememe | © creative commons

17.
Nice to see Nasser hasn’t gone into
hipster fashion like most graphic
designers….
Possibly because his real name is Ahmed
Alajaji and he’s a student
http://apyls.hci.edu.sg/2012/participants.php
SCAM FILE: Asia Expat Guides Fake Testimonials
Version 1.0 | Louise McGregor | changememe.com | @changememe | © creative commons

18.
Rick or Ricky? Evans or Braddy?
Another testimonial which had a name change today
Or maybe Ben, a philosophy
alumnus, in the US.
http://www.philosophy.northwestern.edu/alumni/#ben
SCAM FILE: Asia Expat Guides Fake Testimonials
Version 1.0 | Louise McGregor | changememe.com | @changememe | © creative commons

19.
Robert Smith, a Head Engineer in
Malaysia, he’s happy with AEG’s services
Which is odd for a Training Co-ordinator
in France
http://www.pgmodel.com/qui-sommes-nous/joignez-vous-a-notre-equipe/
SCAM FILE: Asia Expat Guides Fake Testimonials
Version 1.0 | Louise McGregor | changememe.com | @changememe | © creative commons

20.
Betty loves the social
gatherings, and meeting interesting
people…
They got the meeting people part right –
but her name is Laurie and she’s in
Massachusetts
http://salonvicaro.com/laurie-thomas/
SCAM FILE: Asia Expat Guides Fake Testimonials
Version 1.0 | Louise McGregor | changememe.com | @changememe | © creative commons

21.
Daniel Walsh got Perfect Service
when he moved…
But his real name is Jeremiah Erikson
https://vimeo.com/jeremiaherikson
SCAM FILE: Asia Expat Guides Fake Testimonials
Version 1.0 | Louise McGregor | changememe.com | @changememe | © creative commons

22.
Stuart Standish, a Marketing guy in
Thailand
Turns out to be John Morgan of Akrtos
http://www.amerika.org/books/interview-with-john-morgan-of-arktos/
SCAM FILE: Asia Expat Guides Fake Testimonials
Version 1.0 | Louise McGregor | changememe.com | @changememe | © creative commons

23.
Aina Ekstrom, got to meet local
friends in Vietnam.
But her real name is Annika, and she’s
from Sweden. She works on a site for
expats in Italy (I know, the irony)
http://www.expatsinitaly.com/node/134
SCAM FILE: Asia Expat Guides Fake Testimonials
Version 1.0 | Louise McGregor | changememe.com | @changememe | © creative commons

24.
Odd way to spell Johnathon, but
happy he could learn Thai.
But his real name is Michael Lawrence Young,
and he writes a fascinating blog “Dando Papaya”
http://www.dandopapaya.com/?page_id=7
SCAM FILE: Asia Expat Guides Fake Testimonials
Version 1.0 | Louise McGregor | changememe.com | @changememe | © creative commons

25.
A Chinese man who moved to Kuala
Lumpur to work as a vet (seems an
unlikely scenario, but OK)
Turns out to be a dentist providing
services for expats in Thailand. This is
kinda dumb, if AEG were a real agency
this man should be on their supply list not
their fake testimonial list!
http://pattaya-times.com/a8002-dental-loft-clinic-for-foreign-expatriates
SCAM FILE: Asia Expat Guides Fake Testimonials
Version 1.0 | Louise McGregor | changememe.com | @changememe | © creative commons

26.
Helena Elg apparently owns a
Pastry shop in Thailand. (Really?)
No, not really, she’s Maggie Myklebust, author
of Fly Away Home, a book about being pulled
between two countries
http://flyawayhomebook.com/about/
SCAM FILE: Asia Expat Guides Fake Testimonials
Version 1.0 | Louise McGregor | changememe.com | @changememe | © creative commons

27.
Dave Wells a finance
director who got a map of
Shanghai…
Or Atour Samsonov, Vice President at Citi, I know
banks are unpopular but that’s no reason to steal
his photo.
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/artour-samsonov/27/502/641
SCAM FILE: Asia Expat Guides Fake Testimonials
Version 1.0 | Louise McGregor | changememe.com | @changememe | © creative commons

28.
Michael Webber, bought a
car in Singapore with AEG’s
help.
Wonder how Matthias Buttner will get it to Brazil.
http://talk2brazil.blogspot.nl/2013/04/matthias-buttner-ambassador-of.html
SCAM FILE: Asia Expat Guides Fake Testimonials
Version 1.0 | Louise McGregor | changememe.com | @changememe | © creative commons

29.
Kerrington Roberta – very
unusual name – works as an
English teacher
Or James Counsell, President (or former President)
of the Cambridge Union Society.
http://internationalstudentsenate.blogspot.nl/2011/03/james-counsell.html
SCAM FILE: Asia Expat Guides Fake Testimonials
Version 1.0 | Louise McGregor | changememe.com | @changememe | © creative commons

30.
http://bizblogs.nus.edu/the-nus-
mba/2012/09/25/the-nus-mba%EC%97%90-
%EB%B6%80%EB%8A%94-
%ED%95%9C%EB%A5%98%EB%B0%94%EB%9
E%8C/
Richard Wong, who is throwing out
A+ for a service …
That Jason Lee Won Jun probably didn’t use
SCAM FILE: Asia Expat Guides Fake Testimonials
Version 1.0 | Louise McGregor | changememe.com | @changememe | © creative commons

