My name is Alex. I moved to the Philippines with my family back in October 2008 to escape the UK recession and take advantage of the low living costs here. However, we moved out to a place near Angono, Rizal which was rather a lonely place. There are very few Europeans here, and English ability is limited. It was basically very lonely, so I started looking around to see if I could get some mates. I contacted the British Embassy and they sent me contacts for some rather odd clubs such as the Manila Sailing society etc., which sounded rather highbrow for me. So I searched around some Expat forums on the internet to see if there were British social groups around, and ultimately stumbled upon Ryan on this expat forum. We arranged to meet up November time in Manila and had a good time drinking round Makati. Ryan had been here two years, was married (like me), had a pregnant wife (like me), due at roughly the same time as my wife. Bit of a loudmouth and habit to say crass things, but otherwise, I could talk in English English, have a few beers, and get away from the province for a while.

However, his wife had only sent him out with P500, so being a nice chap I lent him some cash as we were drinking in lots of new bars. Not much. 

We would text from time to time, arrange things and eventually Charlie turned up as well (from the same forum as above). 

However, shortly afterwords, Ryan's wife Tina, who kept hold of his bank cards and passport, managed to leave her bag in a taxi after a doctor visit, they were not returned, assume stolen. So Ryan was left without access to cash, and Philippines is largely a cash economy. He asked to borrow some to tie him over until he could get his (British) bank cards replaced. So lent him some cash. 

I invited him for my wife's Birthday party in late November, he came with his wife and young daughter, Charlie. We had another good do, drinking and eating and roasting stuff in my mud oven (another result of boredom in the provinces). 

On the same day, his sister in law had a wobble. She was the leaseholder of their flat in Manila, and for some reason, decided to throw them out. He said his bags were packed at the desk of the block of flats when he returned home from my place. He needed a place immediately and went to a condotel (basically runs like a hotel, but with apartments) in Bel Air, Makati. Its short term lets rather than monthly contracts. However, the condotel works out at P55,000 (£800) a month rather than the P25,000 (£360) his previous place was. He still hadn't got his bank cards sorted out. 

He was desperate again for cash. So I lent him some more. I suggested he phone his banks in the UK and get them to transfer some money to my UK account, so at least I could then give him his money, rather than mine. However, he said the banks wouldn't let him do this.

He had assured me previously he had money. He had survived in the Philippines without working for two years, and his income was from savings and a flat he owns (his parents bought for him) in the Midlands.

So I thought I was safe.

Shortly afterwords, he was still without money, and decided to move to his wife's families place in Pangasinan, north Luzon. From there, he was still unable to access his money, and finally decided to use his open return ticket to the UK to sort things out there. He was returning on 26th December, a bank holiday and not a good time to arrive without money. So he asked me again to lend him some money, so at least he could get through his first day or two in London. He asked me to Western Union it to him, which I did involving producing passports and a fee of an additional P660. He got the cash and left for the UK. I asked him to get some stuff from Britain for me (coffee, cheese, food things, as I wasn't getting on with the food very well in the Philippines), and to put some of the cash he owed me directly into my bank account. 

Contact then became very infrequent. The number I had for him didn't work (an Overseas Filipino Worker number). Evenutally I got more concerned. The total debt by this time was P 34,660 (£500). I asked him, via email to put some £350 in my bank account, sending account details, as all the thing I had asked for were not going to come to more than £150. 

He replied, including "dude i am on email nearly all the time just been out this week with meetings. will sort out money for your account." This was on 13th February 2009.

I emailed again, on 26th Feb, 10th March, 12th March, 14th March, and finally on 17th March. 

I have heard nothing since 13th February. No replies to any of the messages above, most of which just asking for friendly updates. In one I offered installments. No reply.I new he used facebook, so joined and tried to contact him, and his wife, there. No reply.

I set up this website to persuade him to pay up, and sent him the address. He was the first to be sent the URL. On 17th March, the server logs showed access from IP addresss 86.150.46.125 which resolves to BT in the UK. The referring page was from http://us.mc240.mail.yahoo.com/mc/showMessage?fid=Inbox&sort=date&order=down&startMid=0&.... which basically means he was looking at his Yahoo inbox when he clicked the link. 

So Ryan has received all my mails. He has simply refused to communicate since I asked for my money to be paid back. He hasn't even offered £50 a month. The money was lent to a "mate" (albeit, a new one) to help him out of a difficult spot.

I didn't want to go this far, but what can you do when a "friend" refuses to communicate about money lent as a favour? Doesn't say he's having financial difficulties? And you can only track him over the internet. I accept I might never see my money back, but this might also help others avoid the same trick with Ryan Hollis.

As far as I am concerned, the bloke is being a total cunt. He can have this website as soon as pays me back, or I'll just take it down as soon as. But shortly I will optimise it for his name, which means it will be #1 in Google for "Ryan Hollis". 

If you are a freind of Ryan Hollis, you could forward his contact details to me, or you could get in touch with him and tell him that he has a duty to pay me back, or at least tell me what's up. 

I am on alex@ryanhollis.co.uk . Or you can call me on +63 921 576 7436

Or can send me anonymous information about Ryan Hollis here