Mark Riley, Bacolod City, The Philippines

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Message To Mark: Avoid The Philippines




Note: new Inside Radio column now posted, see below


In one of the stranger recent stories involving an Air America personality, a man in the Philippines is apparently impersonating host Mark Riley, with the victim of "Riley's" alleged fraud scheme going to local police.

From the Bacolod Sun- Star:

MARK Riley is known worldwide as a famous American journalist and host of two-hour morning news program, "The Mark Riley Show", on the liberal talk-radio network Air America Radio (AAR).

But this name is also the subject of a blotter report at Police Precinct 2 in Bacolod City Thursday.

This came after the Migration Global Assistance (MGA) at Suite 2 Perpetual Help Building, 11th Lacson Street, Bacolod City filed complaints of grave threat and harassment against a certain Mark Riley.

It could not be immediately determined if the Mark Riley that is harassing the MGA is also the same famous journalist but Joseph Tongoy, MGA's Immigration Manager, filed the complaint anyway.

Tongoy alleged that a man who introduced himself as Mark Riley called up their Bacolod office last August 25 and offered a proposal for a joint venture and representation for New Zealand (NZ) migration.

He said Riley made several attempts to send his proposal through facsimille but failed due to technical errors. Later, he sent it by e-mail.

Tongoy added that Riley claimed to be a migration consultant specializing in New Zealand (NZ) and Australian Migration and that Riley spends almost 50 percent of his time either in Bacolod or Makati cities.

Riley reportedly claimed that he learned of MGA's existence while on a recent trip to Bacolod. He then allegedly searched for and found MGA's website and later visited its office in Makati.

Riley reportedly hinted that he would rather work with MGA rather than open a competing company.

Tongoy said he turned down the offer as MGA has its own immigration consultants. It was allegedly then that Riley said he has "no choice now but to destroy your business on TV tomorrow (September 7)."

Alarmed, Tongoy filed his complaints before Police Station 2.

"I don't want this guy to simply threaten us or ruin our business. We are into legal business and we a name and integrity to take care," Tongoy said.

But isn't "Mark Riley" a common name? Did this person mention Air America on the phone when making his threat? That isn't in the story.

While it's annoying to have someone steal your name in this way, it's probably safe to say that this particular Riley should cancel any upcoming trips to the Philippines.

Message to the perp: next time, use the name "Al Franken", it has a better ring to it, don't you think?

By the way, if you've never heard of Mark Riley, here he is on a recent CNN / Lou Dobbs segment:





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Unwanted: David A Lunde

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