Can we help this dude get a taxi? Do we do gofund me's here?

[Boris Sprinkler]

I don't even know if we do this kind of thing here. And I will remove if this is opening the floodgates to anything.
I got approached by this dude on Instagram, he said he had prayed to Allah to help him and had been directed to me. Now I can't argue with that kind of endorsement, and this is really not going to hurt to try. I took the time to listen to him, write with him, had some video chats with him and this request is legit.
Ebrahim lives in the Gambia, he is the oldest of his family and he is responsible for his mother and sisters. His father died not so long ago. He needs money to afford a taxi so that he can work as that and have an income from transporting rich tourists around. This is a very good business plan. He studied hard before his father died, and he has excellent english. He had a friend teach him how to drive a taxi. He needs about 3 and half grand to afford the car for his taxi business. Yes it is a mercedes, but we know that rich tourists are more likely to get into a safe mercedes than a banger.
I have set up a go-fund me.
Currently he works making bricks and other laboring tasks. But he doesn't earn much and sometimes the family go hungry.
I have set up a go fund me account to help with this.
If this is against the rules I apologise and will remove.

Help Ebrima become a taxi driver, organized by Mjk Sec

Deleting. Deleting. Deleting. Deleting. Deleting. Deleting. Deleting. Deleting. Deleting. … Mjk Sec needs your support for Help Ebrima become a taxi driver

gofund.me

 

[Buddy Bradley]

If it walks like a scam and quacks like a scam ... I'm sure you know the rest. If you google for "instagram gambia father died scam" you'll find plenty of similar stories.

 

[ElizabethofYork]

Are you serious, Boris Sprinkler ?

 

[Boris Sprinkler]

Well I feel very foolish for wanting to help a man better himself. If he is lying to me, it's between him and God. I chose not to see this as a scam this time rather than just brush it off as annoying. Get him to level with me, what he's actually after. Right he wants a mercedes to work as a taxi driver. I can see how that works in a country pretty much relying on rich western tourists to come. We spoke by video. He showed me his house. You knew I was a moron anyway.

 

[ElizabethofYork]

Nothing wrong with wanting to help someone - definitely not. Just be careful.

 

[friedaweed]

Oh dear.

 

[Boris Sprinkler]

yeah I'm waking up now. ffs.

 

[maomao]

I would have chucked a fiver in. It was a nice thought but unlikely to be doable on u75 alone (it was about three grand GBP right?)

 

[Boudicca]

I've spent some time in the Gambia and did lend a guy a couple of grand to buy a taxi as his sick brother had crashed his existing one. Instead of paying me back, he used the profit to buy a second taxi. Then he met and married a girl and moved to northern Ireland. Then I had to send him £50 as his wife had kicked him out and he had no money to eat. Next I heard he had send a £20k container back to the Gambia and used the profit to build a house. And then could I send him some money as he had none.

He's not a bad person, the Gambians just have a different view of money.

 

[kalidarkone]

He's not a bad person, the Gambians just have a different view of money.

Can you explain any more about what you mean?

 

[Boris Sprinkler]

I just did some basic research which I should have done before. But i've been travelling this week so my eye wasn't on the ball. Fuck it.
Sadly I've just read some reddit stuff where people have been duped by the same guy. I respect the hustle but I've pulled the plug on the gofundme.

 

[bimble]

I’ve given folk money quite a few times when travelling whilst knowing full well that the tragic story I’ve just been told might be true but is about 90% likely not, and I think that’s completely fine, but wouldn’t do it over the internet only in person meetings. Last time it was a taxi driver in Ghana whose 2yr old child may or may not have swallowed a coin the day before and needed medical expenses to pay the bill and collect her from the hospital. Absolutely no idea if that was true but he needed the £ more than I did either way.

 

[Spymaster]

I just did some basic research which I should have done before. But i've been travelling this week so my eye wasn't on the ball. Fuck it.
Sadly I've just read some reddit stuff where people have been duped by the same guy. I respect the hustle but I've pulled the plug on the gofundme.

