How to send money to the Gambia safely?

maninthestreet

neiljc wrote: »

completely unrelated but it reminds me of being at banjul airport and realising that unlike most other airports we had a perfect side on view of airplanes taking off.Usually you see the back of the plane.

we were waiting for our flight and saw a zambia airlines flight taxi down the runway and take off almost straight up in to the air!!

Yes, completely unrelated. All airliners take off like that.

firespire

SCAM! Your friend is being impersonated by someone who has hacked in to their email/internet profile or stolen their phone IT IS NOT THEM. Do not send any money to a third party in Africa.

If in need of help in Gambia tell them to go to the British consulate and this would be the only safe way to get pass money to them. When Western Union is mentioned it is almost always a scam. Don't you think it is odd it is via a third part "trusted friend" but even if you send the money in their name unfortunately the scammers can still get their hand on it my impersonating them at the other end.

maninthestreet

Indeed it is highly likely to be a scam. The following questions remain unanswered by the OP:

Who is this 'British friend'? - how long have you known him, how did you make his acqaintance? How many times have you met, face to face? When was the last time you met this person, face to face? Why is this person asking you to send him money, instead of his close family relatives? Why is this person asking you to send the money to his 'trusted' Gambian 'friend', and not directly to him? How did you get to hear about his current predicament - phone, letter, email or.....?

cjmarcantonio

hardpressed wrote: »

Just heard from a British friend who's fallen on hard times in Gambia. A bit of a complicated story but I'd like to send him a couple of hundred to help him out. I'm not quite sure what he's been up to but wants me to send the money to a Gambian friend who he trusts. OK so perhaps I'm being a mug in believing his story but feel sorry for him. He says I can send it by Western Union to this friend, is this the best way to do it? I look on WU site and it seems I can send it on line but I'm a bit worried about them having my card details, am I being paranoid? I don't want my card to be cloned.

No mate, you've got nothing to worry about. Sending your credit card details, money etc. over the world wide web to a source with the immaculate reputation that is Gambia, you're onto a winner!!! and i hope you feel that warm feeling inside knowing you've helped some poor unsuspecting soul get back on his feet.

The yanks have a word for this.... "sucker!!"

[Deleted User]

hardpressed remains eerily silent. Perhaps he/she's fallen for it and is extremely embarassed. Some people learn the hard way, I guess.

maninthestreet

travellingbum wrote: »

hardpressed remains eerily silent. Perhaps he/she's fallen for it and is extremely embarassed. Some people learn the hard way, I guess.

No, no, his friend has promised to pay him back next time they meet, he just doesn't know when that will be.

Charliehorse

Hello, I am brand new here. Unnecessary harshness in some replies got me thinking, you know, Gambia is a real poor place, and people will do pretty much anything to make a buck. Maybe scams are pretty common over there.... or maybe you just notice them more because they are so flagrantly typical. Here in Canada where comparitively speaking poverty isn't an issue, we have scammers, and they are wealthy to begin with. Mobile phone companies, sending out contests, and if you don't push the exact proper button to cancel, you pay 2$ a shot. And trust me they call a lot throughout the month, before you get your bill. Mmm, not too cool for a mom of three, who's money is tightly budgeted with only the well being of her kids in mind... I think that takes a lot of nerve. It happened to a friend. They went to school to learn how to make money, 'legally'. They're real proud with their tie and suit and all. Mmm.
Gambia, scammers, yeah maybe, but what about those who are poor over there, and don't scam? Because they have some sort of integrity thing going on. I wonder how it makes them feel when they hear us speaking of their nation as if they were all a bunch of no gooders. To be treated like that atop of being poor and deciding you are gonna live it through the honest way, mmm must be less than pleasant. Maybe it takes something special to be able to be so easily insulted and just look the other way. Just a thought.