31.
http://expatexplorer.blogspot.nl/2010/10/expert-excellence-featuring-
george-eves.html
Peteria Laugrh, learnt Malay
for his job in Malaysia
But his real name is George Eves, and he works for
an Expat organisation. His profile was removed from
AEG following their tweet.
Removed 13 August 2013
SCAM FILE: Asia Expat Guides Fake Testimonials
Version 1.0 | Louise McGregor | changememe.com | @changememe | © creative commons

32.
Removed 10 August 2013
Although same text was reused for
“Michael Ownings”
“Eugene” has a lot of spare time now that
the cleaning of his apartment is sorted
out in Vietnam,
so much so that he’s apparently started
moonlighting as John Price, the Director
of the International School Monaco. Hell
of a Commute.
http://www.ismonaco.org/home/en/our/director%27s-welcome---
.aspx
SCAM FILE: Asia Expat Guides Fake Testimonials
Version 1.0 | Louise McGregor | changememe.com | @changememe | © creative commons

33.
http://www.smeadvisor.com/2013/05/hospital
ity-market-in-the-uae/mat-green/
Michael Ownings has a lot
of spare time now that the
cleaning of his apartment is
sorted out in Vietnam,
… this might sound familiar… so much so that he’s
apparently started moonlighting as Matthew
Green, Head of Research
http://www.smeadvisor.com/2013/05/hospitality-market-in-the-uae/mat-green/
SCAM FILE: Asia Expat Guides Fake Testimonials
Version 1.0 | Louise McGregor | changememe.com | @changememe | © creative commons

34.
Rebecca Swansea, an expat in
Vietnam?
Or Emily Grieves an Expat in Mexico?
http://www.womensradio.com/2012/04/emily-grieves-expat-artist-
embraces-mexico/
SCAM FILE: Asia Expat Guides Fake Testimonials
Version 1.0 | Louise McGregor | changememe.com | @changememe | © creative commons

35.
Marrisa E., an expat’s wife
who likes baking and
cooking. (AEG organises
classes for that)
Except she’s Tiffany Waddell, academic counselor
at the Wake Forest University. She prefer poetry
writing to baking.
http://diversity.provost.wfu.edu/gatekeepers/trainers/
SCAM FILE: Asia Expat Guides Fake Testimonials
Version 1.0 | Louise McGregor | changememe.com | @changememe | © creative commons

36.
Gary Patel is a Singapore
banker by day…
And an Assistant Professor called Jonathan Simon
by night?
http://newfaculty.uchicago.edu/page/jonathan-simon
SCAM FILE: Asia Expat Guides Fake Testimonials
Version 1.0 | Louise McGregor | changememe.com | @changememe | © creative commons

37.
Jessica is fluent in
Vietnamese after a year of
study…
Except she’s called Kaitlin Gault, and at the time
the photo was taken was working for the small
business development staff somewhere in
Colorado
http://beling.net/articles/about/Kaitlin_Hawayek#prettyPhoto[slide]/35/
SCAM FILE: Asia Expat Guides Fake Testimonials
Version 1.0 | Louise McGregor | changememe.com | @changememe | © creative commons

38.
New today! Rick Braddy, a software
engineer from India
He’s really Jonathan Cristaldo, an
economist from Mexico. I think AEG
changed his nationality and his religion.
RUDE!
Removed 13 August 2013
SCAM FILE: Asia Expat Guides Fake Testimonials
Version 1.0 | Louise McGregor | changememe.com | @changememe | © creative commons

39.
Quentin Boyer moved to
China as an internet
marketer….
Except he’s called Charles-Henri Thoquenne, he is
an expat. In Senegal.
http://www.expat-blog.com/newsletter/top/142_aout-2011.html
SCAM FILE: Asia Expat Guides Fake Testimonials
Version 1.0 | Louise McGregor | changememe.com | @changememe | © creative commons

40.
Amelia Fran, who has no
identity beyond her
husband.
Or Aileen Aniciete, an opera choir member.
http://groundcontrol-opera.com/aileen-aniciete/
SCAM FILE: Asia Expat Guides Fake Testimonials
Version 1.0 | Louise McGregor | changememe.com | @changememe | © creative commons

41.
AEG helped her but
couldn’t remember her
name?
I can help them with that, she’s Laura Phenix, but
unsurprisingly, she’s not in China.
http://www.ynpnsfba.org/powerfulher
SCAM FILE: Asia Expat Guides Fake Testimonials
Version 1.0 | Louise McGregor | changememe.com | @changememe | © creative commons

42.
Astrid Laut, who despite
being a journalist need help
to visit a local market.
Or Rachel Pollack, expert on Internet Governance?
http://www.academia.edu/People/Internet_Governance_ICT_policy_and_Regulat
esearch
SCAM FILE: Asia Expat Guides Fake Testimonials
Version 1.0 | Louise McGregor | changememe.com | @changememe | © creative commons

43.
SCAM FILE: Asia Expat Guides Fake Testimonials
That’s forty lies on the website.
There are more.
Why would anyone use this company?
Version 1.0 | Louise McGregor | changememe.com | @changememe | © creative commons