Hundreds of Cameroonians stranded in Mali after uncovering job ‘scam’

An estimated half a thousand Cameroonians are stranded in the West African nation of Mali. Like many others before them, they had gone there for greener pastures, only to realize the situation was not as glorious as was painted by those who cajoled them there.

These hundreds of Cameroonians, MMI gathered, are the latest batch of those to realize they are the biggest losers in a Ponzi scheme sold to them.

Speaking to us, a source familiar with the situation says the Cameroonians had been introduced to the network marketing scheme and were told they would earn a commission of 225 US Dollars (about 130,000FCFA) weekly.

“This business is a real business called Q Net. The problem is the way it is done,” he explained.

Like every other network marketing business, they are compelled to do presentations in which they are made to deceive people to come to Mali and work.

After bringing the required number of people, the financial aspect takes its course: “you will get a commission but it comes just once. The secret is that they will tell you that you’ll be receiving 225 US Dollars as commission every Tuesday for six months,” he explained.

This, our source went on, “will boost your morale from the beginning so you do it with all your power. After the first level, you get the commission of 225 Dollars. That is when you realize that it wasn’t true…”

After a while, the secret of the scheme is said to have filtered to those still in the process of bringing more Cameroonians to get their commission, sparking controversy.

Our source said “they got angry and stormed the office to shut it down. Some were arrested and negotiations have been ongoing but with no solution.”

The stranded Cameroonians are said to have requested for transport fare to return, after realizing they were fighting a lost battle. The owner of the company in response, MMI gathered, said they had arranged for a bus to take them from Mali to Cameroon.

“When the bus came, we asked the driver secretly where he would be dropping us and he said, Burkina Faso. It was a plan to get rid of us,” testified one of the stranded individuals, adding “There are Cameroonians in other regions of this country still bringing in their fellow countrymen. It is just around this area that the business has been destroyed.”

After realizing they were simply being disposed of, the Cameroonians are said to have stormed the said office once more, promoting the reaction of the forces of law and order.

Many are said to have been incarcerated and their mobile devices confiscated, leaving them cut off from the rest of the world.

This current scheme is one of the multiple scams which continue to befall Cameroonians and Africans in general, in their quest to seek greener pastures abroad.