Run Kilimanjaro
Donation protected
In August 2014 I filled out the "contact us" form on mtkilimanjaromarathon.com asking for more information to travel to Africa to run a marathon at the base of Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and for a 5-day climb. I received a response and began exchanging emails with the race director / organizer. At some point, the emails stopped coming from the "real" organizer and began coming from a scam email. I did not realize this as the name on the emails remained the same. (This was discovered only after I found I had been scammed).
A brief timeline:
At the end of August I ask how to send the initial $500 deposit. I am still messaging with the "real" organizer. I am told that the quickest way to send money, and that the money needs to be sent through an agent to purchase a "permit" for the climb, is that I need to Western Union the money. Immediately I am uncomfortable with wiring money and go to Facebook to ask the "Marathon Maniacs" if anyone has booked with her. Two people confirm that she is legitimate. I google a bit and find nothing regarding the director to be a fraud. I send the initial money.
From there, it snowballs. After being told that no further funds would be due until April 1, I'm asked to send money so that Ethiopian Airlines can "hold" all the applicants' seats.
I sent all but $2000 in the month of September, all via Western Union, to an "agent" in the United States.
The balance due was agreed to be paid in February after I received my income tax return. She sent me a "contract" that was drafted by her attorney for me to sign. When I received my taxes at the beginning of the month I sent her the money. Within hours of the funds being picked up the agent had supposedly been robbed and she wanted me to send $2000 MORE to satisfy her loan.
At this point it was obvious I had been scammed. I initiated contact with one of the individuals who claims to have traveled with her. He says he has contacted her and the real race director has never heard of me. I have yet to hear from "her" at this point.
I made some poor judgment calls, but feel like I initated contact with a legit website (look at it, it is still there). I found the woman's LinkedIn and Facebook pages. She really does have a street named after her in Africa. I don't know HOW a scammer managed to take over the messaging. I feel the endorsements from other runners compensated for the crazy requests she was making and I just thought "maybe that is how they do things in Africa"
I have had to file a police report, a report with the FBI Cyper Complaint Center, place fraud alerts with the credit bureaus. Whoever these people are, they have a copy of my passport and my address.
I never thought I would fall victim to internet fraud. I thought I checked everything out thorougly. Just goes to show if something seems "off" or "too good to be true" - it probably is.
I would still like to travel to Kilimanjaro - with a legitimate group or even on my own.
A brief timeline:
At the end of August I ask how to send the initial $500 deposit. I am still messaging with the "real" organizer. I am told that the quickest way to send money, and that the money needs to be sent through an agent to purchase a "permit" for the climb, is that I need to Western Union the money. Immediately I am uncomfortable with wiring money and go to Facebook to ask the "Marathon Maniacs" if anyone has booked with her. Two people confirm that she is legitimate. I google a bit and find nothing regarding the director to be a fraud. I send the initial money.
From there, it snowballs. After being told that no further funds would be due until April 1, I'm asked to send money so that Ethiopian Airlines can "hold" all the applicants' seats.
I sent all but $2000 in the month of September, all via Western Union, to an "agent" in the United States.
The balance due was agreed to be paid in February after I received my income tax return. She sent me a "contract" that was drafted by her attorney for me to sign. When I received my taxes at the beginning of the month I sent her the money. Within hours of the funds being picked up the agent had supposedly been robbed and she wanted me to send $2000 MORE to satisfy her loan.
At this point it was obvious I had been scammed. I initiated contact with one of the individuals who claims to have traveled with her. He says he has contacted her and the real race director has never heard of me. I have yet to hear from "her" at this point.
I made some poor judgment calls, but feel like I initated contact with a legit website (look at it, it is still there). I found the woman's LinkedIn and Facebook pages. She really does have a street named after her in Africa. I don't know HOW a scammer managed to take over the messaging. I feel the endorsements from other runners compensated for the crazy requests she was making and I just thought "maybe that is how they do things in Africa"
I have had to file a police report, a report with the FBI Cyper Complaint Center, place fraud alerts with the credit bureaus. Whoever these people are, they have a copy of my passport and my address.
I never thought I would fall victim to internet fraud. I thought I checked everything out thorougly. Just goes to show if something seems "off" or "too good to be true" - it probably is.
I would still like to travel to Kilimanjaro - with a legitimate group or even on my own.
Organizer
Rebecca Walker
Organizer
Arvada, CO
