AL and WishM App, which claimed to be an online multimedia company, has reportedly scammed millions of dalasis from Gambians leaving victims desperate and trapped as officials of the company are nowhere to be found.
Both channels claimed that their intention was to increase the popularity of AL Group in Gambia with the objective of making AL Group more widely publicised and popularised with the desire of improving the daily life of more internet users.
According to What's On - Gambia, an online platform, the company has manipulated the trust and vulnerability of their victims, pushing them to dig deep into their pockets and resources.
"Many Gambians, lured by the promise of quick and substantial returns, have taken out loans, drained their savings, and sacrificed necessities such as school fees and monthly allowances to become part of this deceptive venture," it states, describing the act as fraudulent.
Nasirou Sohna, a graduate student from the University of The Gambia, who shared his experience with The Point, said: "In April 2023, I innocently clicked on a Facebook ad from EBi.com, lured by the promise of life-changing part-time online jobs. Little did I know that this single click would propel me into a dark realm of deception, fractured friendships, and elusive scammers who would vanish into the digital world either, leaving our Gambian community in turmoil."
"My journey began with a seemingly harmless phone number on WhatsApp, leading to a lady on Telegram. She created an account for me, and in a mysterious twist, she began funding my account with her own money. She claimed this would enable me to earn 6000 USDT (Tether), all while assuring me of 20 USDT payouts. It sounded too good to be true, and indeed, it was. Overnight, this lady disappeared, leaving me with over 5000 GMD (Gambian Dalasi) and a fall of unanswered questions."
"The conspiracy deepened when I crossed paths with another company, Wishm Mall Ltd, offering free internships that yielded a surprising 600 GMD without any initial investment. However, this company's popularity diminished, and doubts started creeping in."
"The real drama unfolded in July when membership in these companies surged. On July 17th, I took a leap of faith, joining AL Group Ltd and Wishm Mall Ltd, investing a staggering D9000 and D21,000, respectively. Astonishingly, I managed to withdraw D50, 000 within a short period, which tempted me to invite friends into this seemingly lucrative scheme."
He added: "What followed was a gut-wrenching saga of lost investments and fractured trust among friends. Out of the five friends I invited, only one managed to withdraw D5000, while the rest watched helplessly as their money disappeared."
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"The aftermath unveiled a grim reality of division and mistrust within our Gambian community. Some managers who had been entangled by the scheme faced threats from furious victims. The scammers, it seemed, had dissolved into thin air, leaving chaos and animosity in their wake."
"As if the story couldn't get any darker, a new chapter emerged -MK, Wishm mall, Kelly, dawood platforms all first scammed us. Just when we believed we had seen it all, reports surfaced of yet another digital ploy that promised instant wealth at the press of a button (The AL group app). This latest scam preyed on the desperation of victims like me, desperately seeking to recover their losses."
"The most frustrating part of this ordeal is the stark reality that there seems to be no way to trace these scammers. They operated behind a veil of anonymity, using fake UK mobile numbers and counterfeit white profile pictures on Telegram."
"In the wake of this harrowing experience, I am left with a haunting lesson: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. This cautionary tale serves as a stark reminder of the dangers loitering in the digital age, where promises of quick riches can lead to heart-breaking losses and fractured friendships, all while the scammers remain elusive, hidden behind a web of deception," he posited.
