Potential Scam Warning

[Guest]

.

[Joe]

Hey everyone. Be wary of any private messages asking you for money to fund businesses directly or help someone out (without going through Kiva's site). I don't know how legit these are but I wouldn't recommend sending anything to someone you don't trust and/or isn't directly associated with Kiva/listed on their site.

If you get any of these messages, or any other spam, let me know who sent them and I'll disable their accounts.

I guess it was only a matter of time before some of those messages appeared here, since a few asking for direct donations/financial help popped up on the Yahoo group a few months back.

Joe

[Wood Fairy Glenda]

I got this in my email today:    "From:      email@huamncarefoundation.org
   Subject:    FROM HUMAN CARE FOUNDATION- REPS NEEDED
   Reply-To:      george.williams@hotmail.com

Dear Sir/ Madam,
I am Dr George Williams,representing Human care foundation,a Non-governmental Organization.Our main focus is to help reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS in Africa,through caring for the patients,providing retroviral drugs,and organizing lectures regarding to this.Our Organization has been recognized by World Health Organization and as such we get financial
assistance from all over the world At given times.It is my pleasure to write to you in respect of our organisation.We are searching for representatives
who can help us establish a medium of getting our funds from our numerous donors in America as well as making payments through these donors to us,so I want to know if you will like to work from home and get a 10% out of any
fund received on our behalf to serve us as our American/Canadian representative as we have other representatives in other parts of the world.This position will in no way affect your present job as well.Please if interested,do send an email to my private email address " I trashed the message.  Wood Fairy Glenda

[Ramón]

I've been getting direct email from some people asking for loans outside of Kiva, mainly as reaction on posts I made in the Kivaloans Yahoogroups mailing list. An example:

On 4/18/07, xxxxxxxx wrote:

Sir,
the problem is i have searched and found that but they've got no address so it cant help anybody this way. the lucky fee have blocked all access to the unlucky lot.


Ramon Kolb wrote:

That's not the way Kiva works... please work through your local Microfinancing Institute. To see which MFIs partner with Kiva in your region, please visit: http://www.kiva.org/about/partners/

Thanks,

Ramon

On 4/18/07, xxxxxxxx wrote:

Can you lend me 1200$ to be repaid installmentally in 12 months?

Please be careful here. The best way of action is either to ignore any requests, or refer them to a Kiva partner MFI if you feel that the email is not yet another Nigerian 419 scam...

[Wood Fairy Glenda]

Hi, again.  Here's another that I just trashed from my email:
   
From:      ncubenett12@hotmail.com
   Subject:    Re:Pleased to meet you.
   Date:    May 3, 2007 5:01:43 PM CDT
   Reply-To:      nccubenet@katamail.com
Good day,
     I would like to apply through this medium for your co-operation and to secure an opportunity to invest and do joint business with you and my family in your country.I have a substantial capital I honourably intend to invest in your country into a very lucrative business venture of which you are to advise and execute the said venture over there for our mutual benefits. Your able co-operation is to become my business partner in your country and create ideas on how the money will be invested and properly managed after the money is transferred to your care.
     Meanwhile, on indication of your willingness to handle this project sincerely by protecting our interests and upon your acceptance of this proposal, I would furnish you with the full detailed information,amount involved and we will mutually agree on the percentage or sharing ratio for your assistance. I will be glad to reserve this respect and opportunity for you, if you so desire.It will be appreciated if you can give this matter your immediate attention.
     Looking forward to receiving your swift response.
Sincerely,
Nelson Ncube.



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[Diane R]

Yes, this scam artist sent PMs to many members (including me, and I'm a moderator!) before we discovered it and shut her down.  She is gone, and the moderators apologize for the hassle and inconvenience to you all.  Her application to join KF should not have been approved in the first place.

our apologies,
--Diane.

[Jan & John]

Hi Judith, thanks for posting,  I also received that PM today. 
It was the first time I have had that kind of mail. 
I did check the profile but there was really no information other that it was a new member...
and the Kiva lender page came up invalid.

I read it a couple of times before hitting the 'report' button.

I guess we need to do more to thank our moderators for protecting our interests in whatever magical way that is done. 

Thanks, Moderators 
jan

[s_shewan]

AWW!  And I thought she selected me especially.................

I was going to put MOST of that 7.5 million dollars into Kiva Loans   

Susan

[Peter S]

... the moderators apologize for the hassle and inconvenience to you all.  Her application to join KF should not have been approved in the first place. ...

our apologies,
--Diane.

actually, this moderator in particular apologizes.  I had done some Googling on her name and email address and identified her as an obvious scammer, but pressed the wrong button to approve the application when I meant to reject it.  D'oh.  She turned up with her tale of woe while I was out, so thanks to Diane for clearing up.

Peter

[Canadian Here]

I got it too.

Thanks to Diane & Peter for giving her 'the bounce'.

Lorna & Critters

[Robert]

I feel deceived. She called me "Dearest one", and now I learn that behind my back she said that also to you all. Let’s pity this young orphan, she’s only 19 and lost her mother 21 years ago. Poor girl!

Robert