Over £7,700 has been raised for the Vietnamese man whose heartbreaking, iPhone 6 scam video went viral.
Pham Van Thoai lost hundreds of pounds in an electronics store in Singapore, but recouped much more when over 1,300 people donated to right the situation.
Pham, 28, recently traveled to Singapore for a vacation with his girlfriend, and wanted to buy her an iPhone 6. The retail price for a 16GB iPhone 6 is S$988, or about £482. Pham purchased the phone for £460 from Mobile Air, but was told he needed to buy a £730 warranty before he could leave the store.
Unable to pay, he pleaded with the Sim Lim Square electronics store employees to give him his money back, but they refused. Video of the encounter shows the tourist crying and begging for a refund on his hands and knees. Pham reportedly makes only £82 per month as a factory worker.
The police were called to the store, and were able to get the distraught shopper just £194 back.
The distressing video has received nearly 300,000 views on YouTube, with many viewers expressing anger, sadness, and disbelief over the unfortunate situation. A Singaporean man, Gabriel Kang, decided to raise money on crowdfunding site Indiegogo to purchase an iPhone 6 for Pham.
"We are *NOT* a nation of thieves and cheats," Kang wrote. "This kind of scam should NOT be allowed to continue here, much less prosper like it has."
According to The Mirror, 18 people have filed complaints against Mobile Air this year, and Kang reported that Sim Lim Square is "notorious for scams like these." The initial Indiegogo goal was £852.
"I feel that Mr Pham was dealt a great injustice by the legal system and while we cannot undo those traumatic and humiliating scenes he has had to endure, we can try to make things right," Kang said. "Let's give the man an iphone 6!"
The success of the crowdfunding campaign has allowed Pham to receive more than just a new phone.
"With the extra money I would like to give Mr. Pham and his girlfriend an all expenses paid holiday back to Singapore to enjoy the dream holiday that was stolen from them," Kang announced. "There is also another incident at Sim Lim Square where an international student was scammed, I would also be diverting resources to help her."
The Mobile Air owner is reportedly in hiding following the international outcry.