You and I should get together, Boris.

I’ve got this business idea …

 

[StoneRoad]

Sorry Boris Sprinkler that's a scam.
As I am sure you have now realised.
A good one, with plenty of [fake] evidence / sophistication, but still a scam.

 

[Boris Sprinkler]

I am so fucking naive it's untrue. I would've said guillable but someone told me it's been removed from the dictionary.

Can't link to the reddit posts. But there are plenty.

 

[Magnus McGinty]

God has directed me to you and that involves you giving me money. It wouldn’t be anything else, would it?

 

[Boris Sprinkler]

God apparently works like that.

 

[A380]

So it was a Fake Taxi?

 

[Spymaster]

I’ve given folk money quite a few times when travelling whilst knowing full well that the tragic story I’ve just been told might be true but is about 90% likely not, and I think that’s completely fine, but wouldn’t do it over the internet only in person meetings. Last time it was a taxi driver in Ghana whose 2yr old child may or may not have swallowed a coin the day before and needed medical expenses to pay the bill and collect her from the hospital. Absolutely no idea if that was true but he needed the £ more than I did either way.

I had a cab driver called Eric, in Nairobi, tell me a bonkers story about him rescuing a dog from a lake the day before. Of course, he needed some money for vet’s bills. It was all told in a tongue in cheek way and we were both laughing, especially at the bit where the dog bit him.

When he dropped me off I gave him an extra £20 equivalent for the entertainment.

 

[ElizabethofYork]

God apparently works like that.

God is the biggest scammer of all.

 

[A380]

God has directed me to you and that involves you giving me money. It wouldn’t be anything else, would it?

I don't know what you mean...

 

[friedaweed]

I am so fucking naive it's untrue. I would've said guillable but someone told me it's been removed from the dictionary.

Can't link to the reddit posts. But there are plenty.

Yeah but you're a kind hearted soul and that counts for so much more in my book.

Here's to laughing with you, not at you

 

[A380]

I am so fucking naive it's untrue. I would've said guillable but someone told me it's been removed from the dictionary.

Can't link to the reddit posts. But there are plenty.

There is nothing wrong with being trusting and generous and seeing the best in people.


(But if you do want to sharpen up your skills at avoiding scams send me a bank transfer of £25 and I'll send you a link to a really good online course...)

 

[Magnus McGinty]

I know a better one that’s only £24.

 

[Edie]

This thread is class Oh Boris You’re about as gullible as me! Congratulations

 

[two sheds]

Could you tell him that you've collected the £3,000 and you just need him to send £20 to you to set up the transfer?

 

[cupid_stunt]

We need longdog on this case.

 

[Boris Sprinkler]

He got me on a good day.
It sadly appears to be a scam. He had some money off me for food + evidence was appearing that corroborated this.
But I know where the money I gave him came from, so swings and roundabout I guess. And we are always told not to do that. So I wanted to find out what happens if I did that.
I'll think a bit more hard in future.

 

[Boudicca]

Can you explain any more about what you mean?

I think that here we believe that the money we earn belongs to us and we can keep it, whereas in other places it is only your money until someone else needs it more. Obviously it's more nuanced than this, but that what what I was trying to say.

I guess my point is that not all are hardened scammers, some are just trying to get by and taking money from those that can afford it is one way to do it.

I am no longer in touch with my Gambian friend as he makes me feel that he is only friends with me because I can lend/give him money. He doesn't understand this.

 

[moochedit]

There is nothing wrong with being trusting and generous and seeing the best in people.


(But if you do want to sharpen up your skills at avoiding scams send me a bank transfer of £25 and I'll send you a link to a really good online course...)

I know a better one that’s only £24.

These cheap courses are rubbish. You get what you pay for. My advanced course costs £1000 and will really teach you how to spot the scammers pm me your card details.